This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

2840 

Vol. 76, No. 11 

Tuesday, January 18, 2011 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2010–1313; Directorate 

Identifier 2010–NM–158–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing 

Company Model 737–600, –700, –700C, 

–800, –900, and –900ER Series 

Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 

Model 737–600, –700, –700C, –800, 

–900, and –900ER series airplanes. This 

proposed AD would require inspecting 

to determine the clearance and any wire 

bundle damage between wire bundle 

W443 and the left forward rudder 

quadrant, followed by adjusting the 

minimum clearance between the wire 

bundle and the left forward rudder 

quadrant, and repairing any wire bundle 

damage. This proposed AD results from 

reports of contact between wire bundle 

W443 and the left forward rudder 

quadrant. We are proposing this AD to 

detect and correct contact between the 

wire bundle and the left forward rudder 

quadrant. Damage to the wire bundle 

could result in uncommanded stabilizer 

trim and autopilot disconnects due to 

shorted wires from contact between the 

wire bundle and the left forward rudder 

quadrant, potentially affecting the 

capability of the flight crew during high 

work load and consequently reducing 

control of the airplane. Restricted free 

movement of the rudder quadrant at full 

right rudder travel would reduce 

controllability of the airplane. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by March 4, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by 

any of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Mail: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, 

M–30, West Building Ground Floor, 

Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, 

M–30, West Building Ground Floor, 

Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, 

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

For service information identified in 

this proposed AD, contact Boeing 

Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Data 

& Services Management, P.O. Box 3707, 

MC 2H–65, Seattle, Washington 98124– 

2207; telephone 206–544–5000, 

extension 1; fax 206–766–5680; e-mail 

me.boecom@boeing.com; Internet 

https://www.myboeingfleet.com. You 

may review copies of the referenced 

service information at the FAA, 

Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 

Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington. 

For information on the availability of 

this material at the FAA, call 425–227– 

1221. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket on 

the Internet at http:// 

www.regulations.gov; or in person at the 

Docket Management Facility between 

9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD 

docket contains this proposed AD, the 

regulatory evaluation, any comments 

received, and other information. The 

street address for the Docket Office 

(telephone 800–647–5527) is in the 

ADDRESSES section. Comments will be 

available in the AD docket shortly after 

receipt. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Dean Thompson, Aerospace Engineer, 

Systems and Equipment Branch, ANM– 

130S, FAA, Seattle Aircraft Certification 

Office, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, 

Washington 98057–3356; telephone 

(425) 917–6409; fax (425) 917–6590. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to send any written 

relevant data, views, or arguments about 

this proposed AD. Send your comments 

to an address listed under the 

ADDRESSES section. Include ‘‘Docket No. 

FAA–2010–1313; Directorate Identifier 

2010–NM–158–AD’’ at the beginning of 

your comments. We specifically invite 

comments on the overall regulatory, 

economic, environmental, and energy 

aspects of this proposed AD. We will 

consider all comments received by the 

closing date and may amend this 

proposed AD because of those 

comments. 

We will post all comments we 

receive, without change, to http:// 

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information you provide. We 

will also post a report summarizing each 

substantive verbal contact we receive 

about this proposed AD. 

Discussion 

We have received reports of 

interference between the left forward 

rudder quadrant and wire bundle W443 

during full right rudder travel. This 

condition was found on an airplane 

during a pre-flight check when a pilot 

reported interference during full-right 

rudder travel. Twenty airplanes out of 

32 that were inspected were found to 

have non-conforming installations for 

wire bundle W443, which increase the 

likelihood for interference during full 

right rudder movement. Investigation 

showed that while the interference 

condition was not present on the 20 

airplanes, the wire bundle was installed 

with too much slack between clamps. 

Restricted control surface movement 

can occur from insufficient clearance 

between the wire bundle and the left 

forward rudder quadrant, and if the wire 

bundle is damaged, uncommanded 

stabilizer or autopilot disconnects could 

occur due to shorted wires from contact 

between the wire bundle and the left 

forward rudder quadrant, potentially 

affecting the capability of the flight crew 

during high work load and consequently 

reducing control of the airplane. 

Restricted free movement of the rudder 

quadrant at full right rudder travel, if 

not corrected, would reduce 

controllability of the airplane. 

Relevant Service Information 

We have reviewed Boeing Special 

Attention Service Bulletin 737–27– 

1282, Revision 1, dated June 14, 2010. 

The service bulletin describes 

procedures for a detailed inspection of 

wire bundle W443 for damage and 

repairing any damage, and measuring 

and adjusting the minimum clearance 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 11 / Tuesday, January 18, 2011 / Proposed Rules 2841 

between the wire bundle and the left 

forward rudder quadrant. 

FAA’s Determination and Requirements 

of This Proposed AD 

We are proposing this AD because we 

evaluated all relevant information and 

determined the unsafe condition 

described previously is likely to exist or 

develop in other products of the same 

type design. This proposed AD would 

require accomplishing the actions 

specified in the service information 

described previously 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this proposed AD 

would affect 870 airplanes of U.S. 

registry. The following table provides 

the estimated costs for U.S. operators to 

comply with this proposed AD. 

TABLE—ESTIMATED COSTS

Action Work-hours Average labor 

rate per hour 

Cost per 

product 

Number 

of U.S.- 

registered 

airplanes 

Fleet cost 

Inspection ............................................................................. 2 $85 $170 870 $147,900 

Authority for This Rulemaking 

Title 49 of the United States Code 

specifies the FAA’s authority to issue 

rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, 

section 106, describes the authority of 

the FAA Administrator. ‘‘Subtitle VII: 

Aviation Programs,’’ describes in more 

detail the scope of the Agency’s 

authority. 

We are issuing this rulemaking under 

the authority described in ‘‘Subtitle VII, 

Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: 

General requirements.’’ Under that 

section, Congress charges the FAA with 

promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in 

air commerce by prescribing regulations 

for practices, methods, and procedures 

the Administrator finds necessary for 

safety in air commerce. This regulation 

is within the scope of that authority 

because it addresses an unsafe condition 

that is likely to exist or develop on 

products identified in this rulemaking 

action. 

Regulatory Findings 

We determined that this proposed AD 

would not have federalism implications 

under Executive Order 13132. This 

proposed AD would not have a 

substantial direct effect on the States, on 

the relationship between the national 

Government and the States, or on the 

distribution of power and 

responsibilities among the various 

levels of government. 

For the reasons discussed above, I 

certify this proposed regulation: 

1. Is not a ‘‘significant regulatory 

action’’ under Executive Order 12866, 

2. Is not a ‘‘significant rule’’ under the 

DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures 

(44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979), and 

3. Will not have a significant 

economic impact, positive or negative, 

on a substantial number of small entities 

under the criteria of the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act. 

You can find our regulatory 

evaluation and the estimated costs of 

compliance in the AD Docket. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, Incorporation by reference, 

Safety. 

The Proposed Amendment 

Accordingly, under the authority 

delegated to me by the Administrator, 

the FAA proposes to amend 14 CFR part 

39 as follows: 

PART 39—AIRWORTHINESS 

DIRECTIVES 

1. The authority citation for part 39 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701. 

§ 39.13 [Amended] 

2. The FAA amends § 39.13 by adding 

the following new AD: 

The Boeing Company: Docket No. FAA– 

2010–1313; Directorate Identifier 2010– 

NM–158–AD. 

Comments Due Date 

(a) We must receive comments by March 4, 

2011. 

Affected ADs 

(b) None. 

Applicability 

(c) This AD applies to The Boeing 

Company Model 737–600, –700, –700C, 

–800, –900, and –900ER series airplanes, 

certificated in any category, as identified in 

Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 

737–27–1282, Revision 1, dated June 14, 

2010. 

Subject 

(d) Air Transport Association (ATA) of 

America Code 27: Flight controls. 

Unsafe Condition 

(e) This AD results from reports of contact 

between wire bundle W443 and the left 

forward rudder quadrant. We are proposing 

this AD to detect and correct contact between 

the wire bundle and the left forward rudder 

quadrant. Damage to the wire bundle could 

result in uncommanded stabilizer trim and 

autopilot disconnects due to shorted wires 

from contact between the wire bundle and 

the left forward rudder quadrant, potentially 

affecting the capability of the flight crew 

during high work load and consequently 

reducing control of the airplane. Restricted 

free movement of the rudder quadrant at full 

right rudder travel would reduce 

controllability of the airplane. 

Compliance 

(f) You are responsible for having the 

actions required by this AD performed within 

the compliance times specified, unless the 

actions have already been done. 

Wire Bundle W443 Inspection and Clearance 

Measurement 

(g) Within 60 months after the effective 

date of this AD: Do a detailed inspection of 

wire bundle W443 for damage and measure 

for sufficient clearance in accordance with 

Part 1 of the Work Instructions of Boeing 

Special Attention Service Bulletin 737–27– 

1282, Revision 1, dated June 14, 2010. If the 

wire bundle is undamaged, and sufficient 

clearance exists, no further action is required 

by this AD. 

Wire Bundle W443 Undamaged: Clearance 

Adjustment 

(h) If the clearance of wire bundle W443 

in the inspection required by paragraph (g) of 

this AD is found to be insufficient, before 

further flight adjust the wire bundle 

clearance in accordance with Part 2 of the 

Work Instructions of Boeing Special 

Attention Service Bulletin 737–27–1282, 

Revision 1, dated June 14, 2010. 

Wire Bundle W443 Damaged: Repair, and 

Clearance Adjustment 

(i) If wire bundle W443 is found to be 

damaged in the inspection required by 

paragraph (g) of this AD, before further flight 

repair the damaged wire bundle and adjust 

the wire bundle clearance in accordance with 

Part 3 of the Work Instructions of Boeing 

Special Attention Service Bulletin 737–27– 

1282, Revision 1, dated June 14, 2010. 

Credit for Actions Accomplished in 

Accordance With Previous Service 

Information 

(j) Actions accomplished before the 

effective date of this AD in accordance with 

Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 

737–27–1282, dated March 15, 2007, are 

considered acceptable for compliance with 

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2842 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 11 / Tuesday, January 18, 2011 / Proposed Rules 

the corresponding action specified in this 

AD. 

Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(k)(1) The Manager, Seattle Aircraft 

Certification Office (ACO), FAA, has the 

authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if 

requested using the procedures found in 14 

CFR 39.19. Send information to ATTN: Dean 

Thompson, Aerospace Engineer, Systems and 

Equipment Branch, ANM–130S, FAA, Seattle 

ACO, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, 

Washington 98057–3356; telephone (425) 

917–6409; fax (425) 917–6590. Information 

may be e-mailed to: 9-ANM-Seattle-ACOAMOC-Requests@faa.gov. 

(2) To request a different method of 

compliance or a different compliance time 

for this AD, follow the procedures in 14 CFR 

39.19. Before using any approved AMOC on 

any airplane to which the AMOC applies, 

notify your principal maintenance inspector 

(PMI) or principal avionics inspector (PAI), 

as appropriate, or lacking a principal 

inspector, your local Flight Standards District 

Office. The AMOC approval letter must 

specifically reference this AD. 

Issued in Renton, Washington on January 

10, 2011. 

Ali Bahrami, 

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–862 Filed 1–14–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2010–1303; Directorate 

Identifier 2010–SW–049–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter 

France (Eurocopter) Model SA–365N, 

SA–365N1, AS–365N2, AS 365 N3, and 

SA–366G1 Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for the 

specified Eurocopter model helicopters. 

This proposed AD would require an 

initial and recurring inspections of the 

inner angles and flanges of the 9-degree 

frame on the right-hand (RH) and lefthand (LH) sides for a crack. If a crack 

is found, this proposed AD would 

require, before further flight, repairing 

the frame. This proposed AD is 

prompted by the discovery of a crack in 

the 9-degree frame of a Eurocopter 

Model AS–365N2 helicopter. These 

cracks could also develop on the other 

specified model helicopters because 

they contain the same 9-degree frame. 

The actions specified by this proposed 

AD are intended to detect a crack in the 

9-degree frame to prevent loss of 

structural integrity and subsequent loss 

of control of the helicopter. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before March 21, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following 

addresses to submit comments on this 

proposed AD: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Mail: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, 

M–30, West Building Ground Floor, 

Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, 

M–30, West Building Ground Floor, 

Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, 

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

You may get the service information 

identified in this proposed AD from 

American Eurocopter Corporation, 2701 

Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75053– 

4005, telephone (800) 232–0323, fax 

(972) 641–3710, or at http:// 

www.eurocopter.com. 

You may examine the comments to 

this proposed AD in the AD docket on 

the Internet at http:// 

www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary 

Roach, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 

Rotorcraft Directorate, Regulations and 

Policy Group, 2601 Meacham Blvd, Fort 

Worth, Texas 76137, telephone (817) 

222–5130, fax (817) 222–5961. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to send any written 

relevant data, views, or arguments about 

this proposed AD. Send your comments 

to an address listed under the caption 

ADDRESSES. Include the Docket No. 

‘‘FAA–2010–1303, Directorate Identifier 

2010–SW–049–AD’’ at the beginning of 

your comments. We specifically invite 

comments on the overall regulatory, 

economic, environmental, and energy 

aspects of this proposed AD. We will 

consider all comments received by the 

closing date and may amend this 

proposed AD because of those 

comments. 

We will post all comments we 

receive, without change, to http:// 

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information you provide. We 

will also post a report summarizing each 

substantive verbal contact with FAA 

personnel concerning this proposed 

rulemaking. Using the search function 

of the docket Web site, you can find and 

read the comments to any of our 

dockets, including the name of the 

individual who sent or signed the 

comment. You may review the DOT’s 

complete Privacy Act Statement in the 

Federal Register published on April 11, 

2000 (65 FR 19477–78). 

Examining the Docket 

You may examine the docket that 

contains the proposed AD, any 

comments, and other information in 

person at the Docket Operations office 

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

The Docket Operations office (telephone 

(800) 647–5527) is located in Room 

W12–140 on the ground floor of the 

West Building at the street address 

stated in the ADDRESSES section. 

Comments will be available in the AD 

docket shortly after receipt. 

Discussion 

The European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA), which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Community, has issued Emergency AD 

No. 2010–0064–E, dated April 1, 2010, 

which supersedes EASA Emergency AD 

No. 2009–0125–E, dated June 12, 2009, 

and the correction dated June 15, 2009, 

to correct an unsafe condition for the 

specified model helicopters. EASA 

advises that during a major inspection a 

crack was found in the 9-degree frame 

of an AS–365N2 helicopter, which had 

logged a total of 10,786 flight hours. The 

crack was located 230 millimeters above 

the cabin floor and had grown over a 

large section of the 9-degree frame on 

the RH side. EASA states that analysis 

shows that the time required for 

initiation of a crack in this area varies 

according to the weight and balance 

data of the different aircraft versions. 

Related Service Information 

Eurocopter has issued Emergency 

Alert Service Bulletin (EASB), Revision 

1, dated March 31, 2010, containing the 

following three numbers: No. 05.00.57 

for FAA type-certificated Model SA– 

365N, N1 and AS–365N2 and N3 

helicopters and for military, not FAA 

type-certificated, Model AS365F, Fs, Fi, 

and K helicopters; No. 05.00.25 for 

military, not FAA type-certificated, 

Model AS565AA, MA, MB, SA, SB, and 

UB helicopters; and No. 05.39 for FAA 

type-certificated Model SA–366G1 

helicopters and for military, not FAA 

type-certificated, Model SA366GA 

helicopters. The EASB specifies 

checking at regular intervals for a crack 

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