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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 216 (Wednesday, November 7, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 66769-66770]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27170]

[[Page 66769]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2012-1006; Directorate Identifier 2012-NE-28-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG 
Turbojet Engines

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
certain Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) Spey 511-8 turbojet 
engines. This proposed AD was prompted by a recent quality review 
determination that bolts with reduced material properties may have been 
installed in some engines. This proposed AD would require inspection 
and replacement if necessary, of affected bolts, and if any bolt is 
found broken, inspection of the adjacent disc(s) for damage. We are 
proposing this AD to prevent uncontained turbine disc fracture and 
damage to the airplane.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by January 7, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your 
comments electronically.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
    For service information identified in this proposed AD, contact 
Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG, Eschenweg 11, Dahlewitz, 15827 
Blankenfelde-Mahlow, Germany; telephone: 49 0 33-7086-1883; fax: 49 0 
33-7086-3276. You may view the referenced service information at the 
FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 New England Executive Park, 
Burlington, MA. For information on the availability of this material at 
the FAA, call 781-238-7125.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov; or in person at the Docket Operations office 
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 Operations office (phone: 800-647-5527) is the 
same as the Mail address provided in the ADDRESSES section. Comments 
will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frederick Zink, Aerospace Engineer, 
Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 
New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; phone: 781-238-7779; 
fax: 781-238-7199; email: frederick.zink@faa.gov.

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-2012-1006; 
Directorate Identifier 2012-NE-28-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 based on 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 AD. Using the search 
function of the Web site, anyone can find and read the comments in any 
of our dockets, including, if provided, the name of the individual who 
sent the comment (or signed the comment on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). You may review the DOT's complete Privacy 
Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 
FR 19477-78).

Discussion

    The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical 
Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has issued EASA 
AD 2012-0158, dated August 22, 2012 (referred to after this as ``the 
MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for the specified products. The 
MCAI states:

    The results of a recent quality review of low pressure turbine 
(LPT) support assembly, high pressure turbine (HPT) bearing support 
assembly and HPT air seal sleeve bolts identified that, before 
installation, those bolts are not subjected to a complete quality 
inspection. As a consequence, bolts with reduced material properties 
may have been installed in some engines.
    This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to 
failure of a bolt, potentially causing turbine disc fracture and 
release of high-energy debris, possibly resulting in damage to the 
aeroplane and/or injury to the occupants.

You may obtain further information by examining the MCAI in the AD 
docket.

Relevant Service Information

    RRD has issued Alert Service Bulletin No. Sp72-A1068, Revision 1, 
dated June 11, 2012. The actions described in this service information 
are intended to correct the unsafe condition identified in the MCAI.

FAA's Determination and Requirements of This Proposed AD

    This product has been approved by EASA, and is approved for 
operation in the United States. Pursuant to our bilateral agreement 
with the European Community, EASA has notified us of the unsafe 
condition described in the MCAI and service information referenced 
above. We are proposing this AD because we evaluated all information 
provided by EASA and determined the unsafe condition exists and is 
likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type design. 
This proposed AD would require inspection and replacement if necessary, 
of affected bolts, and if any bolt is found broken, inspection of the 
adjacent disc(s) for damage.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this proposed AD would affect about six engines 
installed on airplanes of U.S. registry. We also estimate that it would 
take about 2 hours per engine to comply with this proposed AD. The 
average labor rate is $85 per hour. Required parts would cost about 
$860 per engine. Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of the 
proposed AD on U.S. operators to be $6,180.

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

[[Page 66770]]

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.
    We prepared a regulatory evaluation of the estimated costs to 
comply with this proposed AD and placed it 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.

Sec.  39.13  [Amended]

    2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new AD:

Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (Formerly Rolls-Royce 
Deutschland GmbH, Formerly Rolls-Royce plc): Docket No. FAA-2012-
1006; Directorate Identifier 2012-NE-28-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    We must receive comments by January 7, 2013.

(b) Affected Airworthiness Directives (ADs)

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) 
Spey 511-8 turbojet engines, serial numbers 8847, 8853, 8879, 8989, 
8994, and 9817, with a date of the last shop visit before November 
15, 2007.

(d) Reason

    This AD was prompted by a recent quality review determination 
that bolts with reduced material properties may have been installed 
in some engines. We are issuing this AD to prevent uncontained 
turbine disc fracture and damage to the airplane.

(e) Actions and Compliance

    Unless already done, do the following actions for engines with a 
date of the last shop visit before November 15, 2007:
    (1) Within 4,500 engine cycles accumulated since that last 
engine shop visit, inspect the bolts installed in the low-pressure 
turbine (LPT) support assembly, high-pressure turbine (HPT) bearing 
support assembly, and HPT air seal sleeve.
    (2) If engine cycles accumulated since the last engine shop 
visit is more than 4,400 cycles on the effective date of this AD, 
inspect the bolts installed in the LPT support assembly, HPT bearing 
support assembly, and HPT air seal sleeve within 100 engine cycles.
    (3) If any broken bolt, brown bolt, or bolt with a rough 
oxidized surface is identified, replace all bolts with new bolts 
before further flight.
    (4) If any bolt is found broken in the LPT support assembly, 
inspect the LPT stage 2 disc for damage before further flight.
    (5) If any bolt is found broken in the HPT shaft air seal 
sleeve, inspect the HPT stage 1 disc for damage before further 
flight.
    (6) Within 30 days after the inspection, report the inspection 
findings to RRD service engineering. Guidance on reporting can be 
found in RRD Alert Service Bulletin No. Sp72-A1068, Revision 1, 
dated June 11, 2012.

(f) Installation Prohibition

    After the effective date of this AD, do not install any LPT 
support assembly, HPT bearing support assembly, or HPT air seal 
sleeve into any engine, or any engine onto an airplane, unless the 
bolts have been inspected and replaced if necessary, and the LPT 
stage 2 disc and HPT stage 1 disc have been inspected if necessary, 
as specified in paragraph (e) of this AD.

(g) Definition

    For the purpose of this AD, a shop visit is when the engine is 
inducted into the shop for any maintenance involving the separation 
of pairs of major mating engine flanges (lettered flanges). However, 
the separation of engine flanges solely for the purposes of 
transporting the engine without subsequent engine maintenance is not 
an engine shop visit.

(h) Paperwork Reduction Act Burden Statement

    A federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 
required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty 
for failure to comply with a collection of information subject to 
the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that 
collection of information displays a current valid OMB Control 
Number. The OMB Control Number for this information collection is 
2120-0056. Public reporting for this collection of information is 
estimated to be approximately 5 minutes per response, including the 
time for reviewing instructions, completing and reviewing the 
collection of information. All responses to this collection of 
information are mandatory. Comments concerning the accuracy of this 
burden and suggestions for reducing the burden should be directed to 
the FAA at: 800 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20591, Attn: 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, AES-200.

(i) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    The Manager, Engine Certification Office, FAA, may approve AMOCs 
to this AD. Use the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19 to make your 
request.

(j) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Frederick Zink, 
Aerospace Engineer, Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & 
Propeller Directorate, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 
01803; phone: 781-238-7779; fax: 781-238-7199; email: 
frederick.zink@faa.gov.
    (2) Refer to European Aviation Safety Agency AD 2012-0158, dated 
August 22, 2012, and RRD Alert Service Bulletin Sp72-A1068, for 
related information.
    (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG, Eschenweg 11, Dahlewitz, 15827 
Blankenfelde-Mahlow, Germany; telephone: 49 0 33-7086-1883; fax: 49 
0 33-7086-3276. You may view the referenced service information at 
the FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 New England Executive 
Park, Burlington, MA. For information on the availability of this 
material at the FAA, call 781-238-7125.

(k) Material Incorporated by Reference

    None.

    Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on October 26, 2012.
Colleen M. D'Alessandro,
Assistant Manager, Engine & Propeller Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-27170 Filed 11-6-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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