70202 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 232 / Friday, December 3, 2004 / Proposed Rules 

2. The impact of such a change in 

eligibility requirements on the 

composition of SBIR participants. For 

example, would the program shift 

towards lower-risk technologies closer 

to market, or become more 

geographically concentrated following 

industries and areas of venture capital 

focus? 

3. The types of firms and projects that 

would benefit most from such a change, 

and those that would benefit the least. 

4. Whether an exclusion from 

affiliation for VCCs would require 

justifying limiting the exclusion to VCCs 

and not including other entities such as 

not-for-profit organizations. 

5. Whether or not granting VCC 

exclusion from affiliation would 

adversely affect the ability of small 

business concerns without such access 

to private capital to compete for SBIR 

awards. 

6. Whether the participation of firms 

owned and controlled by VCC firms 

would ultimately create an environment 

of multiple repeat award winners. 

7. Alternative approaches that may 

assist small business concerns in 

obtaining and utilizing VCC funding 

while participating in the SBIR Program, 

aside from a policy that requires an 

exclusion from affiliation for VCC 

majority-owned small business 

concerns. 

If SBA ultimately determines that it is 

necessary to develop a proposed rule on 

this issue, then it will perform an 

analysis mandated by the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act (RFA). As part of an RFA 

analysis, SBA must determine whether 

the rule will have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities. The RFA 

defines small entities as small business 

concerns, small not-for profit 

organizations, and small governmental 

jurisdictions. Thus, SBA is seeking 

comments to determine the number and 

type of small entities that would be 

affected by a rule that would provide an 

exclusion from affiliation for VCC 

companies in size determinations for 

eligibility for the SBIR Program. In 

addition, SBA is seeking comments on 

the number of small business concerns 

competing for SBIR awards that have 

received venture capital funding and the 

number of VCC majority-owned small 

business concerns that potentially may 

be interested in participating in the 

SBIR Program. 

As part of an RFA analysis, SBA must 

also determine whether the rule will 

have a significant economic impact on 

these small entities. To make this 

determination, agencies seek 

information about the percentage of 

revenues or profits affected by the rule. 

Therefore, SBA is also seeking 

comments on the costs to small entities 

if SBA implements a rule that would 

provide an exclusion from affiliation for 

VCC companies in size determinations 

for eligibility for the SBIR Program. 

Such costs include implementation 

costs and the effect the rule would have 

on profits or revenues, i.e., whether it 

would it reduce profits or raise or lower 

revenues. 

Comments on any other aspect of the 

SBIR Program that might directly affect 

whether or not SBA should propose 

excluding VCCs from affiliation for 

purposes of the SBIR Program are also 

welcome.

Dated: September 15, 2004. 

Hector V. Barreto, 

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 04–26609 Filed 12–2–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8025–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA–2004–19795; Directorate 

Identifier 2004–NM–196–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Boeing 

Model 777–200 and –300 Series 

Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a 

new airworthiness directive (AD) for 

certain Boeing Model 777–200 and –300 

series airplanes. This proposed AD 

would require replacing the existing 

halogen lamps in the cargo 

compartment light assemblies with new 

incandescent lamps, and installing 

warning and identification placards. 

This proposed AD is prompted by a 

report of an aft cargo fire during flight. 

We are proposing this AD to prevent a 

fire in the cargo compartment.

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by January 18, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following 

addresses to submit comments on this 

proposed AD. 

• DOT Docket Web site: Go to http:/

/dms.dot.gov and follow the instructions 

for sending your comments 

electronically. 

• Government-wide rulemaking Web 

site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov

and follow the instructions for sending 

your comments electronically. 

• Mail: Docket Management Facility, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 

Seventh Street SW., Nassif Building, 

room PL–401, Washington, DC 20590. 

• By fax: (202) 493–2251. 

• Hand Delivery: Room PL–401 on 

the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 

400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, 

DC, 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, P.O. Box 3707, 

Seattle, Washington 98124–2207. 

You can examine the contents of this 

AD docket on the Internet at http://

dms.dot.gov, or in person at the Docket 

Management Facility, U.S. Department 

of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street 

SW., room PL–401, on the plaza level of 

the Nassif Building, Washington, DC. 

This docket number is FAA–2004–

19795; the directorate identifier for this 

docket is 2004–NM–196–AD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Technical information: Clint Jones, 

Aerospace Engineer, Cabin Safety and 

Environmental Systems Branch, ANM–

150S, FAA, Seattle Aircraft Certification 

Office, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, 

Washington 98055–4056; telephone 

(425) 917–6471; fax (425) 917–6590. 

Plain language information: Marcia 

Walters, marcia.walters@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Docket Management System (DMS) 

The FAA has implemented new 

procedures for maintaining AD dockets 

electronically. As of May 17, 2004, new 

AD actions are posted on DMS and 

assigned a docket number. We track 

each action and assign a corresponding 

directorate identifier. The DMS AD 

docket number is in the form ‘‘Docket 

No. FAA–2004–99999.’’ The Transport 

Airplane Directorate identifier is in the 

form ‘‘Directorate Identifier 2004–NM–

999–AD.’’ Each DMS AD docket also 

lists the directorate identifier (‘‘Old 

Docket Number’’) as a cross-reference 

for searching purposes.

Comments Invited 

We invite you to submit any relevant 

written data, views, or arguments 

regarding this proposed AD. Send your 

comments to an address listed under 

ADDRESSES. Include ‘‘Docket No. FAA–

2004–19795; Directorate Identifier 

2004–NM–196–AD’’ in the subject line 

of your comments. We specifically 

invite comments on the overall 

regulatory, economic, environmental, 

and energy aspects of the proposed AD. 

We will consider all comments 

submitted by the closing date and may 

amend the proposed AD in light of those 

comments.

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 232 / Friday, December 3, 2004 / Proposed Rules 70203

We will post all comments we 

receive, without change, to http://

dms.dot.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 that Web 

site, anyone can find and read the 

comments in any of our dockets, 

including the name of the individual 

who sent the comment (or signed the 

comment on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). You can 

review DOT’s complete Privacy Act 

Statement in the Federal Register

published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 

19477–78), or you can visit http://

dms.dot.gov.

We are reviewing the writing style we 

currently use in regulatory documents. 

We are interested in your comments on 

whether the style of this document is 

clear, and your suggestions to improve 

the clarity of our communications that 

affect you. You can get more 

information about plain language at 

http://www.faa.gov/language and http://

www.plainlanguage.gov.

Examining the Docket 

You can examine the AD docket on 

the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov, or in 

person at the Docket Management 

Facility office between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. The Docket 

Management Facility office (telephone 

(800) 647–5227) is located on the plaza 

level of the Nassif Building at the DOT 

street address stated in the ADDRESSES

section. Comments will be available in 

the AD docket shortly after the DMS 

receives them. 

Discussion 

We have received a report indicating 

that an aft cargo fire occurred during 

flight on a Model 777–300 series 

airplane. The crew discharged the fire 

bottles and diverted the airplane. After 

landing, ground crew discovered a 

smoldering blanket in some passenger 

luggage in the bulk cargo compartment. 

Investigation indicated that the 

passenger luggage had been stuffed 

against the cargo light assembly, which 

uses a halogen lamp. The halogen lamp 

was identified as the source of the 

ignition, which apparently occurred 

when the cargo doors were open and the 

lights were on. The cargo lamps are off 

during flight, but during the flight the 

blanket continued to smolder and was 

detected by the cargo smoke detection 

system. The heat from halogen lamps in 

contact with cargo could result in 

ignition of the cargo. 

The light assemblies in the cargo 

compartments on Model 777–200 series 

airplanes also use halogen lamps, so 

both airplane models are subject to the 

unsafe condition identified in this 

proposed AD. 

Relevant Service Information 

We have reviewed Boeing Special 

Attention Service Bulletin 777–33–

0025, dated September 1, 2004. The 

service bulletin describes procedures for 

replacing the existing halogen lamps in 

the cargo compartment light assemblies 

with new incandescent lamps, and 

installing warning and identification 

placards for correct replacement lamps. 

Accomplishing the actions specified in 

the service information is intended to 

adequately address the unsafe 

condition. 

The Boeing service bulletin refers to 

Honeywell Service Bulletin 15–0712–

33–0001 as an additional source of 

service information for the lamp 

replacement. The latest version of that 

service bulletin is Revision 1, dated 

October 15, 2004. 

FAA’s Determination and Requirements 

of the Proposed AD 

We have evaluated all pertinent 

information and identified an unsafe 

condition that is likely to exist or 

develop on other airplanes of this same 

type design. Therefore, we are 

proposing this AD, which would require 

accomplishing the actions specified in 

the service information described 

previously, except as discussed below. 

Differences Between the Proposed AD 

and the Service Bulletin 

Boeing Special Attention Service 

Bulletin 777–33–0025 recommends 

replacing the lamps within 36 months, 

but this proposed AD would require an 

18-month compliance time. Since the 

service bulletin was issued, we have reevaluated the unsafe condition and 

determined that the shortened 

compliance time is necessary to satisfy 

all concerns regarding safety for the 

affected fleet. We have advised the 

manufacturer of the need to require an 

18-month compliance time in lieu of the 

36-month recommendation noted in the 

service bulletin. The manufacturer has 

acknowledged this adjustment. In 

developing the appropriate compliance 

time for this AD, we considered the 

urgency associated with the unsafe 

condition, the availability of required 

parts, and the practical aspect of 

replacing the lamps within a period of 

time that corresponds to the normal 

maintenance schedules of most affected 

operators. According to the lamp 

vendor, an adequate number of required 

parts will be available to modify the 

U.S. fleet within 18 months. We have 

determined that this compliance time 

represents the most appropriate time 

allowable for the affected airplanes to 

continue to safely operate before the 

modification is done, and will allow 

most affected operators to replace the 

lamps during scheduled maintenance.

Costs of Compliance 

There are about 474 airplanes of the 

affected design in the worldwide fleet. 

The following table provides the 

estimated costs for U.S. operators to 

comply with this proposed AD.

ESTIMATED COSTS

Airplane model Work

hours 

Average 

hourly labor 

rate 

Parts Cost per

airplane 

Number of 

U.S.-registered

airplanes 

Fleet cost 

777–200 (Group 1) ............................. 5 $65 No cost to operators ........................... $325 133 $43,225

777–300 (Group 2) ............................. 7 65 No cost to operators ........................... *455 (**) (*) 

*The figures in this table would apply if an affected Model 777–300 series airplane is imported and placed on the U.S. Register in the future. 

**None currently. 

Authority for This Rulemaking 

The FAA’s authority to issue rules 

regarding aviation safety is found in 

Title 49 of the United States Code. 

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. 

This rulemaking is promulgated 

under the authority described in 

70204 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 232 / Friday, December 3, 2004 / Proposed Rules 

Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 

44701, ‘‘General requirements.’’ Under 

that section, the FAA is charged 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 AD. 

Regulatory Findings 

We have 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 that the 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. See the ADDRESSES

section for a location to examine the 

regulatory evaluation.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, 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 airworthiness 

directive (AD):

Boeing: Docket No. FAA–2004–19795; 

Directorate Identifier 2004–NM–196–AD. 

Comments Due Date 

(a) The Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA) must receive comments on this AD 

action by January 18, 2005. 

Affected ADs 

(b) None. 

Applicability 

(c) This AD applies to Boeing Model 777–

200 and –300 series airplanes, certificated in 

any category; as listed in Boeing Special 

Attention Service Bulletin 777–33–0025, 

dated September 1, 2004. 

Unsafe Condition 

(d) This AD was prompted by a report of 

an aft cargo fire during flight. We are issuing 

this AD to prevent a fire in the cargo 

compartment. 

Compliance 

(e) You are responsible for having the 

actions required by this AD performed within 

the compliance times specified, unless the 

actions have already been done. 

Lamp Replacement 

(f) Within 18 months after the effective 

date of this AD, replace all halogen lamps in 

the cargo compartment ceiling light 

assemblies with new incandescent lamps, 

and install warning and identification 

placards; in accordance with Boeing Special 

Attention Service Bulletin 777–33–0025, 

dated September 1, 2004. 

Parts Installation 

(g) As of the effective date of this AD, no 

person may install a halogen bulb, part 

number 9203, in any airplane cargo ceiling 

light assembly. 

Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(h) The Manager, Seattle Aircraft 

Certification Office, FAA, has the authority to 

approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested in 

accordance with the procedures found in 14 

CFR 39.19.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on 

November 26, 2004. 

Ali Bahrami, 

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 04–26665 Filed 12–2–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA–2004–19796; Directorate 

Identifier 2004–NM–61–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Boeing 

Model 747–100, –100B, –100B SUD, 

–200B, –200C, –300, –400, and –400D 

Series Airplanes; and Model 747SR 

Series Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to 

supersede an existing airworthiness 

directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 

747 series airplanes. That AD currently 

requires a one-time inspection to 

determine the material type of the stop 

support fittings of the main entry doors 

(MEDs). That AD also currently requires 

repetitive detailed inspections to detect 

cracks of certain stop support fittings of 

the MEDs, and replacement of any 

cracked stop support fitting with a 

certain new stop support fitting. This 

proposed AD would add new 

inspections and replacement if 

necessary of the stop support fittings of 

MED 3, and add airplanes to the 

applicability. This proposed AD is 

prompted by reports of MED 3 having 

certain stop support fittings which are 

susceptible to stress corrosion cracking. 

We are proposing this AD to detect and 

correct stress corrosion cracking of the 

stop support fittings of the MEDs, which 

could result in damage to the adjacent 

forward edge frame of the door and 

consequent loss of a MED and rapid 

decompression of the airplane.

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by January 18, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following 

addresses to submit comments on this 

proposed AD. 

• DOT Docket Web site: Go to http:/

/dms.dot.gov and follow the instructions 

for sending your comments 

electronically. 

• Government-wide rulemaking web 

site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov

and follow the instructions for sending 

your comments electronically. 

• Mail: Docket Management Facility; 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 

Seventh Street SW., Nassif Building, 

room PL–401, Washington, DC 20590. 

• Fax: (202) 493–2251. 

• Hand Delivery: room PL–401 on the 

plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 

Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC, 

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, P.O. Box 3707, 

Seattle, Washington 98124–2207. 

You can examine the contents of this 

AD docket on the Internet at http://

dms.dot.gov, or at the Docket 

Management Facility, U.S. Department 

of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street 

SW., room PL–401, on the plaza level of 

the Nassif Building, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Technical information: Ivan Li, 

Aerospace Engineer, Airframe Branch, 

ANM–120S, FAA, Seattle Aircraft 

Certification Office, 1601 Lind Avenue, 

SW., Renton, Washington 98055–4056;