70574 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 234 / Tuesday, December 7, 2004 / Proposed Rules 

Related Information 

(o) Canadian airworthiness directive CF–

2004–13, dated July 20, 2004, also addresses 

the subject of this AD.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on 

November 26, 2004. 

Ali Bahrami, 

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 04–26796 Filed 12–6–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA–2004–19764; Directorate 

Identifier 2004–NM–02–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 applying an anti-static 

conductive coating to the fuel access 

and thermal anti-icing blowout doors at 

the location of the bonding fasteners on 

the leading edge of the wings, and 

performing a resistance test on the new 

coating to ensure correct ground path 

resistance. This proposed AD is 

prompted by a report that an anti-static 

coating was not applied correctly on 

doors located within a flammable fluid 

leakage zone. We are proposing this AD 

to prevent an uncontrollable fire in the 

leading edge of the wing, which could 

damage critical wing structures and 

cause a fuel tank explosion.

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by January 21, 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Technical information: Margaret 

Langsted, Aerospace Engineer, 

Propulsion Branch, ANM–140S, FAA, 

Seattle Aircraft Certification Office, 

1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, 

Washington 98055–4056; telephone 

(425) 917–6500; 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–

2004–19764; Directorate Identifier 

2004–NM–02–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. 

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 

website, 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 athttp://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, during production, an anti-static 

coating was not applied correctly on 

fuel access and thermal anti-icing 

blowout doors at the location of the 

bonding fasteners on the leading edge of 

the wings on certain Boeing Model 777–

200 and –300 series airplanes. The antistatic coating is necessary to help ensure 

an electrical bond ground path at the 

doors, which are located within a 

flammable fluid leakage zone. Without 

the anti-static coating, a static charge 

may build up and provide an ignition 

source for flammable vapors when the 

static discharges. This condition, if not 

corrected, could result in an 

uncontrollable fire in the leading edge 

of the wing, which could damage 

critical wing structures and cause a fuel 

tank explosion. 

Relevant Service Information 

We have reviewed Boeing Special 

Attention Service Bulletin 777–57–

0046, dated September 25, 2003. The 

service bulletin describes procedures for 

applying an anti-static conductive 

coating on the fuel access and thermal 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 234 / Tuesday, December 7, 2004 / Proposed Rules 70575

anti-icing blowout doors, and 

performing a resistance test on the new 

coating to ensure correct ground path 

resistance. Accomplishing the actions 

specified in the service information is 

intended to adequately address the 

unsafe condition. 

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 in 

‘‘Difference Between this Proposed AD 

and the Service Bulletin.’’

Difference Between This Proposed AD 

and the Service Bulletin 

Boeing Special Attention Service 

Bulletin 777–57–0046, dated September 

25, 2003, does not specify any action if 

the resistance does not meet the limits 

specified in the service bulletin. The 

proposed AD would require that 

operators reapply and retest the antistatic coating if the resistance does not 

meet the limits specified in the service 

bulletin, and contact the FAA for 

disposition of repairs if multiple 

reapplications and retests do not meet 

the specified limits after the fifth 

repetition of the test. 

Costs of Compliance 

This proposed AD would affect about 

65 airplanes worldwide and 18 

airplanes of U.S. registry. The proposed 

actions would take about 5 work hours 

per airplane, at an average labor rate of 

$65 per work hour. Based on these 

figures, the estimated cost of the 

proposed AD for U.S. operators is 

$5,850, or $325 per airplane. 

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 

Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 

44701, ‘‘General requirements.’’ Under 

that section, the FAA is charged with 

promoting safety 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 

proposed 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–2004–19764; 

Directorate Identifier 2004–NM–02–AD. 

Comments Due Date 

(a) The Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA) must receive comments on this AD 

action by January 21, 2005. 

Affected ADs 

(b) None. 

Applicability 

(c) This AD applies to certain Boeing 

Model 777–200 and –300 series airplanes, 

certificated in any category; as listed in 

Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 

777–57–0046, dated September 25, 2003. 

Unsafe Condition 

(d) This AD was prompted by a report that 

an anti-static coating was not applied 

correctly on doors located within a 

flammable fluid leakage zone. We are issuing 

this AD to prevent an uncontrollable fire in 

the leading edge of the wing, which could 

damage critical wing structures and cause a 

fuel tank explosion. 

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. 

Modification and Resistance Test 

(f) Within 18 months after the effective 

date of this AD, apply an anti-static 

conductive coating to the fuel access and 

thermal anti-icing blowout doors at the 

location of the bonding fasteners, and 

perform a resistance test on the new coating, 

in accordance with the Accomplishment 

Instructions of Boeing Special Attention 

Service Bulletin 777–57–0046, dated 

September 25, 2003. 

(1) If the resistance measured between the 

door surface and a fastener located within the 

doors’ surrounding support structure is 

within the limits specified in the service 

bulletin, no further action is required by this 

paragraph. 

(2) If the resistance measured between the 

door surface and a fastener located within the 

doors’ surrounding support structure is 

outside the limits specified in the service 

bulletin, before further flight, repeat the 

actions as required by paragraph (f) of this 

AD up to five times, as applicable. If the 

results of the fifth test exceed the limits 

specified in the service bulletin, before 

further flight, contact the Manager, Seattle 

Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), FAA, for 

disposition of repairs. 

Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(g) The Manager, Seattle ACO, 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. 04–26795 Filed 12–6–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P