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[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 57 (Tuesday, March 25, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16239-16241]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06492]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2014-0145; Directorate Identifier 2013-NM-183-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 7X 
Airplanes

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 all 
Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 7X airplanes. This proposed AD was 
prompted by reports that the pintle pins installed on a certain number 
of airplanes may be incorrectly protected against corrosion. This 
proposed AD would require replacing certain pintle pins on the left- 
and right-hand main landing gear (MLG) with a serviceable part. We are 
proposing this AD to detect and correct pintle pins that have been 
incorrectly corrosion-protected, which could cause the pintle pins to 
shear under normal load and lead to the collapse of the MLG during 
take-off or landing.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by May 9, 2014.

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, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    For service information identified in this proposed AD, contact 
Dassault Falcon Jet, P.O. Box 2000, South Hackensack, NJ 07606; 
telephone 201-440-6700; Internet http://www.dassaultfalcon.com. You may 
view this referenced service information at the FAA, Transport Airplane 
Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA. 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 by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2014-
0145; 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 
Operations 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: Tom Rodriguez, Aerospace Engineer, 
International Branch, ANM 116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 
1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057-3356; phone: (425) 227-1137; 
fax: (425) 227-1149.

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-2014-0145; 
Directorate Identifier

[[Page 16240]]

2013-NM-183-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 we 
receive about this proposed AD.

Discussion

    The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical 
Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has issued EASA 
Airworthiness Directive 2013-0162, dated July 24, 2013 (referred to 
after this as the Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information, or 
``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for the specified 
products. The MCAI states:
    Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, the manufacturer of the landing gears of 
the Falcon 7X aeroplanes, has advised that pintle pins Part Number 
(P/N) 55-2355007-01 being installed on a certain number of 
aeroplanes may be incorrectly protected against corrosion. These 
pins are designed to shear in case of excessive loads on the main 
landing gears so that structural damage would be contained after a 
landing gear collapse. The cadmium-coating inside the bore of 
suspect pins may not be compliant to the original thickness 
specifications. Inspection of a few removed parts in service 
revealed that traces of limited corrosion can be found on an 
unstressed area of the pins. Messier-Bugatti-Dowty identified a list 
of potentially affected pintle pins and subsequently, Dassault 
Aviation identified on which aeroplanes those pintle pins were 
installed.
    This condition, if not corrected, may lead to corrosion of the 
pins and ultimately cause them to shear under normal load. This 
could result in landing gear collapse during take-off or landing.
    To address this condition, Dassault Aviation, with the support 
of Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, developed Service Bulletin (SB) F7X-182 to 
provide instructions for removal of potentially affected pintle pins 
and replacement with serviceable parts.
    For the reasons described above, this [EASA] AD requires 
replacement of pintle pins on affected airplanes. This [EASA] AD 
also prohibits installation of a potentially affected part on an 
aeroplane.

You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating it in Docket No. FAA-
2014-0145.

Relevant Service Information

    Dassault Aviation has issued Mandatory Service Bulletin 7X-182, 
Revision 4, dated July 18, 2013. 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 the aviation authority of another 
country, and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant 
to our bilateral agreement with the State of Design Authority, we have 
been notified of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and service 
information referenced above. We are proposing this AD because we 
evaluated all pertinent information and determined an unsafe condition 
exists and is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same 
type design.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this proposed AD affects 42 airplanes of U.S. 
registry.
    We estimate the following costs to comply with this proposed AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Cost per      Cost on U.S.
                Action                         Labor cost           Parts cost        product        operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Replacement...........................  20 work-hours x $85 per         $17,000         $18,700        $785,400
                                         hour = $1,700.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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);
    3. Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska; and
    4. 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.

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

0
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]

0
2. Amend Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness 
directive (AD):

Dassault Aviation: Docket No. FAA-2014-0145; Directorate Identifier 
2013-NM-183-AD.

[[Page 16241]]

(a) Comments Due Date

    We must receive comments by May 9, 2014.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to all Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 7X 
airplanes, certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 32, Main Landing 
Gear.

(e) Reason

    This AD was prompted by reports that the pintle pins installed 
on a certain number of airplanes may be incorrectly protected 
against corrosion. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct 
pintle pins that have been incorrectly corrosion-protected, which 
could cause the pintle pins to shear under normal load and lead to 
the collapse of the MLG during take-off or landing.

(f) Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, 
unless already done.

(g) Replacement

    For airplanes having serial numbers 4 through 6 inclusive; 9, 
12, 19, 21 through 25 inclusive; 29, 32, 33, 37, 39 through 42 
inclusive; 45, 49 through 53 inclusive; 55, 56, 62, 63, 65, 67 
through 69 inclusive; and 81, 82, 84, and 120: Within 2 months after 
the effective date of this AD, replace the pintle pins having part 
number (P/N) 55-2355007-01 on the left- and right-hand MLG with a 
serviceable part, in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions 
of Dassault Aviation Mandatory Service Bulletin 7X-182, Revision 4, 
dated July 18, 2013.

(h) Parts Installation Prohibition

    As of the effective date of this AD, no person may install a 
pintle pin having P/N 55-2355007-01, with the following serial 
numbers, on any airplane: EXC-0001, EXC-0003, EXC-0008, EXC-0009, 
EXC-0010, EXC-0015, EXC-0017, EXC-0018, EXC-0019, EXC-0020, EXC-
0022, EXC-0023, EXC-0024, EXC-0025, EXC-0026, EXC-0027, EXC-0029, 
EXC-0030, EXC-0031, EXC-0033, EXC-0037, EXC-0038, EXC-0040, EXC-
0041, EXC-0043, EXC-0044, EXC-0045, EXC-0046, EXC-0047, EXC-0050, 
EXC-0051, EXC-0052, EXC-0053, EXC-0054, EXC-0057, EXC-0059, EXC-
0060, EXC-0061, EXC-0062, EXC-0063, EXC-0064, EXC-0065, EXC-0067, 
EXC-0069, EXC-0072, EXC-0074, EXC-0075, EXC-0076, EXC-0077, EXC-
0078, EXC-0084, EXC-0091, EXC-0092, EXC-0093, EXC-0096, EXC-0098, 
EXC-0099, EXC-0101, EXC-0102, EXC-0103, EXC-0106, EXC-0107, EXC-
0108, EXC-0109, EXC-0110, EXC-0111, EXC-0114, EXC-0115, EXC-0117, 
EXC-0119, EXC-0120, EXC-0121, EXC-0122, EXC-0123, EXC-0124, EXC-
0125, EXC-0126, EXC-0127, EXC-0128, EXC-0129, EXC-0130, EXC-0131, 
EXC-0132, EXC-0133, EXC-0134, EXC-0135, EXC-0136, EXC-0137, EXC-
0138, EXC-0139, EXC-0143, EXC-0144, EXC-0147, EXC-0148, EXC-0149, 
EXC-0150, EXC-0152, EXC-0153, EXC-0154, EXC-0155, EXC-0158, EXC-
0162, EXC-0163, EXC-0164, EXC-0167, EXC-0168, EXC-0170, EXC-0172, 
EXC-0173, EXC-0175, EXC-0177, EXC-0178, EXC-0183, EXC-0184, EXC-
0190, EXC-0192, EXC-0193, EXC-0194, EXC-0197, EXC-0198.

(i) Credit for Previous Actions

    This paragraph provides credit for actions required by paragraph 
(g) of this AD, if those actions were performed before the effective 
date of this AD using the following service information:
    (1) Dassault Aviation Service Bulletin 7X-182, dated December 
17, 2010.
    (2) Dassault Aviation Service Bulletin 7X-182, Revision 1, dated 
December 7, 2011.
    (3) Dassault Aviation Service Bulletin 7X-182, Revision 2, dated 
June 1, 2012.
    (4) Dassault Aviation Service Bulletin 7X-182, Revision 3, dated 
February 26, 2013.

(j) Other FAA AD Provisions

    The following provisions also apply to this AD:
    (1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, 
International Branch, ANM-116, FAA, has the authority to approve 
AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 
39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, send your request to your 
principal inspector or local Flight Standards District Office, as 
appropriate. If sending information directly to the International 
Branch, send it to ATTN: Tom Rodriguez, Aerospace Engineer, 
International Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 
1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057-3356; phone: (425) 227-1137; 
fax: (425) 227-1149. Information may be emailed to: 9-ANM-116-AMOC-REQUESTS@faa.gov. Before using any approved AMOC, notify your 
appropriate principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, 
the manager of the local flight standards district office/
certificate holding district office. The AMOC approval letter must 
specifically reference this AD.
    (2) Airworthy Product: For any requirement in this AD to obtain 
corrective actions from a manufacturer, use these actions if they 
are FAA-approved. Corrective actions are considered FAA-approved if 
they were approved by the State of Design Authority (or its 
delegated agent, or by the DAH with a State of Design Authority's 
design organization approval). For a repair method to be approved, 
the repair approval must specifically refer to this AD. You are 
required to ensure the product is airworthy before it is returned to 
service.

(k) Related Information

    (1) Refer to Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information 
(MCAI) issued EASA Airworthiness Directive 2013-0162, dated July 24, 
2013, for related information. This MCAI may be found in the AD 
docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching 
for and locating it in Docket No. FAA-2014-0145.
    (2) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Dassault Falcon Jet, P.O. Box 2000, South Hackensack, NJ 07606; 
telephone 201-440-6700; Internet http://www.dassaultfalcon.com. You 
may view this service information at the FAA, Transport Airplane 
Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA. For information on 
the availability of this material at the FAA, call 425-227-1221.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on March 17, 2014.
Dionne Palermo,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-06492 Filed 3-24-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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