Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 100 / Tuesday, May 24, 2011 / Proposed Rules 30043 

actions required in an airworthiness 

directive? 

If a change in a product affects your ability 

to accomplish the actions required by the 

airworthiness directive in any way, you must 

request FAA approval of an alternative 

method of compliance. Unless you can show 

the change eliminated the unsafe condition, 

your request should include the specific 

actions that you propose to address the 

unsafe condition. Submit your request in the 

manner described in § 39.19. 

If a change to a product makes it 

impossible to comply with the 

requirements of an AD, then the 

operator must request an AMOC 

approval. 

The FAA does not have the resources 

to determine the modification status of 

every product to which the AD may 

apply. If it is impossible to comply with 

an AD as written, that does not mean 

the product does not have the unsafe 

condition. The only way to make sure 

the product does not, or that there is 

another acceptable way to address it, is 

to require an operator to obtain an 

AMOC approval. 

For several years before part 39 was 

revised in 2002 the FAA included a 

Note in every AD that contained the 

same substance as the regulation. This 

revision to the regulations was a result 

of some operators claiming that an AD 

did not apply to a particular airplane 

because the airplane’s configuration had 

changed, even though that airplane was 

specifically identified in the 

‘‘Applicability’’ paragraph of the AD. But 

a change in product configuration does 

not necessarily mean that the unsafe 

condition has been eliminated, and in 

some cases the unsafe condition may 

actually be aggravated. So it is necessary 

to emphasize that the ‘‘Applicability’’ 

paragraph of the AD determines AD 

applicability, not the configuration of an 

individual airplane. In the case of the 

affected component having been 

removed from the airplane, the operator 

must obtain an AMOC approval. If the 

removed component is replaced with a 

different component that may or may 

not retain the unsafe condition, this is 

a technical issue that must be addressed 

through the AMOC process. There are 

infinite variations on the ‘‘impossibility’’ 

issue that cannot be anticipated when 

drafting an AD but for which the AMOC 

process is well suited. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 18, 

2011. 

Rebecca B. MacPherson, 

Assistant Chief Counsel for Regulations. 

[FR Doc. 2011–12733 Filed 5–23–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2011–0475; Directorate 

Identifier 2010–NM–199–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing 

Company Model 757 Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for the 

products listed above. For certain 

airplanes, this proposed AD would 

require the installation of new relays 

adjacent to two of the spoiler control 

modules that would prevent the 

deployment of certain spoiler pairs 

when landing flaps are selected. For 

certain other airplanes, this proposed 

AD would require torquing the bracket 

assembly installation nuts and ground 

stud nuts, and doing bond resistance 

tests between the bracket assemblies 

and the terminal lugs on the ground 

studs. This proposed AD is prompted by 

numerous reports of unintended lateral 

oscillations during the final approach, 

just before landing. We are proposing 

this AD to reduce the chance of 

unintended lateral oscillations near 

touchdown, which could result in loss 

of lateral control of the airplane, and 

consequent airplane damage or injury to 

flight crew and passengers. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by July 8, 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: Deliver to Mail 

address above 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; phone: 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 

(phone: 800–647–5527) is in the 

ADDRESSES section. Comments will be 

available in the AD docket shortly after 

receipt. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Marie Hogestad, Aerospace Engineer, 

Flight Controls, ANM–130S, Seattle 

Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), 

FAA, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, 

Washington 98057–3356; phone: 425– 

917–6418; fax: 425–917–6590; e-mail: 

marie.hogestad@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to send any written 

relevant data, views, or arguments about 

this proposal. Send your comments to 

an address listed under the ADDRESSES

section. Include ‘‘Docket No. FAA– 

2011–0475; Directorate Identifier 2010– 

NM–199–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 numerous reports of 

Boeing 757 events where the flight 

crews experienced unintended lateral 

oscillations during the final approach, 

just before landing. One event resulted 

in a nose gear collapse after a hard 

landing and another event resulted in a 

tail strike during a landing that was 

aborted because of the oscillations. The 

oscillations are characterized by large 


jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
30044 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 100 / Tuesday, May 24, 2011 / Proposed Rules 

wheel inputs at high rates that are out 

of phase with the airplane response and 

typically occur under certain gusty and 

turbulent wind conditions during 

landing. Unintended lateral oscillations 

near touchdown could result in loss of 

lateral control of the airplane, and 

consequent airplane damage or injury to 

flight crew and passengers. 

Related Rulemaking 

On October 31, 2006, we issued AD 

2006–23–15, Amendment 39–14827 (71 

FR 66657, November 16, 2006). That AD 

applies to the Boeing Model 757 

airplanes affected by this NPRM. That 

AD requires installing a control wheel 

damper assembly at the first officer’s 

drum bracket assembly and aileron 

quadrant beneath the flight deck floor in 

section 41, doing a functional test and 

adjustment of the new installation, and 

doing related investigative/corrective 

actions if necessary. For certain 

airplanes, that AD also requires doing 

an additional adjustment test of the relocated control wheel position sensor, 

and an operational test of the flight data 

recorder and the digital flight data 

acquisition unit. AD 2006–23–15 also 

requires installing vortex generators on 

the leading edge of the outboard main 

flap on certain airplanes. The addition 

of a wheel damper prevents large abrupt 

pilot lateral control wheel inputs and 

the addition of vortex generators creates 

vortices over the flap surface to help 

mitigate a sudden and premature 

airflow separation when spoilers are 

deployed in response to large control 

wheel movements. We issued that AD as 

interim action to reduce unintended roll 

oscillations near touchdown, which 

could result in loss of lateral control of 

the airplane, and consequent airplane 

damage or injury to the flight crew and 

passengers. 

The preamble to AD 2006–23–15 

specifies that we consider the 

requirements ‘‘interim action’’ and that 

the manufacturer is investigating an 

additional modification that might 

further reduce or eliminate the unsafe 

condition. AD 2006–23–15 explains that 

we might consider further rulemaking if 

a modification is developed, approved, 

and available. The manufacturer now 

has developed such a modification that 

will further reduce the effects of the 

unsafe condition, and we have 

determined that further rulemaking is 

indeed necessary; this proposed AD 

follows from that determination. 

However, the requirements of AD 2006– 

23–15 will continue in effect. 

Relevant Service Information 

We reviewed Boeing Alert Service 

Bulletin 757–27A0152, Revision 1, 

dated June 30, 2010. This service 

information identifies two 

configurations. Configuration 1 includes 

airplanes that have not accomplished 

Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 757– 

27A0152, dated April 29, 2009; and 

Configuration 2 identifies airplanes on 

which Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 

757–27A0152, dated April 29, 2009, has 

been accomplished, but need additional 

work. For Configuration 1 airplanes, this 

service information describes 

procedures for changing the E3–1 

electronics shelf by installing 3 new 

bracket assemblies and 3 new relays, 

changing wire bundle W1265, and 

changing wire bundle W4471 between 

the E3–1 electronics shelf and the E5– 

1 electronics shelf. Additionally, this 

service information specifies doing an 

operational test of the spoiler/ 

speedbrake control system. These 

changes will reduce the lateral control 

capability by disabling spoiler pairs 1 

and 12, and 5 and 8, from responding 

to control wheel commands when the 

flaps are deployed in landing 

configuration (25 and 30 degrees). The 

speedbrake operation will be unaffected 

in-air and during on-ground operations. 

To maintain desired lateral 

controllability, spoiler pair 1 and 12 

will be re-engaged if the right hydraulic 

system fails. 

For Configuration 2 airplanes, this 

service information describes 

procedures for torquing the bracket 

assembly installation nuts and ground 

stud nuts, and doing bond resistance 

tests between the bracket assemblies 

and the terminal lugs on the ground 

studs. 

FAA’s Determination 

We are proposing this AD because we 

evaluated all the relevant information 

and determined the unsafe condition 

described previously is likely to exist or 

develop in other products of the same 

type designs. 

Proposed AD Requirements 

This proposed AD would require 

accomplishing the actions specified in 

the service information described 

previously. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this proposed AD 

will affect 686 airplanes of U.S. registry. 

We estimate the following costs to 

comply with this proposed AD: 

ESTIMATED COSTS

Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per 

product 

Cost on U.S. 

operators 

Installation Group 1, Configuration 1 (55 airplanes).35 work-hours × $85 per hour = $2,975 ........ $4,691 $7,666 $421,630 

Installation Group 2, Configuration 1 (592 airplanes).32 work-hours × $85 per hour = $2,720 ........ 4,610 7,330 4,339,360 

Installation Group 3, Configuration 1 (12 airplanes).32 work-hours × $85 per hour = $2,720 ........ 4,619 7,339 88,068 

Installation Group 4, Configuration 1 (25 airplanes).32 work-hours × $85 per hour = $2,720 ........ 4,610 7,330 183,250 

Installation Group 5, Configuration 1 (2 airplanes).35 work-hours × $85 per hour = $2,975 ........ 4,701 7,676 15,352 

Torque Bracket Assembly and Bond Tests, 

Groups 1–5 Configuration 2.

12 work-hours × $85 per hour = $1,020 ........ 0 1,020 699,720 

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 


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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 100 / Tuesday, May 24, 2011 / Proposed Rules 30045 

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 

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): 

The Boeing Company: Docket No. FAA– 

2011–0475; Directorate Identifier 2010– 

NM–199–AD. 

Comments Due Date 

(a) We must receive comments by July 8, 

2011. 

Affected ADs 

(b) None. 

Applicability 

(c) This AD applies to The Boeing 

Company Model 757–200, –200PF, –200CB, 

and –300 series airplanes, certificated in any 

category, as identified in Boeing Alert 

Service Bulletin 757–27A0152, Revision 1, 

dated June 30, 2010. 

Subject 

(d) Joint Aircraft System Component 

(JASC)/Air Transport Association (ATA) of 

America Code 27: Flight Control System. 

Unsafe Condition 

(e) This AD was prompted by numerous 

reports of unintended lateral oscillations 

during the final approach, just before 

landing. We are issuing this AD to reduce the 

chance of unintended lateral oscillations near 

touchdown, which could result in loss of 

lateral control of the airplane, and 

consequent airplane damage or injury to 

flight crew and passengers. 

Compliance 

(f) Comply with this AD within the 

compliance times specified, unless already 

done. 

Installation 

(g) Within 60 months after the effective 

date of this AD, do the applicable actions 

specified in paragraphs (g)(1) and (g)(2) of 

this AD. 

(1) For Configuration 1 airplanes as defined 

in Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 757– 

27A0152, Revision 1, dated June 30, 2010, 

install three bracket assemblies, three new 

relays, and make changes to the wire 

bundles, in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Alert 

Service Bulletin 757–27A0152, Revision 1, 

dated June 30, 2010. 

(2) For Configuration 2 airplanes as defined 

in Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 757– 

27A0152, Revision 1, dated June 30, 2010, 

torque the bracket assembly nuts and ground 

stud nuts, and do bond resistance tests to 

verify bonding requirements are met, in 

accordance with the Accomplishment 

Instructions of Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 

757–27A0152, Revision 1, dated June 30, 

2010. 

Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(h)(1) The Manager, Seattle Aircraft 

Certification Office, 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 manager of the ACO, send it to the 

attention of the person identified in the 

Related Information section of this AD. 

Information may be e-mailed to: 9-ANMSeattle-ACO-AMOC-Requests@faa.gov. 

(2) 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. 

Related Information 

(i) For more information about this AD, 

contact Marie Hogestad, Aerospace Engineer, 

Flight Controls, ANM–130S, Seattle Aircraft 

Certification Office (ACO), FAA, 1601 Lind 

Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98057– 

3356; phone: 425–917–6418; fax: 425–917– 

6590; e-mail: marie.hogestad@faa.gov. 

(j) For service information identified in this 

AD, contact Boeing Commercial Airplanes, 

Attention: Data & Services Management, P. O. 

Box 3707, MC 2H–65, Seattle, Washington 

98124–2207; phone: 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, 

the FAA, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, 

Washington. For information on the 

availability of this material at the FAA, call 

425–227–1221. 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on May 16, 

2011. 

Ali Bahrami, 

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–12728 Filed 5–23–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 71 

[Docket No. FAA–2011–0012; Airspace 

Docket No. 10–ASO–44] 

Amendment of Class D and Class E 

Airspace; Columbus Lawson AAF, GA 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: This action would modify 

Class D and Class E airspace at Lawson 

Army Airfield (AAF), Columbus, GA, by 

removing the reference to the Columbus 

Metropolitan Airport Class C airspace 

area from the description. Controlled 

airspace at Columbus Metropolitan 

Airport is being downgraded due to 

decreased air traffic volume. This action 

is necessary for the safety and 

management of air traffic within the 

National Airspace System. This action 

also would update the geographic 

coordinates of the Columbus Lawson 

AAF. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before July 8, 2011. The Director of 

the Federal Register approves this 

incorporation by reference action under 

title 1, Code of Federal Regulations, part 

51, subject to the annual revision of 

FAA, Order 7400.9 and publication of 

conforming amendments. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments on this rule 

to: U.S. Department of Transportation, 

Docket Operations, West Building 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, 

DC 20590–0001; Telephone: 1–800– 


jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS