10350 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 45 / Thursday, March 8, 2007 / Rules and Regulations 

Corporation Ltd Model 750XL airplanes. 

AD 2007–04–01 requires you to inspect 

the rivets in the fuselage roof at STN 

180.85, BL 19.67, WL 86.2, and replace 

undersize rivets. Current language in 

§ 39.13 [Amended] of AD 2007–04–01 

references ‘‘***’’ instead of ‘‘2007–

04–01.’’

Need for the Correction 

This correction is needed to specify 

the correct AD number (2007–04–01) for 

AD 2007–04–01. 

Correction of Publication 

■ Accordingly, the publication of 

February 14, 2007 (72 FR 6931), of 

Amendment 39–14932; AD 2007–04–01, 

which was the subject of FR Doc. E7–

2318, is corrected as follows: 

Section 39.13 [Corrected] 

■ On page 6932, in the second column, 

in § 39.13 [Amended], in the third line, 

remove ‘‘***’’ and add ‘‘2007–04–01’’

in its place. 

■ Action is taken herein to correct this 

reference in AD 2007–04–01 and to add 

this AD correction to section 39.13 of 

the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 

CFR 39.13). 

The effective date remains March 21, 

2007. 

Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 

2, 2007. 

Kim Smith, 

Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 

Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–4130 Filed 3–7–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2007–27023; Directorate 

Identifier 98–ANE–47–AD; Amendment 39–

14978; AD 2007–05–17] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & 

Whitney JT9D Series Turbofan Engines 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding an 

existing airworthiness directive (AD) for 

Pratt & Whitney (PW) JT9D series 

turbofan engines. That AD currently 

requires revisions to the Airworthiness 

Limitations Section (ALS) of the 

manufacturer’s Instructions for 

Continued Airworthiness (ICA) to 

include required enhanced inspection of 

selected critical life-limited parts at 

each piece-part opportunity. This AD 

modifies the JT9D series engines ALS 

sections of the manufacturer’s manuals 

and an air carrier’s approved continuous 

airworthiness maintenance program to 

incorporate additional inspection 

requirements. This AD results from the 

need to require enhanced inspection of 

selected critical life-limited parts of 

JT9D series turbofan engines. We are 

issuing this AD to prevent critical lifelimited rotating engine part failure, 

which could result in an uncontained 

engine failure and damage to the 

airplane. 

DATES: This AD becomes effective April 

12, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD 

docket on the Internet at http:// 

dms.dot.gov or in Room PL–401 on the 

plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mark Riley, Aerospace Engineer, Engine 

Certification Office, FAA, Engine and 

Propeller Directorate, 12 New England 

Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803–

5299; telephone (781) 238–7758, fax 

(781) 238–7199. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA 

proposed to amend 14 CFR part 39 with 

a proposed AD. The proposed AD 

applies to PW JT9D series turbofan 

engines. We published the proposed AD 

in the Federal Register on November 2, 

2005 (70 FR 66300). That action 

proposed to modify the JT9D series 

engines ALS sections of the 

manufacturer’s manuals and an air 

carrier’s approved continuous 

airworthiness maintenance program to 

incorporate additional inspection 

requirements. PW has added mandatory 

eddy current inspections (ECIs) for the 

web cooling holes in high pressure 

turbine (HPT) stage 1 disks installed in 

engine models JT9D–7R4D, –7R4D1, 

–7R4E, and –7R4E1, and for web tie-rod 

holes in HPT stage 2 disks installed in 

JT9D–3A, –7, –7A, –7H, –7AH, –7F, –7J, 

–20, and –20J engines. The mandatory 

inspections are needed to identify those 

critical rotating parts with conditions, 

which if allowed to continue in service, 

could result in uncontained failures. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the docket that 

contains the AD, any comments 

received, and any final disposition in 

person at the Docket Management 

Facility Docket Office between 9 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. The Docket 

Office (telephone (800) 647–5227) is 

located on the plaza level of the 

Department of Transportation Nassif 

Building at the street address stated in 

ADDRESSES. Comments will be available 

in the AD docket shortly after the DMS 

receives them. 

Comments 

We provided the public the 

opportunity to participate in the 

development of this AD. We have 

considered the comments received. 

Request To Delete ECIs for JT9D–59A, 

–70A, –7Q, and –7Q3 Engines 

One commenter, Japan Airlines, 

requests that we delete the ECIs for 

JT9D–59A, –70A, –7Q, and –7Q3 

engines from the table in the proposed 

AD compliance section. The commenter 

points out that the proposed AD 

preamble paragraph entitled ‘‘FAA’s 

Determination and Requirements of the 

Proposed AD’’ does not include ECIs for 

JT9D–59A, –70A, –7Q, and –7Q3 

engines. 

We do not agree. We inadvertently 

omitted listing the requirement of ECI of 

the HPT stage 1 disk web cooling holes 

on JT9D–59A, –70A, –7Q, and –7Q3 

engines, under the proposed AD 

preamble paragraph entitled ‘‘FAA’s 

Determination and Requirements of the 

Proposed AD’’. The proposed AD 

compliance section and the compliance 

section in this AD, correctly list those 

engine models. We did not change the 

AD. 

Request To Wait To Issue the AD 

Japan Airlines requests that we wait 

to issue the AD until Pratt & Whitney 

provides the ECI procedure to the 

operators. The commenter states that the 

JT9D–7 Engine Manual Section 72–51–

02, Inspection 05, has not been 

published yet. 

We do not agree. Although the ECI 

procedure was not published in the 

JT9D–7 Engine Manual as of December 

26, 2005 when the comment was sent, 

it was incorporated into the JT9D–7 

Engine Manual on February 15, 2006. 

We do not need to wait to issue the AD. 

Request To Revise Engine Manual 

Japan Airlines requests that we 

recommend to Pratt & Whitney to revise 

the JT9D engine manual to remove the 

specific manufacturer’s name of the ECI 

equipment required to perform ECIs, 

and to only list the technical 

specifications required to perform the 

ECIs. The commenter states that 

operators may not own the ECI 

equipment specified in the Pratt & 

Whitney JT9D engine manual, but may 

have similar equipment capable of 

performing the inspections. 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 45 / Thursday, March 8, 2007 / Rules and Regulations 10351 

We partially agree. This AD requires 

operators to revise the Airworthiness 

Limitations Section of the engine 

manual to include a mandatory 

opportunistic inspection. We do not 

intend for the AD to specify only one 

vendor’s inspection equipment to 

accomplish the inspection. Nor do we 

intend that this AD change the way 

operators seek approval for alternative 

methods of inspections. We did not 

change the AD. 

JT9D–3A Model Added to the 

Compliance Table 

Upon review of the proposed AD, we 

discovered that the JT9D–3A model was 

inadvertently left out of the compliance 

table. We added the JT9D–3A model to 

the compliance table in the AD. 

Update to the Costs of Compliance 

Since we published the proposed AD 

on November 2, 2005, the number of 

engines affected and the hourly labor 

rate have changed. We updated this 

information in this AD preamble. 

Correction to Compliance Table 

Upon review of the proposed AD, we 

discovered that the compliance table 

needs correcting in the section for the 

–3A/7/7A/7AH/7F/7H/7J/20/20J engine 

models. ‘‘All HPT Stage 2 Disk Web 

Cooling Holes 71–51–02 Inspection-05’’

is corrected to read ‘‘All HPT Stage 2 

Disk Web Tie-rod Holes 72–51–02 

Inspection-05’’. 

Conclusion 

We have carefully reviewed the 

available data, including the comments 

received, and determined that air safety 

and the public interest require adopting 

the AD with the changes described 

previously. We have determined that 

these changes will neither increase the 

economic burden on any operator nor 

increase the scope of the AD. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that 504 JT9D series 

turbofan engines are installed on U.S.- 

registered airplanes and will be affected 

by this AD. We also estimate that 87 

engines will require this inspection per 

year and about one work-hour per 

engine is needed to perform the actions, 

and that the average labor rate is $80 per 

work-hour. Since this is an added 

inspection requirement that will be part 

of the normal maintenance cycle, no 

additional parts costs are involved. 

Based on these figures, we estimate the 

total annual cost of the AD to U.S. 

operators to be $6,960. 

Docket Number Change 

We are transferring the docket for this 

AD to the Docket Management System 

as part of our on-going docket 

management consolidation efforts. The 

new Docket No. is FAA–2007–27023. 

The old Docket No. became the 

Directorate Identifier, which is 98–

ANE–47–AD. This AD might get logged 

into the DMS docket, ahead of the 

previously collected documents from 

the old docket file, as we are in the 

process of sending those items to the 

DMS. 

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 have determined that this AD will 

not have federalism implications under 

Executive Order 13132. This AD will 

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 this AD: 

(1) Is not a ‘‘significant regulatory 

action’’ under Executive Order 12866; 

(2) Is not a ‘‘significant rule’’ under 

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 summary of the costs 

to comply with this AD and placed it in 

the AD Docket. You may get a copy of 

this summary at the address listed 

under ADDRESSES. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, Safety. 

Adoption of the Amendment 

■ Accordingly, under the authority 

delegated to me by the Administrator, 

the Federal Aviation Administration 

amends 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 

removing Amendment 39–12719 (67 FR 

19663, April 23, 2002), and by adding 

a new airworthiness directive, 

Amendment 39–14978, to read as 

follows: 

2007–05–17 Pratt & Whitney: Amendment 

39–14978. Docket No. FAA–2007–27023; 

Directorate Identifier 98–ANE–47–AD. 

Effective Date 

(a) This airworthiness directive (AD) 

becomes effective April 12, 2007. 

Affected ADs 

(b) This AD supersedes AD 2002–08–11, 

Amendment 39–12719. 

Applicability 

(c) This AD applies to Pratt & Whitney 

(PW) JT9D–3A, –7, –7A, –7H, –7AH, –7F, 

–7J, –20J, –59A, –70A, –7Q, –7Q3, –7R4D, 

–7R4D1, –7R4E, –7R4E1, –7R4E4, –7R4G2, 

and –7R4H1 series turbofan engines. These 

engines are installed on, but not limited to, 

Boeing 747 and 767 series, McDonnell 

Douglas DC–10 series, and Airbus Industrie 

A300 and A310 series airplanes. 

Unsafe Condition 

(d) This AD results from the need to 

require enhanced inspection of selected 

critical life-limited parts of JT9D series 

turbofan engines. We are issuing this AD to 

prevent critical life-limited rotating engine 

part failure, which could result in an 

uncontained engine failure and damage to 

the airplane. 

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. 

(f) Within the next 180 days after the 

effective date of this AD, revise the 

manufacturer’s Instructions for Continued 

Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS), 

and for air carrier operations revise the 

approved continuous airworthiness 

maintenance program by adding the 

following: 

Mandatory Inspections 

(1) Perform inspections of the following 

parts at each piece-part opportunity in 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with RULES
10352 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 45 / Thursday, March 8, 2007 / Rules and Regulations 

accordance with the instructions provided in 

the applicable manual provisions: 

Engine model Engine manual part 

number (P/N) Part nomenclature 

Inspect per 

manual 

section 

Inspection/check 

3A/7/7A/7AH/7F/7H/7J/ 

20/20J.

*646028 (or the equivalent customized 

versions, 770407 and 

770408).

All Fan Hubs ............................................................. 72–31–04 Inspection-02. 

All HPC Stage 5–15 Disks and Rear Compressor 

Drive Turbine Shafts.

72–35–00 Inspection-03. 

All HPT Stage 1–2 Disks and Hubs ......................... 72–51–00 Inspection-03. 

All HPT Stage 2 Disk Web Tie-rod Holes ................ 72–51–02 Inspection-05. 

All LPT Stage 3–6 Disks and Hubs .......................... 72–52–00 Inspection-03. 

59A/70A ........................... 754459 ............................ All Fan Hubs ............................................................. 72–31–00 Check-00. 

All HPC Stage 5–15 Disks and Rear Compressor 

Drive Turbine Shafts.

72–35–00 Check-00. 

All HPT Stage 1–2 Disks and Hubs ......................... 72–51–00 Check-03. 

All HPT Stage 1 Disk Web Cooling Holes ............... 72–51–02 Check-03. 

All LPT Stage 3–6 Disks and Hubs .......................... 72–52–00 Check-03. 

7Q/7Q3 ............................ 777210 ............................ All Fan Hubs ............................................................. 72–31–00 Inspection-03. 

All HPC Stage 5–15 Disks and Rear Compressor 

Drive Turbine Shafts.

72–35–00 Inspection-03. 

All HPT Stage 1–2 Disks and Hubs ......................... 72–51–00 Inspection-03. 

All HPT Stage 1 Disk Web Cooling Holes ............... 72–51–06 Inspection-03. 

All LPT Stage 3–6 Disks and Hubs .......................... 72–52–00 Inspection-03. 

7R4 ALL .......................... 785058, 785059, and 

789328.

All Fan Hubs ............................................................. 72–31–00 Inspection/ 

Check-03. 

All HPC Stage 5–15 Disks and Rear Compressor 

Drive Turbine Shafts.

72–35–00 Inspection/ 

Check 03. 

All HPT Stage 1–2 Disks and Hubs ......................... 72–51–00 Inspection/ 

Check 03. 

All LPT Stage 3–6 Disks and Hubs .......................... 72–52–00 Inspection/ 

Check 03. 

7R4D/D1/E/E1 ................. 785058 and 785059 ........ All HPT Stage 1 Disk Web Cooling Holes ............... 72–51–06 Inspection/ 

Check-02. 

* P/N 770407 and 770408 are customized versions of P/N 646028 engine manual. 

(2) For the purposes of these mandatory 

inspections, piece-part opportunity means: 

(i) The part is considered completely 

disassembled when done in accordance with 

the disassembly instructions in the 

manufacturer’s engine manual; and 

(ii) The part has accumulated more than 

100 cycles-in-service since the last piece-part 

opportunity inspection, provided that the 

part was not damaged or related to the cause 

for its removal from the engine.’’

Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(g) You must perform these mandatory 

inspections using the ALS of the Instructions 

for Continued Airworthiness and the 

applicable Engine Manual unless you receive 

approval to use an alternative method of 

compliance under paragraph (h) of this AD. 

Section 43.16 of the Federal Aviation 

Regulations (14 CFR 43.16) may not be used 

to approve alternative methods of 

compliance or adjustments to the times in 

which these inspections must be performed. 

(h) The Manager, Engine Certification 

Office, has the authority to approve 

alternative methods of compliance for this 

AD if requested using the procedures found 

in 14 CFR 39.19. 

Maintaining Records of the Mandatory 

Inspections 

(i) You have met the requirements of this 

AD when you change the manufacturer’s 

Instructions for Continued Airworthiness 

ALS specified in paragraph (f) of this AD. For 

air carriers operating under part 121 of the 

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 

121), you have met the requirements of this 

AD when you modify your continuous 

airworthiness maintenance plan to reflect 

those changes. You do not need to record 

each piece-part inspection as compliance to 

this AD but you must maintain records of 

those inspections according to the 

regulations governing your operation. For air 

carriers operating under part 121, you may 

use either the system established to comply 

with section 121.369 or an alternative 

accepted by your principal maintenance 

inspector if that alternative: 

(1) Includes a method for preserving and 

retrieving the records of the inspections 

resulting from this AD; and 

(2) Meets the requirements of section 

121.369(c); and 

(3) Maintains the records either 

indefinitely or until the work is repeated. 

(j) These record keeping requirements 

apply only to the records used to document 

the mandatory inspections required as a 

result of revising the ALS of the Instructions 

for Continued Airworthiness as specified in 

paragraph (f) of this AD. These record 

keeping requirements do not alter or amend 

the record keeping requirements for any 

other AD or regulatory requirement. 

Related Information 

(k) Contact Mark Riley, Aerospace 

Engineer, Engine Certification Office, FAA, 

Engine and Propeller Directorate, 12 New 

England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 

01803; telephone (781) 238–7758, fax (781) 

238–7199; e-mail: mark.riley@faa.gov for 

more information about this AD. 

Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on 

March 1, 2007. 

Peter A. White, 

Acting Manager, Engine and Propeller 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–4139 Filed 3–7–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with RULES