This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

1946 

Vol. 72, No. 10 

Wednesday, January 17, 2007 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2006–26585; Directorate 

Identifier 2006–NE–44–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; General 

Electric Company CF34–10E Series 

Turbofan Engines 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a 

new airworthiness directive (AD) for 

General Electric Company (GE) CF34– 

10E series turbofan engines. This 

proposed AD would require revising the 

combustor case published life limit and 

removing combustor cases from service 

before reaching a reduced life limit. 

This proposed AD results from GE’s 

evaluation of the effects to the 

combustor case due to installing version 

5.10 software in the full-authority 

digital electronic control (FADEC), and 

revising the combustor case published 

life limit. We are proposing this AD to 

prevent uncontained combustor case 

failure resulting in an in-flight engine 

shutdown and possible damage to the 

airplane. 

DATES: We must receive any comments 

on this proposed AD by March 19, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following 

addresses to comment 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– 

0001. 

• 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. 

You may examine the comments on 

this proposed AD in the AD docket on 

the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tara 

Chaidez, Aerospace Engineer, Engine 

Certification Office, FAA, Engine & 

Propeller Directorate, 12 New England 

Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; 

telephone (781) 238–7773; fax (781) 

238–7199. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to send us any written 

relevant data, views, or arguments 

regarding this proposal. Send your 

comments to an address listed under 

ADDRESSES. Include ‘‘Docket No. FAA– 

2006–26585; Directorate Identifier 

2006–NE–44–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 received 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 the DOT 

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 may 

review the DOT’s complete Privacy Act 

Statement in the Federal Register 

published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 

19477–78) or you may visit http:// 

dms.dot.gov. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the docket that 

contains the proposal, any comments 

received, and any final disposition in 

person at the DOT 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 

Docket Management Facility receives 

them. 

Discussion 

GE released version 5.10 software for 

FADECs installed in CF34–10E series 

turbofan engines. The software was 

released to change the engine’s High 

Pressure Turbine Active Clearance 

Control. GE has since evaluated the 

effects of this software version release, 

and discovered that combustor cases are 

being adversely affected. The software 

release causes changes to thermal 

gradients and greater stresses to the 

combustor case, reducing its life. This 

condition, if not corrected, could result 

in uncontained combustor case failure 

resulting in an in-flight engine 

shutdown and possible damage to the 

airplane. 

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 products of this same 

type design. However, since none of the 

affected combustor cases are near or 

above the proposed new life limit and 

are not expected to be for at least two 

years, we do not propose to mandate 

immediate replacement of combustor 

cases. Instead, we are proposing this AD 

which would require: 

• Revising the published life limit in 

the Airworthiness Limitations Section 

of the CF34–10E Engine Manual, for 

combustor cases, part number (P/N) 

2070M47G02 and P/N 2070M47G03, 

from 39,600 cycles-since-new (CSN) to 

24,600 CSN; and 

• Removing from service combustor 

cases, P/N 2070M47G02 and P/N 

2070M47G03, before reaching 24,600 

CSN. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this proposed AD 

would affect 42 CF34–10E series 

turbofan engines installed on airplanes 

of U.S. registry. This proposed 

combustor case removal does not 

impose any additional labor costs if 

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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 10 / Wednesday, January 17, 2007 / Proposed Rules 1947 

performed at the time of scheduled 

engine overhaul. The financial burden 

to the operators (prorate) is about 

$140,080 per engine due to the 

reduction in the life limit. Based on 

these figures, and on the prorating for 

the usage of the combustor cases, we 

estimate the cost of the proposed AD on 

U.S. operators to be $5,886,720. 

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 

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 

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. Would 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 

Under the authority delegated to me 

by the Administrator, the Federal 

Aviation Administration 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: 

General Electric Company: Docket No. FAA–

2006–26585; Directorate Identifier 2006–

NE–44–AD. 

Comments Due Date 

(a) The Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA) must receive comments on this 

airworthiness directive (AD) action by March 

19, 2007. 

Affected ADs 

(b) None. 

Applicability 

(c) This AD applies to General Electric 

Company (GE) CF34–10E2A1, CF34–10E5, 

CF34–10E5A1, CF34–10E6, CF34–10E6A1, 

and CF34–10E7 turbofan engines. These 

engines are installed on, but not limited to, 

Embraer ERJ–190 and –195 airplanes. 

Unsafe Condition 

(d) This AD results from GE’s evaluation of 

the effects to the combustor case due to 

installing version 5.10 software in the fullauthority digital electronic control (FADEC), 

and revising the combustor case published 

life limit. We are issuing this AD to prevent 

uncontained combustor case failure resulting 

in an in-flight engine shutdown and possible 

damage to the airplane. 

Compliance 

(e) You are responsible for having the 

actions required by this AD performed within 

30 days after the effective date of this AD, 

unless the actions have already been done. 

(f) Revise the published life limit in the 

Airworthiness Limitations Section of the 

CF34–10E Engine Manual, for combustor 

cases, part number (P/N) 2070M47G02 and 

P/N 2070M47G03, from 39,600 cycles-sincenew (CSN) to 24,600 CSN. 

(g) Remove from service combustor cases, 

P/N 2070M47G02 and P/N 2070M47G03, 

before reaching 24,600 CSN. 

(h) The requirements of this AD have been 

met when the engine manual changes are 

made and operators have modified their 

continuous airworthiness maintenance plans 

to reflect the Engine Maintenance Program 

requirements specified in the GE CF34–10E 

Engine Manual. 

Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(i) 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. 

Related Information 

(j) Contact Tara Chaidez, Aerospace 

Engineer, Engine Certification Office, FAA, 

Engine and Propeller Directorate, 12 New 

England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 

01803; telephone (781) 238–7773, fax (781) 

238–7199; e-mail: tara.chaidez@faa.gov for 

more information about this AD. 

Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on 

January 10, 2007. 

Francis A. Favara, 

Manager, Engine and Propeller Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–499 Filed 1–16–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

RIN 2120–AA64 

[Docket No. FAA–2005–22430; Directorate 

Identifier 2005–NE–34–AD] 

Airworthiness Directives; Turbomeca 

Arrius 2 F Turboshaft Engines 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to 

supersede an existing airworthiness 

directive (AD) for Turbomeca Arrius 2 F 

turboshaft engines. That AD currently 

requires removing from service certain 

serial number (SN) fuel control units 

(FCUs) or replacing the constant delta 

pressure diaphragm in those FCUs. This 

proposed AD would require replacing 

all FCUs not incorporating modification 

Tf 55 with FCUs that incorporate 

modification Tf 55. This proposed AD 

results from the European Aviation 

Safety Agency (EASA) and Turbomeca 

expanding the applicability to the full 

population of FCUs installed on Arrius 

2 F turboshaft engines. FCUs not 

incorporating modification Tf 55 are 

susceptible to having an improperly 

assembled constant delta pressure (delta 

P) diaphragm. We are proposing this AD 

to prevent an uncommanded engine inflight shutdown on a single-engine 

helicopter, resulting in a forced 

autorotation landing or an accident. 

DATES: We must receive any comments 

on this proposed AD by March 19, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following 

addresses to comment on this proposed 

AD. 

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