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

60183

Vol. 62, No. 216

Friday, November 7, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 97–CE–84–AD]

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; HOAC

Austria Model DV–20 Katana Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking

(NPRM).

SUMMARY: This document proposes to

adopt a new airworthiness directive

(AD) that would apply to certain HOAC

Austria Model DV–20 Katana airplanes.

The proposed AD would require

replacing the nose wheel leg of the nose

landing gear (NLG) with a part of

improved design. The proposed AD is

the result of mandatory continuing

airworthiness information (MCAI)

issued by the airworthiness authority for

Austria. The actions specified by the

proposed AD are intended to prevent

NLG collapse caused by cracks in the

welding of the nose wheel tappet of the

NLG, which could result in the inability

to control the airplane during landing,

takeoff, and other ground operations.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before December 8, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in

triplicate to the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), Central Region,

Office of the Regional Counsel,

Attention: Rules Docket No. 97–CE–84–

AD, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street,

Kansas City, Missouri 64106. Comments

may be inspected at this location

between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday

through Friday, holidays excepted.

Service information that applies to the

proposed AD may be obtained from

Diamond Aircraft Industries, G.m.b.H.,

N.A. Otto-Strabe 5, A–2700, Wiener

Neustadt, Austria. This information also

may be examined at the Rules Docket at

the address above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Roger P. Chudy, Aerospace Engineer,

Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft

Certification Service, FAA, 1201

Walnut, suite 900, Kansas City, Missouri

64106; telephone (816) 426–5688;

facsimile (816) 426–2169.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

Interested persons are invited to

participate in the making of the

proposed rule by submitting such

written data, views, or arguments as

they may desire. Communications

should identify the Rules Docket

number and be submitted in triplicate to

the address specified above. All

communications received on or before

the closing date for comments, specified

above, will be considered before taking

action on the proposed rule. The

proposals contained in this notice may

be changed in light of the comments

received.

Comments are specifically invited on

the overall regulatory, economic,

environmental, and energy aspects of

the proposed rule. All comments

submitted will be available, both before

and after the closing date for comments,

in the Rules Docket for examination by

interested persons. A report that

summarizes each FAA-public contact

concerned with the substance of this

proposal will be filed in the Rules

Docket.

Commenters wishing the FAA to

acknowledge receipt of their comments

submitted in response to this notice

must submit a self-addressed, stamped

postcard on which the following

statement is made: ‘‘Comments to

Docket No. 97–CE–84–AD.’’ The

postcard will be date stamped and

returned to the commenter.

Availability of NPRMs

Any person may obtain a copy of this

NPRM by submitting a request to the

FAA, Central Region, Office of the

Regional Counsel, Attention: Rules

Docket No. 97–CE–84–AD, Room 1558,

601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri

64106.

Discussion

The Austro Control GmbH, which is

the airworthiness authority for Austria,

recently notified the FAA that an unsafe

condition may exist on certain HOAC

Austria Model DV–20 Katana airplanes.

The Austro Control GmbH reports that

an incident of defective welding on the

nose wheel tappet of the nose landing

gear (NLG) caused the NLG to collapse

during a hard landing on one of the

referenced airplanes. These conditions,

if not corrected, could result in NLG

collapse and the inability to control the

airplane during landing, takeoff, and

other ground operations.

Explanation of the Relevant Service

Information

HOAC Austria has issued Diamond

Aircraft Industries Service Bulletin No.

20–32, dated April 5, 1996, which

specifies procedures for inspecting the

weld on the nose wheel tappet of the

NLG for cracks. This service bulletin

specifies replacement of the nose wheel

leg of the NLG with a part of improved

design, leg version ‘‘B’’, in accordance

with the applicable maintenance

manual.

The Austro Control GmbH classified

this service bulletin as mandatory and

issued Austrian AD No. 86, dated May

29, 1996, in order to assure the

continued airworthiness of these

airplanes in Austria.

FAA’s Determination

This airplane model is manufactured

in Austria and is type certificated for

operation in the United States under the

provisions of section 21.29 of the

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR

21.29) and the applicable bilateral

airworthiness agreement. Pursuant to

this bilateral airworthiness agreement,

the Austro Control GmbH has kept the

FAA informed of the situation described

above.

The FAA has examined the findings

of the Austro Control GmbH; reviewed

all available information, including the

service information referenced above;

and determined that AD action is

necessary for products of this type

design that are certificated for operation

in the United States.

Explanation of the Provisions of the

Proposed Rule

Since an unsafe condition has been

identified that is likely to exist or

develop in other HOAC Austria Model

DV–20 Katana airplanes of the same

type design registered in the United

States, the FAA is proposing AD action.

The proposed AD would require

replacing the nose wheel leg of the NLG

with a part of improved design, nose
60184 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 216 / Friday, November 7, 1997 / Proposed Rules

wheel leg version ‘‘B’’, in accordance

with the applicable maintenance

manual.

Cost Impact

The FAA estimates that 20 airplanes

in the U.S. registry would be affected by

the proposed AD, that it would take

approximately 1 workhour per airplane

to accomplish the proposed

replacement, and that the average labor

rate is approximately $60 per hour.

Parts cost approximately $900 per

airplane. Based on these figures, the

total cost impact of the proposed AD on

U.S. operators is estimated to be $19,200

or $960 per airplane.

Differences Between the Austrian AD,

the Service Bulletin, and This Proposed

AD

Austrian AD No. 86, dated May 29,

1996, and Diamond Aircraft Industries

Service Bulletin N. 20–32, dated April

5, 1996, both give the owners/operators

of certain HOAC Austria Model DV–20

Katana airplanes the option of either (1)

repetitively inspecting the weld of the

nose wheel tappet in the NLG until

cracks are found, at which time

immediate modification or replacement

(with parts of improved design) would

be required; or (2) immediately

replacing the weld of the nose wheel

tappet in the NLG with parts of

improved design.

The FAA’s policy is to provide

corrective action that will eliminate the

need for repetitive inspections. The

FAA has determined that long-term

operational safety will be better assured

by design changes that remove the

source of the problem, rather than by

repetitive inspections or other special

procedures.

Because replacing the nose wheel leg

(with parts of improved design)

eliminates the need for repetitive

inspections, the proposed AD differs

from the service bulletin and the

Austrian AD in that it would mandate

the replacement.

Regulatory Impact

The regulations proposed herein

would not have substantial direct effects

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. Therefore,

in accordance with Executive Order

12612, it is determined that this

proposal would not have sufficient

federalism implications to warrant the

preparation of a Federalism Assessment.

For the reasons discussed above, I

certify that this action (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) if

promulgated, 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. A copy of the draft

regulatory evaluation prepared for this

action has been placed in the Rules

Docket. A copy of it may be obtained by

contacting the Rules Docket at the

location provided under the caption

ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation

safety, Safety.

The Proposed Amendment

Accordingly, pursuant to the

authority delegated to me by the

Administrator, the Federal Aviation

Administration proposes to amend part

39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations

(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. Section 39.13 is amended by

adding a new airworthiness directive

(AD) to read as follows:

HOAC Austria: Docket No. 97–CE–84–AD.

Applicability: Model DV–20 Katana

airplanes, serial numbers 20005 through

20160, certificated in any category.

Note 1: This AD applies to each airplane

identified in the preceding applicability

provision, regardless of whether it has been

modified, altered, or repaired in the area

subject to the requirements of this AD. For

airplanes that have been modified, altered, or

repaired so that the performance of the

requirements of this AD is affected, the

owner/operator must request approval for an

alternative method of compliance in

accordance with paragraph (c) of this AD.

The request should include an assessment of

the effect of the modification, alteration, or

repair on the unsafe condition addressed by

this AD; and, if the unsafe condition has not

been eliminated, the request should include

specific proposed actions to address it.

Compliance: Required within the next 100

hours time-in-service (TIS) after the effective

date of this AD, unless already accomplished.

To prevent nose landing gear (NLG)

collapse caused by cracks in the welding of

the nose wheel tappet of the NLG, which

could result in the inability to control the

airplane during landing, takeoff, and other

ground operations, accomplish the following:

(a) Replace the nose wheel leg of the NLG

with a part of improved design, nose wheel

leg version ‘‘B’’, in accordance with the

applicable maintenance manual.

Note 2: Diamond Aircraft Industries

Service Bulletin No. 20–32, dated April 5,

1996, specifies the replacement required by

this AD.

(b) Special flight permits may be issued in

accordance with sections 21.197 and 21.199

of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR

21.197 and 21.199) to operate the airplane to

a location where the requirements of this AD

can be accomplished.

(c) An alternative method of compliance or

adjustment of the compliance time that

provides an equivalent level of safety may be

approved by the Manager, Small Airplane

Directorate, FAA, 1201 Walnut, suite 900,

Kansas City, Missouri 64106. The request

shall be forwarded through an appropriate

FAA Maintenance Inspector, who may add

comments and then send it to the Manager,

Small Airplane Directorate.

Note 3: Information concerning the

existence of approved alternative methods of

compliance with this AD, if any, may be

obtained from the Small Airplane

Directorate.

(d) All persons affected by this directive

may obtain copies of the document referred

to herein upon request to HOAC Austria

Ges.m.b.H., N.A. Otto-Strabe 5, A–2700,

Wiener Neustadt, Austria; or may examine

this document at the FAA, Central Region,

Office of the Regional Counsel, Room 1558,

601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri

64106.

Note 4: The subject of this AD is addressed

in Austrian AD No. 86, dated May 29, 1996.

Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on

October 31, 1997.

James E. Jackson,

Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate,

Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 97–29408 Filed 11–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–U

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 97–CE–43–AD]

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; SOCATA—

Groupe AEROSPATIALE Model TBM

700 Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking

(NPRM).

SUMMARY: This document proposes to

adopt a new airworthiness directive

(AD) that would apply to certain

SOCATA—Groupe AEROSPATIALE

(Socata) Model TBM 700 airplanes. The

proposed AD would require replacing

the starter generator mounting adapter