Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 180 / Monday, September 17, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 57001 

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. 

(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. 

(i) Related Information 

For more information about this AD, 

contact Gregory K. Noles, Aerospace 

Engineer, FAA, Atlanta ACO, 1701 Columbia 

Avenue, College Park, Georgia 30337; phone: 

(404) 474–5551; fax: (404) 474–5606; email: 

gregory.noles@faa.gov. 

(j) Material Incorporated by Reference 

(1) The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

(IBR) of the service information listed in this 

paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR 

part 51. 

(2) You must use this service information 

as applicable to do the actions required by 

this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise. 

(i) Piper Aircraft, Inc. Service Bulletin No. 

1189, dated April 29, 2010. 

(ii) Reserved. 

(3) For Piper Aircraft, Inc. service 

information identified in this AD, contact 

Piper Aircraft, Inc., 2926 Piper Drive, Vero 

Beach, Florida 32960; telephone: (772) 567– 

4361; fax: (772) 978–6573; Internet: http:// 

www.piper.com/company/publications.asp. 

(4) You may view this service information 

at the FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 

Locust St., Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For 

information on the availability of this 

material at the FAA, call (816) 329–4148. 

(5) You may view this service information 

that is incorporated by reference at the 

National Archives and Records 

Administration (NARA). For information on 

the availability of this material at NARA, call 

(202) 741–6030, or go to: http:// 

www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibrlocations.html. 

Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 

20, 2012. 

John Colomy, 

Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–22529 Filed 9–14–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2012–0071; Directorate 

Identifier 2012–NE–05–AD; Amendment 39– 

17191; AD 2012–18–14] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & 

Whitney Canada, Auxiliary Power Units 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 

serial numbers of Pratt & Whitney 

Canada (P&WC) PW901A auxiliary 

power units (APUs) approved under 

Technical Standard Order TSO–C77A 

and installed on, but not limited to, 

Boeing 747–400 series airplanes. This 

AD requires modifications of the rear 

gas generator case, exhaust duct 

support, and turbine exhaust duct 

flanges. This AD was prompted by 

several events of high-pressure turbine 

blade fracture leading to separation of 

the rear gas generator case and release 

of high energy debris. We are issuing 

this AD to prevent separation of the rear 

gas generator case and release of high 

energy debris, which could result in 

injury and damage to the airplane. 

DATES: This AD becomes effective 

October 22, 2012. The Director of the 

Federal Register approved the 

incorporation by reference of certain 

publications listed in this AD as of 

October 22, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: The Docket Operations 

office is located at Docket Management 

Facility, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., West Building Ground 

Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 

20590–0001. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mazdak Hobbi, Aerospace Engineer, 

New York Aircraft Certification Office, 

FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 

1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, 

Westbury, NY 11590; phone: 516–228– 

7330; fax: 516–794–5531; email: 

mazdak.hobbi@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

We issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 to include an AD that would 

apply to the specified products. That 

NPRM was published in the Federal 

Register on February 27, 2012 (77 FR 

11421). That NPRM proposed to correct 

an unsafe condition for the specified 

products. Transport Canada, which is 

the aviation authority for Canada, has 

issued AD CF–2011–40, dated October 

26, 2011 (referred to after this as ‘‘the 

MCAI’’), to correct an unsafe condition 

for the specified products. The MCAI 

states: 

The PW901A Auxiliary Power Units have 

experienced several events of High Pressure 

Turbine (HPT) blade fracture, some of which 

have resulted in the separation of the rear gas 

generator case, exhaust duct support, the 

turbine exhaust duct flanges and the release 

of high energy debris. Subsequent 

investigation revealed the turbine exhaust 

duct can separate under excessive load 

conditions resulting from extreme engine 

distress such as HPT blade fractures. 

You may obtain further information by 

examining the MCAI in the AD docket. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD. We 

considered the comments received. The 

following presents the comments 

received on the proposal and the FAA’s 

response to each comment. 

Support for the NPRM 

The Boeing Company indicated it 

supported the content of the proposed 

rule. 

Request To Increase Compliance Time 

Several commenters believed the 

compliance time in the AD should be 

extended. Atlas Air requested that the 

compliance time be increased from 42 to 

60 months. Atlas Air noted that the 42- 

month requirement would force them to 

remove APUs prior to their 8,000 hours 

soft time threshold which is based on 

their budget and operating experience 

and reliability. This threshold would 

increase the maintenance burden and 

cost to Atlas Air. 

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) also 

requested that the compliance date be 

extended. KLM indicated that requiring 

all the affected APUs be modified in 42 

months would require forced 

unscheduled replacements. 

United Airlines (UAL) also requested 

that the compliance time be extended 

from 42 to 48 months. United indicated 

that the 42-month compliance time 

would require engines to be removed 

prematurely and cause capacity 

problems for repair shops. 

We do not agree. We have no data that 

justifies extending the compliance time 

to 48 months. Operators who want to a 

longer compliance interval may request 

an AMOC using the procedures in 14 

CFR part 39. Operators contemplating 

an AMOC request are reminded that 

they must show that their extension will 


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57002 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 180 / Monday, September 17, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 

provide the same level of safety as 

provided by the 42-month compliance 

interval. 

Request To Increase Compliance Time 

for Those APUs Incorporating Previous 

SB 

KLM also requested a longer 

compliance period for APU’s modified 

per SB 3910001–49–16250. KLM 

commented that the risk for these blades 

is lower than the pre-SB blades. United 

Parcel Service Company also requested 

that the compliance period be increased 

from 42 to 60 months for APUs having 

SB–16250 previously incorporated 

(improved HPT blades). 

We do not agree. We have no data 

supporting the conclusion that APUs 

modified per SB 3910001–49–16250 

have a lower risk of separation of the 

rear gas generator case or that an 

increased compliance time is justified 

for these blades. We did not change the 

AD based on this comment. 

Question on Compliance Date 

KLM asked what the compliance date 

for this AD would be, since the 

compliance date in AD CF–2011–40, 

dated October 26, 2011, is different from 

the date in Pratt & Whitney Canada 

Service Bulletin (SB) 3910001–49– 

16255, Revision No. 2, dated March 1, 

2011. 

The compliance date for this AD will 

be 35 days after the date the AD is 

published in the Federal Register. We 

did not change the AD based on this 

comment. 

Comment on Failure To Address Root 

Cause 

KLM indicated that accomplishing SB 

391001–49–16255, Revision No. 2, 

dated March 1, 2011, and our AD will 

not prevent high pressure turbine blades 

from failing. 

We do not agree. The root cause of the 

failure of the HPT blades is excessive 

load resulting from extreme engine 

distress, which leads to turbine exhaust 

duct separation. Accomplishing SB 

391001–49–A16255, Revision No. 2, 

dated March 1, 2011, will mitigate 

excessive load by modifying the rear gas 

generator case, exhaust duct support 

and the turbine exhaust duct flanges. 

We did not change the AD based on this 

comment. 

Comment on Increased Man-hours 

Needed To Accomplish the AD 

KLM noted that not all APUs can be 

modified during an overhaul. Therefore, 

extra man-hours will be required to 

perform this modification. 

We do not agree. The man-hours 

indicated in the SB and in this AD are 

sufficient to modify the APU. The 

number of hours required to perform an 

engine overhaul is not the subject of this 

AD. We did not change the AD based on 

this comment. 

Request To Clarify ‘‘Preventative 

Maintenance’’ in Compliance Statement 

Southern Air indicated that 

compliance paragraph (e)(1) is 

misleading wherein it states ‘‘within 42 

months after effective date of the AD or 

the first time any maintenance is done 

other than preventative maintenance, 

whichever occurs first * * *.’’ Southern 

Air believes the statement should read: 

‘‘42 months after the effective date of 

the AD or when maintenance which 

requires unmating of the flanges, or 

overhaul, whichever occurs first.’’ 

UAL indicated the term ‘‘preventative 

maintenance’’ in paragraph (e)(1) is 

vague and ambiguous. UAL noted that 

as currently stated the AD would have 

to be accomplished if one was replacing 

a line replaceable unit like an exciter or 

starter. UAL suggested that the 

maintenance be accomplished when the 

exhaust support duct is accessible, i.e., 

removed from the APU. 

We agree. We changed paragraph 

(e)(1) of the AD to read ‘‘Within 42 

months after the effective date of this 

AD or the first time the APU or module 

is at a maintenance facility that can 

perform the modifications, regardless of 

the maintenance action or reason for 

APU removal, whichever occurs first, 

modify the rear gas generator case, 

exhaust duct support, and turbine 

exhaust duct flanges.’’ 

Request Not To Mandate Use of Service 

Bulletin in Compliance Section 

UAL commented that several steps in 

the accomplishment instructions in 

P&WC SB No. 3910001–49–A16255, 

Revision No. 2, do not offer an increase 

in safety and should not be mandated by 

the AD. UAL noted that the component 

maintenance manual offers sufficient 

instructions to perform the required 

modifications. 

We do not agree. UAL did not identify 

any unnecessary steps, we know of 

none, and our inquiry of the OEM did 

not identify any unnecessary steps. If 

the OEM determined that the 

component maintenance manual was 

adequate, it would have been referenced 

in SB No. 3910001–49–A16255, 

Revision No. 2. We did not change the 

AD based on this comment. 

Questions on APU Continuing To Meet 

Type Certification Requirements 

KLM asked that since the APU was 

originally certified to a TSO should the 

certification basis be maintained during 

the lifetime of operation. 

We reply to KLM’s multi-layered 

comment as follows. First, we granted 

TSO approval to PWC for this APU on 

September 20, 1988. Second, the 

corrective actions required by this AD 

should return the product to the level of 

safety intended by its certification basis. 

Finally, whether or not an OEM covers 

the cost of actions mandated by our AD 

actions is between the OEM and the 

product owner/operator. 

Conclusion 

We 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 determined that these changes will 

not increase the economic burden on 

any operator or increase the scope of the 

AD. 

Costs of Compliance 

Based on the service information, we 

estimate that this AD affects about 135 

APUs installed on airplanes of U.S. 

registry. The average labor rate is $85 

per work-hour. Required parts cost 

about $39,899 per APU. Based on these 

figures, we estimate the cost of the AD 

on U.S. operators to be $5,386,365. 

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 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 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 180 / Monday, September 17, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 57003 

responsibilities among the various 

levels of government. 

For the reasons discussed above, I 

certify this AD: 

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. 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 regulatory evaluation 

of the estimated costs to comply with 

this AD and placed it in the AD docket. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket on 

the Internet at http:// 

www.regulations.gov; or in person at the 

Docket Operations office between 9 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. The AD docket 

contains this AD, the regulatory 

evaluation, any comments received, and 

other information. The street address for 

the Docket Operations office (phone: 

(800) 647–5527) is provided in the 

ADDRESSES section. Comments will be 

available in the AD docket shortly after 

receipt. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, Incorporation by reference, 

Safety. 

Adoption of the Amendment 

Accordingly, under the authority 

delegated to me by the Administrator, 

the FAA 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 adding 

the following new AD: 

2012–18–14 Pratt & Whitney Canada: 

Amendment 39–17191; Docket No. 

FAA–2012–0071; Directorate Identifier 

2012–NE–05–AD. 

(a) Effective Date 

This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes 

effective October 22, 2012. 

(b) Affected ADs 

None. 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to Pratt & Whitney Canada 

(P&WC) PW901A auxiliary power units 

(APUs) approved under Technical Standard 

Order TSO–C77A and installed on, but not 

limited to, Boeing 747–400 series airplanes. 

The affected APU serial numbers are PCE 

900001 through PCE 900776 inclusive. 

(d) Reason 

This AD was prompted by several events 

of high-pressure turbine blade fracture 

leading to separation of the rear gas generator 

case and release of high energy debris. We 

are issuing this AD to prevent separation of 

the rear gas generator case and release of high 

energy debris, which could result in injury 

and damage to the airplane. 

(e) Actions and Compliance 

Unless already done, do the following 

actions. 

(1) Within 42 months after the effective 

date of this AD or the first time the APU or 

module is at a maintenance facility that can 

perform the modifications, regardless of the 

maintenance action or reason for APU 

removal, whichever occurs first, modify the 

rear gas generator case, exhaust duct support, 

and turbine exhaust duct flanges. 

(2) Use paragraphs 3.A. through 3.B(3)(f) of 

Accomplishment Instructions, and paragraph 

4.A. of Appendix, of P&WC Alert Service 

Bulletin (SB) No. 39100001–49–A16255, 

Revision No. 2, dated March 1, 2011, to do 

the modifications. 

(f) Credit for Previous Action 

APUs modified before the effective date of 

this AD using P&WC Alert SB No. A16255R1, 

dated September 12, 2008, or P&WC Alert SB 

No. A16255, dated December 12, 2007, meet 

the modification requirements of this AD. 

(g) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

The Manager, New York Aircraft 

Certification Office, FAA, may approve 

AMOCs for this AD. Use the procedures 

found in 14 CFR 39.19 to make your request. 

(h) Related Information 

(1) For more information about this AD, 

contact Mazdak Hobbi, Aerospace Engineer, 

New York Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, 

Engine & Propeller Directorate, 1600 Stewart 

Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; 

phone: 516–228–7330; fax: 516–794–5531; 

email: mazdak.hobbi@faa.gov. 

(2) Refer to Transport Canada AD CF– 

2011–40, dated October 26, 2011, and P&WC 

SB No. A16255R2, dated March 1, 2011, for 

related information. 

(i) Material Incorporated by Reference 

(1) The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

(IBR) of the following service information 

under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. 

(2) You must use the following service 

information to do the actions required by this 

AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise: 

(i) Pratt & Whitney Canada Alert Service 

Bulletin No. 3910001–49 A16255, Revision 

No. 2, dated March 1, 2011. 

(ii) Reserved. 

(3) For service information identified in 

this AD, contact Pratt & Whitney Canada 

Corp., 1000 Marie-Victorin, Longueuil, 

Quebec, Canada J4G 1A1; phone: 450–677– 

9411. 

(4) You may view this service information 

at the FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 

12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, 

MA. For information on the availability of 

this material at the FAA, call 781–238–7125. 

(5) You may view this service information 

at the National Archives and Records 

Administration (NARA). For information on 

the availability of this material at NARA, call 

202–741–6030, or go to: http:// 

www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibrlocations.html. 

Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on 

August 27, 2012. 

Colleen M. D’Alessandro, 

Assistant Manager, Engine & Propeller 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–22532 Filed 9–14–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2011–1167; Directorate 

Identifier 2011–NM–058–AD; Amendment 

39–17189; AD 2012–18–12] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus 

Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 

Airbus Model A318, A319, and A320 

series airplanes. This AD was prompted 

by a report of a torn out aspirator due 

to the aspirator interfering with the 

extrusion lip of the off-wing escape 

slide (OWS) enclosure during the initial 

stage of the deployment sequence. This 

AD requires modifying the OWS 

enclosures on both sides. We are issuing 

this AD to prevent both off-wing exits 

from being inoperative, which, during 

an emergency, would impair the safe 

evacuation of occupants, possibly 

resulting in personal injuries. 

DATES: This AD becomes effective 

October 22, 2012. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain publication listed in this AD 

as of October 22, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD 

docket on the Internet at http:// 

www.regulations.gov or in person at the 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 

Docket Operations, M–30, West 

Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Washington, DC. 


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