68076 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 220 / Tuesday, November 14, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

21.197 and 21.199) to operate the airplane to

a location where the requirements of this AD

can be accomplished.

Incorporation by Reference

(e) The replacement shall be done in

accordance with British Aerospace Service

Bulletin 32–PM6054, dated February 2000.

This incorporation by reference was

approved by the Director of the Federal

Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a)

and 1 CFR part 51. Copies may be obtained

from British Aerospace, Service Support,

Airbus Limited, P.O. Box 77, Bristol BS99

7AR, England. Copies may be inspected at

the FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate,

1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton,

Washington; or at the Office of the Federal

Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., suite

700, Washington, DC.

Effective Date

(f) This amendment becomes effective on

December 19, 2000.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on

November 3, 2000.

Donald L. Riggin,

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 00–28829 Filed 11–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 2000–NM–26–AD; Amendment

39–11974; AD 2000–23–04]

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Aerospatiale

Model ATR42–500 Series Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a

new airworthiness directive (AD),

applicable to all Aerospatiale Model

ATR42–500 series airplanes, that

requires revising the Airworthiness

Limitations Section of the Instructions

for Continued Airworthiness to

incorporate life limits for certain items

and inspections to detect fatigue

cracking in certain structures. This

amendment is prompted by issuance of

a new revision of the ‘‘Time Limits’’

section of the ATR42–400/500

Maintenance Planning Document,

which specifies new inspections and

compliance times for inspection and

replacement actions. The actions

specified by this AD are intended to

ensure that fatigue cracking of certain

structural elements is detected and

corrected; such fatigue cracking could

adversely affect the structural integrity

of these airplanes.

DATES: Effective December 19, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The service information

referenced in this AD may be obtained

from Aerospatiale, 316 Route de

Bayonne, 31060 Toulouse, Cedex 03,

France. This information may be

examined at the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), Transport

Airplane Directorate, Rules Docket,

1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton,

Washington; or at the Office of the

Federal Register, 800 North Capitol

Street, NW., suite 700, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Norman B. Martenson, Manager,

International Branch, ANM–116, FAA,

Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601

Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington

98055–4056; telephone (425) 227–2110;

fax (425) 227–1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A

proposal to amend part 39 of the Federal

Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) to

include an airworthiness directive (AD)

that is applicable to all Aerospatiale

Model ATR42–500 series airplanes was

published in the Federal Register on

August 29, 2000 (65 FR 52369). That

action proposed to require revising the

Airworthiness Limitations Section of

the Instructions for Continued

Airworthiness to incorporate life limits

for certain items and inspections to

detect fatigue cracking in certain

structures.

Comments

Interested persons have been afforded

an opportunity to participate in the

making of this amendment. No

comments were submitted in response

to the proposal or the FAA’s

determination of the cost to the public.

Conclusion

The FAA has determined that air

safety and the public interest require the

adoption of the rule as proposed.

Cost Impact

The FAA estimates that 8 airplanes of

U.S. registry will be affected by this AD,

that it will take approximately 1 work

hour per airplane to accomplish the

required actions, and that the average

labor rate is $60 per work hour. Based

on these figures, the cost impact of the

required AD on U.S. operators is

estimated to be $480, or $60 per

airplane.

The cost impact figure discussed

above is based on assumptions that no

operator has yet accomplished any of

the requirements of this AD action, and

that no operator would accomplish

those actions in the future if this AD

were not adopted. The cost impact

figures discussed in AD rulemaking

actions represent only the time

necessary to perform the specific actions

actually required by the AD. These

figures typically do not include

incidental costs, such as the time

required to gain access and close up,

planning time, or time necessitated by

other administrative actions.

Regulatory Impact

The regulations adopted herein 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. Therefore, it is

determined that this final rule does not

have federalism implications under

Executive Order 13132.

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)

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 final evaluation has

been prepared for this action and it is

contained in the Rules Docket. A copy

of it may be obtained from 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.

Adoption of the Amendment

Accordingly, pursuant to the

authority delegated to me by the

Administrator, the Federal Aviation

Administration amends 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 the following new airworthiness

directive:

2000–23–04 Aerospatiale: Amendment 39–

11974. Docket 2000–NM–26–AD.

Applicability: All Model ATR42–500 series

airplanes, certificated in any category.

Note 1: This AD applies to each airplane

identified in the preceding applicability

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 220 / Tuesday, November 14, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 68077

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 as indicated, unless

accomplished previously.

To ensure continued structural integrity of

these airplanes, accomplish the following:

Airworthiness Limitations Revision

(a) Within 30 days after the effective date

of this AD, revise the Airworthiness

Limitations Section of the Instructions for

Continued Airworthiness by incorporating

the ‘‘Time Limits’’ section of the ATR42–400/

500 Maintenance Planning Document,

Revision 3, dated February 1999, into the

Airworthiness Limitations Section.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of

this AD: After the actions specified in

paragraph (a) of this AD have been

accomplished, no alternative inspections or

inspection intervals may be approved for the

structural elements specified in the

documents listed in paragraph (a) of this AD.

Alternative Methods of Compliance

(c) An alternative method of compliance or

adjustment of the compliance time that

provides an acceptable level of safety may be

used if approved by the Manager,

International Branch, ANM–116, FAA,

Transport Airplane Directorate. Operators

shall submit their requests through an

appropriate FAA Principal Maintenance

Inspector, who may add comments and then

send it to the Manager, International Branch,

ANM–116.

Note 2: Information concerning the

existence of approved alternative methods of

compliance with this AD, if any, may be

obtained from the International Branch,

ANM–116.

Special Flight Permits

(d) 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.

Effective Date

(e) This amendment becomes effective on

December 19, 2000.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on

November 3, 2000.

Donald L. Riggin,

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 00–28828 Filed 11–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–U

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 98–ANE–69–AD; Amendment

39–11982; AD 2000–23–12]

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; CFE

Company Model CFE738–1–1B

Turbofan Engines

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a

new airworthiness directive (AD),

applicable to CFE Company model

CFE738–1–1B turbofan engines, that

requires new life limits for certain HPC

rotor components in all engines. This

amendment is prompted by a reduction

in the calculated service life of certain

compressor rotor rotating parts to values

below currently approved service lives.

The actions specified by this AD are

intended to prevent failure of certain

HPC rotor components, which could

result in an uncontained engine failure

and damage to the airplane.

DATES: Effective January 16, 2001.

ADDRESSES: The rulemaking docket may

be examined at the FAA, New England

Region, Office of the Regional Counsel,

12 New England Executive Park,

Burlington, MA; or at the Office of the

Federal Register, 800 North Capitol

Street, NW, suite 700, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Keith Mead, Aerospace Engineer,

Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine

and Propeller Directorate, 12 New

England Executive Park, Burlington, MA

01803–5299; telephone: (781) 238–7744,

fax: (781) 238–7199.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A

proposal to amend part 39 of the Federal

Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) to

include an airworthiness directive (AD)

that is applicable to CFE Company

Model CFE 738–1–1B turbofan engines

was published in the Federal Register

on December 14, 1998 (63 FR 68707).

Based on additional material stress

testing, the FAA published a

supplemental notice of proposed rule

making (SNPRM) on September 23,

1999 (64 FR 51484). That SNPRM

removed the proposal that would have

required a dimensional inspection of the

curvic couplings for parts that contain a

machining mismatch and would have

required those parts to be removed from

service. That SNPRM, however, also

introduced a requirement to remove

parts prior to a new reduced cyclic life

limit for specific high pressure

compressor rotating parts. Since those

changes expanded the scope of the

originally proposed rule, the FAA

determined that it was necessary to

reopen the comment period. At the time

the SNPRM was published, the

manufacturer anticipated that the

proposed reduced limits may be

increased based upon further testing

and analysis for the stage 4 and 5 blisk

and impeller aft shaft.

Comments Received

One comment was received. The

manufacturer, using the data obtained

from additional testing and analysis,

and life analysis prediction techniques

approved by the FAA, has requested

that the cyclic life limits for the stage 4

and 5 blisk proposed in the published

SNPRM be increased. This analysis

showed that the life predictions of two

of the three stage 4 and 5 blisk

configurations met initial published part

cyclic life requirements. The analysis

showed that the life of the remaining

stage 4 and 5 blisk configuration should

be reduced from the previously

approved cyclic life limit.

The FAA agrees with the revised

limits for the stage 4 and 5 blisk. This

final rule has been revised accordingly

by removing two of the stage 4 and 5

blisk configurations listed in the

SNPRM and listing the recalculated

cyclic life for the third stage 4 and 5

blisk configuration.

In addition, reference to inspection

work hours was removed from the

economic analysis section. Inspection

requirements for these parts were

removed in the SNPRM, and are not

applicable to this AD.

Economic Analysis

There are approximately 245 engines

of the affected design in the worldwide

fleet. The FAA estimates that 156

engines would be affected by this

proposed AD. Required parts, on a prorated basis, would cost approximately

$13,613 per engine. Based on these

figures, the total cost impact of the

proposed AD on US operators is

estimated to be $2,123628.

Regulatory Impact

This rule does not have federalism

implications, as defined in Executive

Order 13132, because it 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. Accordingly, the

FAA has not consulted with state