47230 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 150 / Monday, August 5, 2013 / Proposed Rules 

We prepared a regulatory evaluation 

of the estimated costs to comply with 

this proposed AD and placed it in the 

AD docket. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, Incorporation by reference, 

Safety. 

The Proposed Amendment 

Accordingly, under the authority 

delegated to me by the Administrator, 

the FAA 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 (AD): 

Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH: Docket No. 

FAA–2013–0561; Directorate Identifier 

2013–NE–23–AD. 

(a) Comments Due Date 

We must receive comments by October 4, 

2013. 

(b) Affected ADs 

None. 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to all Thielert Aircraft 

Engines GmbH TAE 125–01 reciprocating 

engines. 

(d) Reason 

This AD was prompted by a report of 

engine power loss due to engine coolant 

contaminating the engine clutch. The design 

of the engine allows the crankcase assembly 

opening to be susceptible to contamination 

from external sources. We are issuing this AD 

to prevent in-flight engine power loss, which 

could result in loss of control of, and damage 

to, the airplane. 

(e) Actions and Compliance 

Unless already done, do the following 

actions. 

(1) After the effective date of this AD at the 

next annual or 100-hour inspection, 

whichever comes first, apply sealant to close 

the engine clutch housing (crankcase 

assembly) opening. 

(2) Thereafter, reapply sealant to the engine 

clutch housing (crankcase assembly) 

opening, whenever the sealant is found to be 

not liquid-tight, or is removed. 

(3) Guidance on the sealant and 

application can be found in Thielert Aircraft 

Engines GmbH Service Bulletin No.TM TAE 

125–0022, dated August 8, 2012. 

(f) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

The Manager, Engine Certification Office, 

FAA, may approve AMOCs to this AD. Use 

the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19 to 

make your request. 

(g) Related Information 

(1) For more information about this AD, 

contact Frederick Zink, Aerospace Engineer, 

Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & 

Propeller Directorate, 12 New England 

Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; 

phone: 781–238–7779; fax: 781–238 7199; 

email: frederick.zink@faa.gov. 

(2) Refer to European Aviation Safety 

Agency Airworthiness Directive 2013–0109, 

dated May 22, 2013, for related information. 

You may examine the AD on the Internet at 

http://ad.easa.europa.eu/ad/2013–0109. 

(3) Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH Service 

Bulletin No. TM TAE 125–0022, dated 

August 8, 2012, which is not incorporated by 

reference in this AD, can be obtained from 

Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH, using the 

contact information in paragraph (g)(4) of this 

AD. 

(4) For service information identified in 

this AD, contact Thielert Aircraft Engines 

GmbH, Platanenstrasse 14 D–09350, 

Lichtenstein, Germany, telephone: +49– 

37204–696–0; fax: +49–37204–696–55; email: 

info@centurion-engines.com. 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. 

Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on 

July 25, 2013. 

Thomas A. Boudreau, 

Acting Assistant Manager, Engine & Propeller 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–18797 Filed 8–2–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0679; Directorate 

Identifier 2009–SW–015–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter 

France (Eurocopter) Model Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for 

Eurocopter Model AS350B, AS350BA, 

AS350B1, AS350B2, AS350B3, AS350C, 

AS350D, and AS350D1 helicopters. This 

proposed AD would require measuring 

the distance between the end of the 

main rotor collective pitch lever 

(collective) locking stud (locking stud) 

and the locking strip and repairing the 

locking stud if the clearance is 

insufficient. This proposed AD is 

prompted by a report that insufficient 

distance between the locking stud and 

the locking strip may cause the 

collective to become inadvertently 

locked in the low pitch (low) position. 

The proposed actions are intended to 

prevent the collective from becoming 

inadvertently locked in the low position 

and subsequent loss of control of the 

helicopter. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by October 4, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by 

any of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Docket: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

online instructions for sending your 

comments electronically. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Mail: Send comments to the U.S. 

Department of Transportation, Docket 

Operations, M–30, West Building 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 

DC 20590–0001. 

• Hand Delivery: Deliver to the 

‘‘Mail’’ address between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

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 proposed AD, the 

economic evaluation, any comments 

received, and other information. The 

street address for the Docket Operations 

Office (telephone 800–647–5527) is in 

the ADDRESSES section. Comments will 

be available in the AD docket shortly 

after receipt. For service information 

identified in this proposed AD, contact 

American Eurocopter Corporation, 2701 

N. Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 

75052; telephone (972) 641–0000 or 

(800) 232–0323; fax (972) 641–3775; or 

at http://www.eurocopter.com/techpub. 

You may review the referenced service 

information at the FAA, Office of the 

Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 

2601 Meacham Blvd., Room 663, Fort 

Worth, Texas 76137. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Robert Grant, Aviation Safety Engineer, 

Safety Management Group, FAA, 2601 

Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 

76137; telephone 817–222–5110; email 

robert.grant@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to participate in this 

rulemaking by submitting written 

comments, data, or views. We also 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 150 / Monday, August 5, 2013 / Proposed Rules 47231 

invite comments relating to the 

economic, environmental, energy, or 

federalism impacts that might result 

from adopting the proposals in this 

document. The most helpful comments 

reference a specific portion of the 

proposal, explain the reason for any 

recommended change, and include 

supporting data. To ensure the docket 

does not contain duplicate comments, 

commenters should send only one copy 

of written comments, or if comments are 

filed electronically, commenters should 

submit only one time. 

We will file in the docket all 

comments that we receive, as well as a 

report summarizing each substantive 

public contact with FAA personnel 

concerning this proposed rulemaking. 

Before acting on this proposal, we will 

consider all comments we receive on or 

before the closing date for comments. 

We will consider comments filed after 

the comment period has closed if it is 

possible to do so without incurring 

expense or delay. We may change this 

proposal in light of the comments we 

receive. 

Discussion 

The European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA), which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Union, has issued EASA AD No. 2009– 

0019, dated February 3, 2009, to correct 

an unsafe condition for the Eurocopter 

Model AS350 helicopters. EASA advises 

that the clearance between the collective 

locking stud and the locking strip may 

be insufficient when the collective is 

positioned in the low pitch stop. During 

an autorotation test flight, the collective 

rubbed against the locking strip in the 

low pitch position. The rubbing was due 

to inadequate clearance and could result 

in the collective being inadvertently 

locked in the low pitch position. 

FAA’s Determination 

These helicopters have been approved 

by the aviation authority of France and 

are approved for operation in the United 

States. Pursuant to our bilateral 

agreement with France, EASA, its 

technical representative, has notified us 

of the unsafe condition described in its 

AD. We are proposing this AD because 

we evaluated all known relevant 

information and determined that an 

unsafe condition is likely to exist or 

develop on other products of the same 

type design. 

Related Service Information 

Eurocopter issued Service Bulletin 

No. 67.00.37, Revision 2, dated 

December 2, 2008, originally issued on 

September 27, 2007, and also identified 

as modification (MOD) 073237, which 

contains procedures for replacing the 

locking stud on the collective levers 

with a new locking stud with higher 

wear resistance. The new locking stud is 

longer than the previous one and has 

reduced the distance between the 

locking stud and the locking strip. In 

some cases, the reduced distance is 

insufficient when the collective is 

positioned in the low pitch position 

causing the collective to lock in that 

position. As a result, Eurocopter has 

issued one Emergency Alert Service 

Bulletin (EASB), Revision 0, dated 

January 12, 2008, with two numbers. 

EASB No. 05.00.58 is for civil Model 

AS350B, BA, BB, B1, B2, B3, and D 

helicopters and military Model 

AS350L1 helicopters. EASB No. 

05.00.35 is for military Model AS550A2, 

C2, C3, and U2 helicopters. The EASB 

specifies measuring to ensure a required 

minimum distance between the locking 

stud and the locking strip and specifies 

a repair solution in case the distance is 

insufficient. As a precaution, Eurocopter 

extended the measure and repair to 

helicopters with locking studs before 

MOD 073237. Eurocopter also revised 

Service Bulletin No. 67.00.37 to include 

these procedures. 

Proposed AD Requirements 

The proposed AD would require 

measuring the clearance between the 

collective locking stud and the locking 

strip. If insufficient clearance exists, 

corrective actions are defined based on 

the installed locking strip and locking 

stud designs. Corrective actions include 

restoring the original profile of certain 

locking strips and adjusting the length 

of certain collective locking studs. 

Differences Between This Proposed AD 

and the EASA AD 

The EASA AD does not apply to 

Model AS350C or AS350D1 helicopters, 

and the proposed AD would apply to 

these models because they have a 

similarly-designed collective pitch lock. 

The EASA AD applies to the Model 

AS350BB, and the proposed AD does 

not because that model does not have a 

U.S. type certificate. The proposed AD 

would require an initial inspection 

within 100 hours time-in-service, while 

the EASA AD requires this inspection 

‘‘after the last flight of the day.’’ 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this proposed AD 

would affect 651 helicopters of U.S. 

Registry. 

We estimate that operators may incur 

the following costs in order to comply 

with this AD. It would take 1 work hour 

to measure the clearance and repair the 

locking stud and locking strip at $85 per 

work hour. Required parts would cost 

$95 per helicopter. Based on these 

estimates, the total cost per helicopter 

would be $180, and the total cost for the 

fleet would be $117,180. 

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 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, I certify 

this 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); 

3. Will not affect intrastate aviation in 

Alaska to the extent that it justifies 

making a regulatory distinction; and 

4. 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 an economic evaluation 

of the estimated costs to comply with 

this proposed AD and placed it in the 

AD docket. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, Incorporation by Reference, 

Safety. 

The Proposed Amendment 

Accordingly, under the authority 

delegated to me by the Administrator, 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
47232 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 150 / Monday, August 5, 2013 / Proposed Rules 

the FAA 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 (AD): 

Eurocopter France: Docket No. FAA–2013– 

0679; Directorate Identifier 2009–SW– 

015–AD. 

(a) Applicability 

This AD applies to Eurocopter Model 

AS350B, AS350BA, AS350B1, AS350B2, 

AS350B3, AS350C, AS350D, AS350D1 

helicopters, certificated in any category, 

without modification (MOD) 073175 

installed; with MOD 073237 installed in 

accordance with Eurocopter Service Bulletin 

No. 67.00.37 Revision 0, dated September 27, 

2007, or Revision 1, dated February 6, 2008; 

or with one of the following serial numbers: 

3972, 3973, 3982, 3987, 4003, 4023, 4046, 

4050, 4086, 4120, 4122, 4132, 4143, 4152, 

4172, 4194, 4259, 4314, 4324, 4378, 4392, 

4447, 4452, 4477, 4489, 4490, 4501, 4523, 

4546, 4560, 4589, 4594, 4599, 4632, 4659, 

4666, or 4671. 

(b) Unsafe Condition 

This AD defines the unsafe condition as 

the main rotor collective pitch lever 

(collective) locking stud (locking stud) 

inadvertently locking in the low pitch (low) 

position, which could result in subsequent 

loss of control of the helicopter. 

(c) Comments Due Date 

We must receive comments by October 4, 

2013. 

(d) Compliance 

You are responsible for performing each 

action required by this AD within the 

specified compliance time unless it has 

already been accomplished prior to that time. 

(e) Required Actions 

(1) For helicopters with MOD 073237 

installed, within 100 hours time-in-service 

(TIS): 

(i) With the collective (item b) in the low 

position but not locked on the locking strip 

(item a), measure the distance between the 

end of the locking stud (item c) and the 

locking strip as indicated by dimension ‘‘J’’ 

in Figure 2 of Eurocopter Emergency Alert 

Service Bulletin No. 05.00.58, Revision 0, 

dated January 12, 2008 (EASB 05.00.58). 

(ii) If the distance between the end of the 

locking stud and the locking strip is equal to 

or more than 3 millimeters (mm), no further 

action is required. 

(iii) If the distance between the end of the 

locking stud and the locking strip is less than 

3 mm and MOD 073175 is not installed, 

inspect to determine whether the grommet in 

the locking strip is seated against the console 

as shown in Figure 2 of the EASB. 

(A) If the grommet is not seated against the 

console, restore the original profile of the 

locking strip by doing the following: 

(1) Clamp the locking strip in a vice with 

soft jaws and apply load progressively to the 

locking strip to restore the original profile of 

the locking strip. 

(2) With the collective in the low position 

but not locked on the locking strip, measure 

the distance between the end of the locking 

stud and the locking strip as indicated by 

dimension ‘‘J’’ in Figure 2 of the EASB. 

(3) If the distance between the end of the 

locking stud and the locking strip is equal to 

or more than 3 mm, no further action is 

required. 

(4) If the distance between the end of the 

locking stud and the locking strip is less than 

3 mm, adjust the length of the locking stud 

and re-identify the locking stud by following 

the Accomplishment Instructions, paragraph 

2.B.2.c., of the EASB, except you are not 

required to comply with paragraph 2.B.4 of 

the EASB. 

(B) If the grommet is seated against the 

console, adjust the length of the locking stud 

and re-identify the locking stud by following 

the Accomplishment Instructions, paragraph 

2.B.2.c, of the EASB, except you are not 

required to comply with paragraph 2.B.4 of 

the EASB. 

(iv) If the distance between the end of the 

locking stud and the locking strip is less than 

3 mm and MOD 073175 is installed, adjust 

the length of the locking stud and re-identify 

the locking stud by following the 

Accomplishment Instructions, paragraph 

2.B.2.c., of the EASB, except you are not 

required to comply with paragraph 2.B.4 of 

the EASB. 

(v) After adjusting the length of the locking 

stud in accordance with paragraph 2.B.2.c of 

the EASB, determine whether the distance 

between the end of the locking stud and the 

locking strip is equal to or more than 3 mm. 

(A) If the distance between the end of the 

locking stud and the locking strip is equal to 

or more than 3 mm, no further action is 

required. 

(B) If the distance between the end of the 

locking stud and the locking strip is less than 

3 mm, do not approve the helicopter for 

return to service until the distance between 

the end of the locking stud and the locking 

strip is equal to or more than 3 mm. 

(2) For helicopters without MOD 073237 

installed, within 100 hours TIS: 

(i) With the collective in the low position 

but not locked on the locking strip, measure 

the distance between the end of the locking 

stud and the locking strip as indicated by 

dimension ‘‘J’ in Figure 2 of the EASB. 

(ii) If the distance between the end of the 

locking stud and the locking strip is equal to 

or more than 3 mm, no further action is 

needed. 

(iii) If the distance between the end of the 

locking stud and the locking strip is less than 

3 mm and MOD 073175 is not installed, 

inspect to determine whether the grommet in 

the locking strip is seated against the console 

as shown in Figure 2 of the EASB. 

(A) If the grommet is not seated against the 

console, restore the original profile of the 

locking strip by doing the following: 

(1) Clamp the locking strip in a vice with 

soft jaws and applying load progressively to 

the locking strip. 

(2) With the collective in the low position, 

but not locked on the locking strip, measure 

the distance between the end of the locking 

stud and the locking strip as indicated by 

dimension ‘‘J’’ in Figure 2 of the EASB. 

(3) If the distance between the end of the 

locking stud and the locking strip is equal to 

or more than 3 mm, no further action is 

required. 

(4) If the distance between the end of the 

locking stud and the locking strip is less than 

3 mm, do not approve the helicopter for 

return to service until the distance between 

the end of the locking stud and the locking 

strip is equal to or more than 3 mm. 

(B) If the grommet is seated against the 

console, do not approve the helicopter for 

return to service until the distance between 

the end of the locking stud and the locking 

strip is equal to or more than 3 mm. 

(iv) If the distance between the end of the 

locking stud and the locking strip is less than 

3 mm and MOD 073175 is installed, do not 

approve the helicopter for return to service 

until the distance between the end of the 

locking stud and the locking strip is equal to 

or more than 3 mm. 

(3) Repeat the measurement requirement in 

paragraphs (e)(1) or (e)(2) of this AD as 

applicable to your helicopter each time the 

collective, locking stud, or locking strip is 

replaced; each time the locking strip setting 

is readjusted; or at intervals not exceeding 

660 hours time-in-service or 2 years, 

whichever occurs first. 

(f) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, Safety Management 

Group, FAA, may approve AMOCs for this 

AD. Send your proposal to: Robert Grant, 

Aviation Safety Engineer, Safety Management 

Group, FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort 

Worth, Texas 76137; telephone 817–222– 

5110; email robert.grant@faa.gov. 

(2) For operations conducted under 14 CFR 

part 119 operating certificate or under 14 

CFR part 91, subpart K, we suggest that you 

notify your principal inspector, or lacking a 

principal inspector, the manager of the local 

flight standards district office or certificate 

holding district office before operating any 

aircraft complying with this AD through an 

AMOC. 

(g) Additional Information 

(1) Eurocopter Emergency Alert Service 

Bulletin (EASB) No. 05.00.58, Revision 0, 

dated January 12, 2008, is co-published in 

one document with EASB No. 05.00.35, 

which is not incorporated by reference in this 

AD. Eurocopter Service Bulletin (SB) No. 

67.00.21, Revision 1, dated June 21, 2006, 

and SB No. 67.00.37, Revision 2, dated 

December 2, 2008, which are not 

incorporated by reference, contain additional 

information about the subject of this AD. 

(2) For service information identified in 

this AD, contact American Eurocopter 

Corporation, 2701 N. Forum Drive, Grand 

Prairie, TX 75052; telephone (972) 641–0000 

or (800) 232–0323; fax (972) 641–3775; or at 

http://www.eurocopter.com/techpub. You 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 150 / Monday, August 5, 2013 / Proposed Rules 47233 

may review the referenced service 

information at the FAA, Office of the 

Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 2601 

Meacham Blvd., Room 663, Fort Worth, 

Texas 76137. 

(3) The subject of this AD is addressed in 

European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 

No. 2009–0019, dated February 3, 2009. You 

may view the EASA AD at http:// 

www.regulations.gov by searching for and 

locating it in Docket No. FAA–2013–0679. 

(h) Subject 

Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) 

Code: 6710 Main Rotor Control. 

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 26, 

2013. 

Kim Smith, 

Directorate Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–18854 Filed 8–2–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0670; Directorate 

Identifier 2013–NM–081–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing 

Company Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 

The Boeing Company Model 737–600, 

–700, –800, –900, and –900ER airplanes 

modified by particular supplemental 

type certificates (STC). This proposed 

AD was prompted by reports of cracks 

found during inspections of the in-flight 

entertainment system radome assembly. 

This proposed AD would require 

repetitive detailed inspections for cracks 

in the radome assembly, and 

replacement of the radome if necessary. 

We are proposing this AD to detect and 

correct cracks in the radome assembly, 

which could result in the radome (or 

pieces) separating from the airplane and 

striking the tail, and consequently 

reducing the controllability of the 

airplane. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by September 19, 

2013. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, 

using the procedures found in 14 CFR 

11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following 

methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Mail: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, M– 

30, West Building Ground Floor, Room 

W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail 

address above between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

For service information identified in 

this proposed AD, contact Live TV, 8900 

Hangar Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32827; 

telephone 407–812–2600; fax 407–812– 

2526; Internet http://www.livetv.net. 

You may review copies of the 

referenced service information at the 

FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, 

Washington. For information on the 

availability of this material at the FAA, 

call 425–227–1221. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket on 

the Internet at http:// 

www.regulations.gov; or in person at the 

Docket Management Facility between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD 

docket contains this proposed AD, the 

regulatory evaluation, any comments 

received, and other information. The 

street address for the Docket Office 

(phone: 800–647–5527) is in the 

ADDRESSES section. Comments will be 

available in the AD docket shortly after 

receipt. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Barry Culler, Aerospace Engineer, 

Airframe Branch, ACE–117A, FAA, 

Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office 

(ACO), 1701 Columbia Avenue, College 

Park, GA 30337; phone: 404–474–5546; 

fax: 404–474–5605; email: 

william.culler@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to send any written 

relevant data, views, or arguments about 

this proposal. Send your comments to 

an address listed under the ADDRESSES

section. Include ‘‘Docket No. FAA– 

2013–0670; Directorate Identifier 2013– 

NM–081–AD’’ at the beginning of your 

comments. We specifically invite 

comments on the overall regulatory, 

economic, environmental, and energy 

aspects of this proposed AD. We will 

consider all comments received by the 

closing date and may amend this 

proposed AD because of those 

comments. 

We will post all comments we 

receive, without change, to http:// 

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information you provide. We 

will also post a report summarizing each 

substantive verbal contact we receive 

about this proposed AD. 

Discussion 

We received reports of cracks in 26 

radomes. The cracks were found during 

inspections of the radome assembly of 

various Model 737 series airplanes that 

had in-flight entertainment systems 

installed using certain STC issued to 

Live TV. The STC numbers are STC 

ST00284BO, http://rgl.faa.gov/ 

Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/ 

rgstc.nsf/0/ 

3ecc2e5e5f408bc1862579b30048ed60/ 

$FILE/ST00284BO.pdf; and STC 

ST02887AT, http://rgl.faa.gov/ 

Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/ 

rgstc.nsf/0/ 

9bf85b85ea3e295d8625735600721055/ 

$FILE/ST02887AT.pdf. Investigation of 

the cause of the cracks revealed that 

lack of dimensional controls on the 

radome manufacturing drawings can 

result in the introduction of preload 

stress on the radome during its assembly 

with the skirt fairing. Preload stress 

combined with flight or handling stress, 

such as maintenance personnel stepping 

on the radome fairing assembly, might 

initiate a crack. The radome 

manufacturing drawings were revised 

on September 13, 2010, to add a control 

dimension, which was incorporated into 

production at radome serial number 

498. Cracks in the radome, if not 

corrected, could result in the radome (or 

pieces) separating from the airplane and 

striking the tail, and consequently 

reducing the controllability of the 

airplane. 

Relevant Service Information 

We reviewed Live TV Service Bulletin 

B737–53–0011, dated March 29, 2013. 

The service information describes 

procedures for repetitive inspections for 

cracks in the outer ply of the radome 

and replacing the radome if any crack is 

found. 

FAA’s Determination 

We are proposing this AD because we 

evaluated all the relevant information 

and determined the unsafe condition 

described previously is likely to exist or 

develop in other products of the same 

type design. 

Proposed AD Requirements 

This proposed AD would require 

accomplishing the actions specified in 

the service information described 

previously, except as discussed under 

‘‘Differences Between the Proposed AD 

and the Service Information.’’ In 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS