Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 76045 

5. Take readings inside each square on the 

grid or at 1⁄4-inch increments along the ruler 

and record the results. When taking a 

thickness reading, rotate the transducer 

slightly back and forth and experiment with 

the angle of contact to produce the lowest 

thickness reading possible. Pay close 

attention to the A-scan display to assure that 

the thickness gate is triggering off of 

maximized backwall echoes. 

• NOTE: A reading shall not exceed .041 

inch. If a reading exceeds .041-inch, repeat 

steps 13 and 14 of the INSTRUMENT SETUP 

section before proceeding further. 

6. If the A-trace is unsteady or the 

thickness reading is clearly wrong, adjust the 

signal gain and/or gate setting to obtain 

reasonable and steady readings. If any 

instrument setting is adjusted, repeat steps 13 

and 14 of the INSTRUMENT SETUP section 

before proceeding further. 

7. In areas where obstructions are present, 

take a data point as close to the correct area 

as possible. 

• NOTE: The strut wall contains a 

fabrication bead at approximately 40% of the 

strut chord. The bead may interfere with 

accurate measurements in that specific 

location. 

8. A measurement of 0.024-inch or less 

shall require replacement of the strut prior to 

further flight. 

9. If at any time during testing an area is 

encountered where a valid thickness 

measurement cannot be obtained due to a 

loss of signal strength or quality, the area 

shall be considered suspect. These areas may 

have a remaining wall thickness of less than 

0.020-inch, which is below the range of this 

setup, or they may have small areas of 

localized corrosion or pitting present. The 

latter case will result in a reduction in signal 

strength due to the sound being scattered 

from the rough surface and may result in a 

signal that includes echoes from the pits as 

well as the backwall. The suspect area(s) 

shall be tested with a Maule ‘‘Fabric Tester’’ 

as specified in Piper SB No. 528D, dated 

October 19, 1990, or Piper SB No. 910A, 

dated October 10, 1989. 

10. Record the lift strut inspection in the 

aircraft log book. 

Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on 

November 22, 2013. 

Earl Lawrence, 

Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 

Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–29679 Filed 12–13–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0879; Directorate 

Identifier 2013–NE–30–AD; Amendment 39– 

17694; AD 2013–24–17] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; General 

Electric Company Turbofan Engines 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for General 

Electric Company (GE) GE90–110B1 and 

GE90–115B turbofan engines with 

certain high pressure compressor (HPC) 

rotor stage 2–5 spools installed. This AD 

requires removing these spools from 

service at times determined by a 

drawdown plan. This AD was prompted 

by reports of cracks in HPC rotor stage 

2–5 spool aft spacer arms. We are 

issuing this AD to prevent failure of a 

critical life-limited rotating engine part, 

which could result in an uncontained 

engine failure and damage to the 

airplane. 

DATES: This AD is effective December 

31, 2013. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain publication listed in this AD 

as of December 31, 2013. 

We must receive comments on this 

AD by January 30, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, 

using the procedures found in 14 CFR 


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76046 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 

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: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, M– 

30, West Building Ground Floor, Room 

W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. 

For service information identified in 

this AD, contact General Electric 

Company, GE Aviation, Room 285, 1 

Neumann Way, Cincinnati, OH 45215, 

phone: (513) 552–3272; email: 

geae.aoc@ge.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. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket on 

the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2013– 

0879; 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 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: 

Tomasz Rakowski, Aerospace Engineer, 

Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine 

& Propeller Directorate, 12 New England 

Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; 

phone: (781) 238–7735; fax: (781) 238– 

7199; email: tomasz.rakowski@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

We received reports from GE of cracks 

in the aft spacer arms of several HPC 

rotor stage 2–5 spools, which occurred 

before the spools reached their 

published cyclic life limit. The cracks 

developed under the seal teeth coating, 

so they were undetectable by 

maintenance inspections. This AD 

requires removal of these spools at a 

reduced cyclic life threshold, earlier 

than the published cyclic life limit. 

Because some engines have spools 

installed that already exceed the 

reduced cyclic life threshold, this AD 

provides a drawdown program to 

remove the spools within risk 

guidelines without grounding airplanes. 

This AD also prohibits spare spools that 

exceed the reduced cyclic life threshold 

from re-entering service. This AD is 

intended to prevent HPC rotor stage 2– 

5 spool cracks from growing and 

causing the spool to separate. This 

condition, if not corrected, could result 

in failure of a critical life-limited 

rotating engine part, which could result 

in an uncontained engine failure and 

damage to the airplane. 

Relevant Service Information 

We reviewed GE Service Bulletin (SB) 

No. GE90–100 S/B 72–0499, dated 

August 14, 2013. The SB lists part serial 

numbers affected by this AD. 

FAA’s Determination 

We are issuing 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. 

AD Requirements 

This AD requires removing certain 

HPC rotor stage 2–5 spools from service 

at times determined by a drawdown 

plan outlined in the paragraph (f) of the 

compliance section of this AD. 

Differences Between the AD and the 

Service Information 

The schedule for removal of HPC 

rotor spools in this AD differs from that 

of GE SB GE90–100 S/B 72–0499, dated 

August 14, 2013. This AD uses cycles to 

determine compliance time rather than 

calendar dates, which are used in the 

SB, because the unsafe condition is 

driven by cycles rather than time. 

FAA’s Justification and Determination 

of the Effective Date 

An unsafe condition exists that 

requires the immediate adoption of this 

AD. The FAA has found that the risk to 

the flying public justifies waiving notice 

and comment prior to adoption of this 

rule because of the short compliance 

times for HPC rotor stage 2–5 spools that 

are at or over the removal thresholds. 

Therefore, we find that notice and 

opportunity for prior public comment 

are impracticable and that good cause 

exists for making this amendment 

effective in less than 30 days. 

Comments Invited 

This AD is a final rule that involves 

requirements affecting flight safety and 

was not preceded by notice and an 

opportunity for public comment. 

However, we invite you to send any 

written data, views, or arguments about 

this AD. Send your comments to an 

address listed under the ADDRESSES

section. Include the docket number 

FAA–2013–0879 and Directorate 

Identifier 2013–NE–30–AD at the 

beginning of your comments. We 

specifically invite comments on the 

overall regulatory, economic, 

environmental, and energy aspects of 

this AD. We will consider all comments 

received by the closing date and may 

amend this 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 AD. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD will affect 

two GE90 engines installed on airplanes 

of U.S. registry. There is no additional 

labor cost to comply with this AD. We 

estimate that the cost of a replacement 

HPC rotor stage 2–5 spool prorated part 

is $192,800. Based on these figures, we 

estimate the total cost of this AD to U.S. 

operators to be $385,600. 

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 

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. 78, No. 241 / Monday, December 16, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 76047 

responsibilities among the various 

levels of government. 

For the reasons discussed above, I 

certify that this AD: 

(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), 

(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. 

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 airworthiness 

directive (AD): 

2013–24–17 General Electric Company: 

Amendment 39–17694; Docket No. 

FAA–2013–0879; Directorate Identifier 

2013–NE–30–AD. 

(a) Effective Date 

This AD is effective December 31, 2013. 

(b) Affected ADs 

None. 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to General Electric 

Company (GE) GE90–110B1 and GE90–115B 

turbofan engines with high pressure 

compressor (HPC) rotor stage 2–5 spools, part 

numbers (P/Ns) 351–103–106–0, 351–103– 

107–0, 351–103–141–0, 351–103–142–0, 

351–103–144–0, 351–103–145–0, 351–103– 

148–0, 351–103–149–0, and 351–103–151–0, 

with spool serial numbers listed in paragraph 

4, Appendix A of GE Service Bulletin (SB) 

No. GE90–100 S/B 72–0499, dated August 14, 

2013. 

(d) Unsafe Condition 

This AD was prompted by reports of cracks 

in HPC rotor stage 2–5 spool aft spacer arms. 

We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of 

a critical life-limited rotating engine part, 

which could result in an uncontained engine 

failure and damage to the airplane. 

(e) Compliance 

Comply with this AD within the 

compliance times specified, unless already 

done. 

(f) Parts Removal 

Remove from service HPC rotor stage 2–5 

spools with serial numbers listed in 

paragraph 4, Appendix A of GE SB No. 

GE90–100 S/B 72–0499, dated August 14, 

2013, as follows: 

(1) For spools with fewer than 4,500 cycles 

since new (CSN) on the effective date of this 

AD, before exceeding 5,000 CSN. 

(2) For spools with 4,500 CSN or more but 

fewer than 5,200 CSN on the effective date 

of this AD, within an additional 500 cycles 

in service (CIS) after the effective date of this 

AD but not to exceed 5,500 CSN. 

(3) For spools with 5,200 CSN or more but 

fewer than 5,600 CSN on the effective date 

of this AD, within an additional 300 CIS after 

the effective date of this AD but not to exceed 

5,800 CSN. 

(4) For spools with 5,600 CSN or more but 

fewer than 5,800 CSN on the effective date 

of this AD, within an additional 200 CIS after 

the effective date of this AD but not to exceed 

5,850 CSN. 

(5) For spools with 5,800 CSN or more but 

fewer than 6,000 CSN on the effective date 

of this AD, within an additional 50 CIS after 

the effective date of this AD but not to exceed 

6,000 CSN. 

(6) For spools with 6,000 CSN or more on 

the effective date of this AD, before the next 

flight. 

(7) For spools that are not installed on the 

effective date of this AD and are 

subsequently installed onto any engine after 

the effective date of this AD, before 

exceeding 5,000 CSN. 

(g) Prohibition Statement 

After the effective date of this AD, do not 

install or re-install onto any engine any HPC 

rotor stage 2–5 spool with a serial number 

listed in paragraph 4, Appendix A of GE SB 

No. GE90–100 S/B 72–0499, dated August 14, 

2013, that exceeds 5,000 CSN. 

(h) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

The Manager, Engine Certification Office, 

may approve alternative methods of 

compliance for this AD. Use the procedures 

found in 14 CFR 39.19 to make your request. 

(i) Related Information 

For more information about this AD, 

contact Tomasz Rakowski, Aerospace 

Engineer, Engine Certification Office, FAA, 

Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 New 

England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 

01803; phone: (781) 238–7735; fax: (781) 

238–7199; email: tomasz.rakowski@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) General Electric Company (GE) Service 

Bulletin No. GE90–100 S/B 72–0499, dated 

August 14, 2013. 

(ii) Reserved. 

(3) For GE service information identified in 

this AD, contact General Electric Company, 

GE Aviation, Room 285, 1 Neumann Way, 

Cincinnati, OH 45215, phone: (513) 552– 

3272; email: geae.aoc@ge.com. 

(4) You may view this service information 

at 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 

November 27, 2013. 

Carlos A. Pestana, 

Acting Assistant Directorate Manager, Engine 

& Propeller Directorate, Aircraft Certification 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–29055 Filed 12–13–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0704; Directorate 

Identifier 2013–NM–074–AD; Amendment 

39–17695; AD 2013–24–18] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing 

Company Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 

The Boeing Company Model 747–200B, 

–200C, –200F, –300, and 747SR series 

airplanes. This AD was prompted by 

reports of cracks of both lower chords 

and web on certain outboard struts. This 

AD requires repetitive inspections for 

cracking of the lower spar chords and 

web, web lower spar chord 

modification, which includes 

inspections for cracking of the lower 

spar chords, and repetitive post 

modification inspections for cracking of 

the lower spar web and chord; and 

applicable corrective actions. We are 

issuing this AD to prevent cracked 

chords and web on certain outboard 

struts, which, if the chord severs, could 

result in reduced structural integrity of 

the diagonal brace load path and of the 

strut-to-wing attachment, and 


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