38056 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 126 / Thursday, July 1, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

01803; e-mail: kevin.dickert@faa.gov; 

telephone (781) 238–7117; fax (781) 238– 

7199, for more information about this AD. 

(x) Contact Pratt & Whitney, 400 Main St., 

East Hartford, CT 06108; telephone (860) 

565–8770, fax (860) 565–4503, for a copy of 

the service information referenced in this 

AD. 

Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on 

June 22, 2010. 

Peter A. White, 

Assistant Manager, Engine and Propeller 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–16010 Filed 6–30–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2010–0645; Directorate 

Identifier 2009–NM–200–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; McDonnell 

Douglas Corporation Model MD–90–30 

Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to 

supersede an existing airworthiness 

directive (AD) that applies to certain 

Model MD–90–30 airplanes. The 

existing AD currently requires a detailed 

inspection for certain defects of the 

upper fasteners of the aft mount support 

fittings of the left and right engines, and 

corrective actions if necessary. This 

proposed AD would instead require 

repetitive replacement of the upper row 

of fasteners of the support fittings of the 

engine aft mount with new fasteners; 

and perform repetitive general visual 

inspections for defects of the lower row 

fasteners (Row B) of the support fittings 

of the left and right engine aft mounts, 

and replacement of all clearance fit 

fasteners in the lower row if necessary. 

This proposed AD results from reports 

of loose, cracked, or missing fasteners in 

the aft mount support fitting of the left 

and right engines. We are proposing this 

AD to prevent loose, cracked, or missing 

fasteners in the engine aft mount 

support fittings, which could lead to 

separation of the support fittings from 

the pylon, and could result in 

separation of the engine from the 

airplane. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by August 16, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments 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 proposed AD, contact Boeing 

Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Data 

& Services Management, 3855 

Lakewood Boulevard, MC D800 0019, 

Long Beach, California 90846–0001; 

telephone 206–544–5000, extension 2; 

fax 206 766–5683; e-mail 

dse.boecom@boeing.com; Internet 

https://www.myboeingfleet.com. 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 

(telephone 800–647–5527) is in the 

ADDRESSES section. Comments will be 

available in the AD docket shortly after 

receipt. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Roger Durbin, Aerospace Engineer, 

Airframe Branch, ANM–120L, FAA, Los 

Angeles Aircraft Certification Office, 

3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, 

California 90712–4137; telephone (562) 

627–5233; fax (562) 627–5210. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to send any written 

relevant data, views, or arguments about 

this proposed AD. Send your comments 

to an address listed under the 

ADDRESSES section. Include ‘‘Docket No. 

FAA–2010–0645; Directorate Identifier 

2009–NM–200–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 

On August 25, 2008, we issued AD 

2008–18–10, Amendment 39–15667 (73 

FR 52203, September 9, 2008), for 

certain McDonnell Douglas Corporation 

Model MD–90–30 airplanes. That AD 

requires a detailed inspection for certain 

defects of the upper fasteners of the aft 

mount support fittings of the left and 

right engines, and corrective actions if 

necessary. That AD resulted from 

reports of loose, cracked, or missing 

fasteners in the aft mount support 

fittings of the left and right engines. We 

issued that AD to detect and correct 

loose, cracked, or missing fasteners in 

the engine aft support mount fittings, 

which could lead to separation of the 

support fittings from the pylon, and 

could result in separation of the engine 

from the airplane. 

Actions Since Existing AD Was Issued 

The preamble to AD 2008–18–10 

explains that we considered the 

requirements ‘‘interim action’’ and were 

considering further rulemaking. We now 

have determined that further 

rulemaking is indeed necessary, and 

this proposed AD follows from that 

determination. 

We also have received additional 

reports of loose, cracked, or missing 

fasteners in the aft mount support fitting 

of the left and right engines on 29 

McDonnell Douglas Corporation Model 

MD–90–30 airplanes. The airplanes had 

accumulated between 15,560 and 37,298 

total flight hours, and between 13,995 

and 31,294 total flight cycles. 

Results of a safety assessment of the 

missing fasteners indicate that loose or 

otherwise discrepant fasteners in the top 

horizontal row, common with the pylon 

skin, significantly decrease the margin 

of safety of the aft mount support 

installation at the design limit load. 

Replacement of the upper row of 

fasteners at new specified intervals will 

help minimize the possibility of these 

fasteners becoming an unsafe condition 

while in service. Inspection of the lower 

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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 126 / Thursday, July 1, 2010 / Proposed Rules 38057 

row of fasteners will help ensure design 

integrity. 

Relevant Service Information 

We have reviewed Boeing Alert 

Service Bulletin MD90–54A003, 

Revision 2, dated February 12, 2010. 

The service bulletin describes 

procedures for repetitive replacement of 

the upper row of fasteners (Row A) of 

the support fittings of the left and right 

engine aft mount with new fasteners. 

The service bulletin also describes 

procedures for repetitive general visual 

inspections for defects of the lower row 

fasteners (Row B) of the support fittings 

of the left and right engine aft mounts 

(that includes a gap check under the 

head or nut, and a torque check), as 

necessary for defects of the lower row of 

fasteners (Row B) of the support fittings 

of the left and right engine aft mounts, 

and replacing all clearance fit fasteners 

in the lower row (Row B) with new 

fasteners if any defect is found. Defects 

include missing, loose, and damaged 

fasteners. 

The service bulletin specifies the 

compliance times for the initial 

replacement and inspections as follows: 

• For Configurations 1 and 3 

airplanes, as identified in the service 

bulletin: Within 10,000 flight cycles 

after fastener replacement in accordance 

with Boeing Service Bulletin MD90– 

54A002 or Boeing Multiple Operator 

Message 1–893882781–2, dated July 25, 

2008. 

• For Configurations 2 and 4 

airplanes, as identified in the service 

bulletin: Within 2,457 flight cycles after 

the original issue date on the service 

bulletin (August 10, 2009). 

The repetitive interval for 

replacement and inspections is not to 

exceed 10,000 flight cycles. 

FAA’s Determination and Requirements 

of the Proposed AD 

We have evaluated all pertinent 

information and identified an unsafe 

condition that is likely to develop on 

other airplanes of the same type design. 

For this reason, we are proposing this 

AD, which would supersede AD 2008– 

18–10. This proposed AD would not 

retain the requirements of AD 2008–18– 

10. This proposed AD would require 

accomplishing the actions specified in 

the service information described 

previously. 

Costs of Compliance 

There are about 107 airplanes of the 

affected design in the worldwide fleet. 

The following table provides the 

estimated costs for U.S. operators to 

comply with this proposed AD. 

ESTIMATED COSTS

Action Work hours Average labor 

rate per hour Parts Cost per airplane 

Number of 

U.S.-registered 

airplanes 

Fleet cost 

Replacement ............ 14 $85 $152 per replacement.$1,342 per replacement cycle.13 $17,446 per replacement cycle. 

Inspections ............... 4 85 $0 ............................. $340 per inspection 

cycle.

13 $4,420 per inspection 

cycle. 

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 have 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 above, I 

certify that the 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); 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 proposed AD and placed it in the 

AD docket. See the ADDRESSES section 

for a location to examine the regulatory 

evaluation. 

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 

removing Amendment 39–15667 (73 FR 

52203, September 9, 2008) and adding 

the following new AD: 

McDonnell Douglas Corporation: Docket No. 

FAA–2010–0645; Directorate Identifier 

2009–NM–200–AD. 

Comments Due Date 

(a) The FAA must receive comments on 

this AD action by August 16, 2010. 

Affected ADs 

(b) This AD supersedes AD 2008–18–10, 

Amendment 39–15667. 

Applicability 

(c) This AD applies to McDonnell Douglas 

Corporation Model MD–90–30 airplanes, 

certificated in any category, as identified in 

Boeing Alert Service Bulletin MD90–54A003, 

Revision 2, dated February 12, 2010. 

Subject 

(d) Air Transport Association (ATA) of 

America Code 54: Nacelles/Pylons. 

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38058 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 126 / Thursday, July 1, 2010 / Proposed Rules 

Unsafe Condition 

(e) This AD results from reports of loose, 

cracked, or missing fasteners in the aft mount 

support fitting of the left and right engines. 

The Federal Aviation Administration is 

issuing this AD to prevent loose, cracked, or 

missing fasteners in the engine aft support 

mount fitting, which could lead to separation 

of the support fitting from the pylon, and 

could result in separation of the engine from 

the airplane. 

Compliance 

(f) You are responsible for having the 

actions required by this AD performed within 

the compliance times specified, unless the 

actions have already been done. 

Replacement and Inspection 

(g) Except as required by paragraph (i) of 

this AD, at the applicable time specified in 

paragraph 1.E. ‘‘Compliance’’ of Boeing Alert 

Service Bulletin MD90–54A003, Revision 2, 

dated February 12, 2010: Replace the upper 

row of fasteners (Row A) of the support 

fittings of the left and right engine aft mounts 

with new fasteners, in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Alert 

Service Bulletin MD90–54A003, Revision 2, 

dated February 12, 2010. Repeat the 

replacement thereafter at intervals not to 

exceed 10,000 flight cycles. 

(h) Concurrently with any replacement 

required by paragraph (g) of this AD: Perform 

a general visual inspection for defects of the 

lower row fasteners (Row B) of the support 

fittings of the left and right engine aft 

mounts, in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Alert 

Service Bulletin MD90–54A003, Revision 2, 

dated February 12, 2010. Defects include 

missing, loose, and damaged fasteners. 

(1) If no defect is found during any general 

visual inspection required by paragraph (h) 

of this AD, before further flight, insert a 

0.0015-inch feeler gauge between the washer 

and the structure, or between the fastener 

head and structure, as applicable, to detect a 

gap condition, in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Alert 

Service Bulletin MD90–54A003, Revision 2, 

dated February 12, 2010. A gap condition is 

a defect identified in any location where the 

feeler gauge can slip completely between a 

washer or a fastener head and the structure. 

(i) If no defect is found during any gap 

check required by paragraph (h)(1) of this 

AD, before further flight, apply torque to the 

fasteners of the lower row (Row B) to 

determine if there is a defect, in accordance 

with the Accomplishment Instructions of 

Boeing Alert Service Bulletin MD90–54A003, 

Revision 2, dated February 12, 2010. A defect 

is any fastener that turns with the application 

of the specified torque. If any defect is found, 

before further flight, replace all clearance fit 

fasteners in the lower row (Row B), in 

accordance with the Accomplishment 

Instructions of Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 

MD90–54A003, Revision 2, dated February 

12, 2010. 

(ii) If any defect is found during any gap 

check required by paragraph (h)(1) of this 

AD, before further flight, replace all clearance 

fit fasteners in the lower row (Row B), in 

accordance with the Accomplishment 

Instructions of Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 

MD90–54A003, Revision 2, dated February 

12, 2010. 

(2) If any defect is found during any 

general visual inspection required by 

paragraph (h) of this AD, before further flight, 

replace all clearance fit fasteners in the lower 

row (Row B), in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Alert 

Service Bulletin MD90–54A003, Revision 2, 

dated February 12, 2010. 

Exception to Service Bulletin Compliance 

Times 

(i) Where Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 

MD90–54A003, Revision 2, dated February 

12, 2010, specifies a compliance time after 

the original issue date on the service bulletin, 

this AD requires compliance within the 

specified compliance time after the effective 

date of this AD. 

Credit for Actions Accomplished in 

Accordance With Previous Service 

Information 

(j) Replacements and inspections 

accomplished before the effective date of this 

AD in accordance with Boeing Alert Service 

Bulletin MD90–54A003, Revision 1, dated 

November 17, 2009, are considered 

acceptable for compliance with the 

corresponding actions required by this AD. 

Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(k)(1) The Manager, Los Angeles Aircraft 

Certification Office (ACO), FAA, has the 

authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if 

requested using the procedures found in 14 

CFR 39.19. Send information to ATTN: Roger 

Durbin, Aerospace Engineer, Airframe 

Branch, ANM–120L, FAA, Los Angeles ACO, 

3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, 

California 90712–4137; telephone (562) 627– 

5233; fax (562) 627–5210. 

(2) To request a different method of 

compliance or a different compliance time 

for this AD, follow the procedures in 14 CFR 

39.19. Before using any approved AMOC on 

any airplane to which the AMOC applies, 

notify your principal maintenance inspector 

(PMI) or principal avionics inspector (PAI), 

as appropriate, or lacking a principal 

inspector, your local Flight Standards District 

Office. The AMOC approval letter must 

specifically reference this AD. 

(3) An AMOC that provides an acceptable 

level of safety may be used for any repair 

required by this AD if it is approved by the 

Boeing Commercial Airplanes Organization 

Designation Authorization (ODA) that has 

been authorized by the Manager, Los Angeles 

ACO to make those findings. For a repair 

method to be approved, the repair must meet 

the certification basis of the airplane and 14 

CFR 25.571, Amendment 45, and the 

approval must specifically refer to this AD. 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on June 23, 

2010. 

Ali Bahrami, 

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–15988 Filed 6–30–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2010–0642; Directorate 

Identifier 2007–NM–332–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; BAE 

Systems (Operations) Limited Model 

BAe 146 and Avro 146–RJ Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for the 

products listed above. This proposed 

AD results from mandatory continuing 

airworthiness information (MCAI) 

originated by an aviation authority of 

another country to identify and correct 

an unsafe condition on an aviation 

product. The MCAI describes the unsafe 

condition as: 

* * * [F]uel leaks and failed fasteners 

[have been reported] in the region of the rear 

spar root joint attachment fitting at wing rib 

2. * * * 

* * * * * 

The unsafe condition is stress corrosion 

failures in the region of the rear spar 

root joint attachment fitting at wing rib 

2, which could lead to reduced 

structural integrity of the wing, and 

consequent reduced controllability of 

the airplane. The proposed AD would 

require actions that are intended to 

address the unsafe condition described 

in the MCAI. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by August 16, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments 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 

W12–40, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 

Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

For service information identified in 

this proposed AD, contact BAE Systems 

(Operations) Limited, Customer 

Information Department, Prestwick 

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