39496 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 141 /Thursday, July 23, 1998 /Rules and Regulations

(b) For the Model 600N helicopters, before

further flight, remove any affected blade from

service and replace it with an airworthy

blade not listed in the applicability section

of this AD. Blades removed from the Model

600N helicopters are not eligible for use on

any rotorcraft.

Note 3: The recurring inspection

requirements, contained in paragraph (a) of

this AD, DO NOT apply to the Model 600N

helicopters.

(c) Affected blades are to be removed from

service on or before reaching either of the

applicable new life limits. The new life limits

are determined by hours TIS or number of

torque events (TE). A torque event is defined

as the transition to a hover from forward

flight. For this definition of TE, forward flight

is considered to be flight at any airspeed after

attaining translational lift.

(1) For blades that do not have TE logged,

prior to further flight, log the TE in the

rotorcraft log or equivalent record as follows:

(i) Log the number of TE, if known.

(ii) For noncargo hook operations, if the

number of TE is unknown, log 6 TE for each

hour TIS.

(iii) For cargo hook (external load)

operations, or for any combination of

noncargo hook operations and cargo hook

(external load) operations, if the number of

TE is unknown, log 20 TE for each hour TIS.

(2) Make any entry into the component

record or equivalent record to reflect new life

limits for blade P/N’s as follows:

(i) For P/N 369A1100–507, Models 369A,

369H, 369HE, 369HM, 369HS, and OH–6A,

enter 1,750 hours TIS or 10,600 TE,

whichever occurs first.

(ii) For P/N 369D21100–517, Models 369D

and 369E, enter 2,500 hours TIS or 15,000

TE, whichever occurs first.

(iii) For P/N 369D21102–517, Model 369F,

369FF, and 500N, enter 2,500 hours TIS or

15,000 TE, whichever occurs first.

(d) After compliance with paragraph (c) of

this AD, during each operation thereafter,

maintain a count of TE performed and

additional hours TIS accumulated, and, at

the end of each day’s operations, add those

counts to the accumulated number of TE and

hours TIS on the rotorcraft log or equivalent

record.

(e) The blades are no longer retired based

upon only hours TIS. This AD revises the

Airworthiness Limitations Section of the

maintenance manual by establishing a new

retirement life for certain blade P/N’s based

on hours TIS or a number of TE, whichever

occurs first.

(f) 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, Los

Angeles Aircraft Certification Office, FAA.

Operators shall submit their requests through

an FAA Principal Maintenance Inspector,

who may concur or comment and then send

it to the Manager, Los Angeles Aircraft

Certification Office.

Note 4: Information concerning the

existence of approved alternative methods of

compliance with this AD, if any, may be

obtained from the Los Angeles Aircraft

Certification Office.

(g) Special flight permits will not be

issued.

(h) The inspection required by paragraph

(a)(2) of this AD shall be done in accordance

with McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems

Service Information Notice No. HN–239, DN–

188, EN–81, FN–67, NN–008, dated October

27, 1995. This incorporation by reference was

approved previously by the Director of the

Federal Register as of May 29, 1996 (61 FR

24220, May 14, 1996). Copies may obtained

from McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems,

Commercial Technical Publications, Bldg.

M615/G048, 5000 E. McDowell Road, Mesa,

Arizona 85215–9797, telephone 602–891–

3667, fax 602–891–6522. Copies may be

examined at the FAA, Office of the Regional

Counsel, Southwest Region, 2601 Meachum

Blvd., Room 663, Fort Worth, Texas, or at the

Office of the Federal Register, 800 North

Capital Street NW., suite 700, Washington,

DC.

(i) This amendment becomes effective on

August 3, 1998.

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 17,

1998.

Henry A. Armstrong,

Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, Aircraft

Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 98–19615 Filed 7–22–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 98–NM–49–AD; Amendment

39–10449; AD 98–15–23]

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Saab Model

SAAB 340B Series Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Direct final rule; confirmation of

effective date.

SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a

new airworthiness directive (AD) that is

applicable to certain Saab Model SAAB

340B series airplanes. This amendment

requires adjustment of the cargo baggage

net, replacement of baggage net

placards, and installation of new

baggage net placards. This amendment

is prompted by the issuance of

mandatory continuing airworthiness

information by a foreign civil

airworthiness authority. The actions

specified in this AD are intended to

prevent failure of the cargo bulkhead

floor attachments, which could result in

damage to the airplane structure and

possible injury to passengers and

crewmembers.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The direct final rule

published at 63 FR 16884 was effective

on July 6, 1998.

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: The FAA

published this direct final rule with

request for comments in the Federal

Register on April 7, 1998 (63 FR 16884).

The FAA uses the direct final

rulemaking procedure for a noncontroversial rule where the FAA

anticipates that there will be no adverse

public comment. This direct final rule

advised the public that no adverse

comments were anticipated, and that

unless a written adverse comment, or a

written notice of intent to submit such

an adverse comment, was received

within the comment period, the

regulation would become effective on

July 6, 1998. Comments were received

that were not adverse, and thus this

notice confirms that this final rule will

become effective on that date. The

FAA’s response to those comments are

included in the docket for this AD

action.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on July 14,

1998.

Darrell M. Pederson,

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 98–19331 Filed 7–22–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–U

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Airspace Docket No. 98–AGL–31]

Establishment of Class E Airspace;

Wilmington Clinton Field, OH

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This action establishes Class

E airspace at Wilmington Clinton Field,

OH. A Global Positioning System (GPS)

Standard Instrument Approach

Procedure (SIAP) to Runway (Rwy) 21

has been developed for Wilmington

Clinton Field. Controlled airspace

extending upward from 700 to 1200 feet

above ground level (AGL) is needed to

contain aircraft executing the approach.

This action creates controlled for

Wilmington Clinton Field.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 0901 UTC, October 08,

1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michelle M. Behm, Air Traffic Division,