This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

51604 

Vol. 73, No. 172 

Thursday, September 4, 2008 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2008–0827; Directorate 

Identifier 2008–NE–26–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; General 

Electric Company (GE) CF6–80A Series 

Turbofan Engines 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a 

new airworthiness directive (AD) for GE 

CF6–80A series turbofan engines with 

certain stage 1 high-pressure turbine 

(HPT) rotor disks, installed. This 

proposed AD would require removal 

from service of those stage 1 HPT rotor 

disks within 30 days after the effective 

date of the AD. This proposed AD 

results from the FAA learning that those 

disks are susceptible to cracks 

developing in the bottoms of the 

dovetail slots. We are proposing this AD 

to prevent cracks developing in the 

bottoms of the dovetail slots that could 

propagate to a failure of the disk and 

cause an uncontained engine failure and 

damage to the airplane. 

DATES: We must receive any comments 

on this proposed AD by November 3, 

2008. 

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following 

addresses to comment on this proposed 

AD. 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov and follow 

the instructions for sending your 

comments electronically. 

• Mail: Docket Management Facility, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590–0001. 

• Hand Delivery: Deliver to mail 

address above between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

• Fax: (202) 493–2251. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tara 

Chaidez, Aerospace Engineer, Engine 

Certification Office, FAA, Engine and 

Propeller Directorate, 12 New England 

Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; 

e-mail: tara.chaidez@faa.gov; telephone: 

(781) 238–7773, fax: (781) 238–7199. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to send us any written 

relevant data, views, or arguments 

regarding this proposal. Send your 

comments to an address listed under 

ADDRESSES. Include ‘‘Docket No. FAA– 

2008–0827; Directorate Identifier 2008– 

NE–26–AD’’ in the subject line of your 

comments. We specifically invite 

comments on the overall regulatory, 

economic, environmental, and energy 

aspects of the proposed AD. We will 

consider all comments received by the 

closing date and may amend the 

proposed AD in light 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 with FAA 

personnel concerning this proposed AD. 

Using the search function of the Web 

site, anyone can find and read the 

comments in any of our dockets, 

including, if provided, the name of the 

individual who sent the comment (or 

signed the comment on behalf of an 

association, business, labor union, etc.). 

You may review the DOT’s complete 

Privacy Act Statement in the Federal 

Register published on April 11, 2000 

(65 FR 19477–78). 

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 

regulatory evaluation, any comments 

received, and other information. The 

street address for the Docket Operations 

office (telephone (800) 647–5527) is the 

same as the Mail address provided in 

the ADDRESSES section. Comments will 

be available in the AD docket shortly 

after receipt. 

Discussion 

During discussions with GE, we 

recently learned that a population of 

stage 1 HPT rotor disks thought 

previously to have been retired, may 

still be in service. These disks are 

subject to cracks developing in the 

bottoms of the dovetail slots that could 

propagate to a failure of the disk. These 

stage 1 HPT rotor disks, part numbers 

(P/Ns) 1380M69G01/G02/G04/G05/G06; 

9234M67G12/G13/G14/G15/G16; 

9362M58G04; and 9367M45G01/G03/ 

G05/G06/G07/G08 are not subject to 

rework or initial inspection. This 

proposed AD would require that all 

affected stage 1 HPT rotor disks be 

removed from service within 30 days 

after the effective date of the AD. This 

condition, if not corrected, could result 

in cracks developing in the bottoms of 

the dovetail slots that could propagate 

to a failure of the disk and cause an 

uncontained engine failure and damage 

to the airplane. 

FAA’s Determination and Requirements 

of the Proposed AD 

We have evaluated all pertinent 

information and identified an unsafe 

condition that is likely to exist or 

develop on other products of this same 

type design. We are proposing this AD, 

which would require removing the 

affected stage 1 HPT rotor disks from 

service within 30 days after the effective 

date of the AD. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this proposed AD 

would affect 3 out of 316 CF6–80A 

series turbofan engines installed on 

airplanes of U.S. registry. We also 

estimate that it would take about 1 

work-hour per engine to perform the 

proposed actions, and that the average 

labor rate is $80 per work-hour. 

Required parts would cost about 

$300,000 per engine. Based on these 

figures, we estimate the total cost of the 

proposed AD to U.S. operators to be 

$900,240. 

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 


ebenthall on PRODPC60 with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 172 / Thursday, September 4, 2008 / Proposed Rules 51605 

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 AD: 

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. Would 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. You may get a copy 

of this summary at the address listed 

under ADDRESSES. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, Safety. 

The Proposed Amendment 

Under the authority delegated to me 

by the Administrator, the Federal 

Aviation Administration 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: 

General Electric Company: Docket No. FAA–

2008–0827; Directorate Identifier 2008–

NE–26–AD. 

Comments Due Date 

(a) The Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA) must receive comments on this 

airworthiness directive (AD) action by 

November 3, 2008. 

Affected ADs 

(b) None. 

Applicability 

(c) This AD applies to General Electric 

Company (GE) CF6–80A series turbofan 

engines with any of the following stage 1 

high-pressure turbine (HPT) rotor disk part 

numbers (P/Ns), installed: 

(1) 1380M69G01; 1380M69G02; 

1380M69G04; 1380M69G05; or 1380M69G06; 

or 

(2) 9234M67G12; 9234M67G13; 

9234M67G14; 9234M67G15; or 9234M67G16; 

or 

(3) 9362M58G04; or 

(4) 9367M45G01; 9367M45G03; 

9367M45G05; 9367M45G06; 9367M45G07; or 

9367M45G08. 

(d) These CF6–80A series turbofan engines 

are installed on, but not limited to, Airbus 

A310–200 series and Boeing 767–200 series 

airplanes. 

Unsafe Condition 

(e) This AD results from the FAA learning 

that those discs are susceptible to cracks 

developing in the bottoms of the dovetail 

slots. We are issuing this AD to prevent 

cracks developing in the bottoms of the 

dovetail slots that could propagate to a 

failure of the disk and cause an uncontained 

engine failure and damage to the airplane. 

Compliance 

(f) You are responsible for having the 

actions required by this AD performed within 

30 days after the effective date of this AD, 

unless the actions have already been done. 

(g) Remove from service HPT stage 1 rotor 

disks identified by P/N in paragraph (c) of 

this AD. 

Prohibition of HPT Stage 1 Rotor Disks 

(h) After the effective date of this AD, do 

not install any of the HPT stage 1 rotor disks, 

listed by P/N in paragraph (c) of this AD into 

any engine. 

Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(i) The Manager, Engine Certification 

Office, has the authority to approve 

alternative methods of compliance for this 

AD, if requested using the procedures found 

in 14 CFR 39.19. 

Related Information 

(j) Contact Tara Chaidez, Aerospace 

Engineer, Engine Certification Office, FAA, 

Engine and Propeller Directorate, 12 New 

England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 

01803; e-mail: tara.chaidez@faa.gov; 

telephone: (781) 238–7773, fax: (781) 238–

7199, for more information about this AD. 

Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on 

August 28, 2008. 

Marc J. Bouthillier, 

Acting Manager, Engine and Propeller 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–20497 Filed 9–3–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 71 

Proposed Modification of the Chicago, 

IL, Class B Airspace Area; Public 

Meetings 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Supplemental notice of 

meetings. 

SUMMARY: On July 30, 2008, a notice to 

conduct informal airspace meetings for 

the Chicago Class B airspace project was 

published in the Federal Register (73 

FR 44311). Subsequent to publication, 

the FAA has had to change the venue of 

meetings 1 and 3, being held on 

September 23, 2008, and September 25, 

2008, respectively. The address for both 

of these meetings has changed to 

Signature Flight Center Hangar, 1061 S. 

Wolf Road, Wheeling, IL 60090. The 

second meeting time and place remains 

as previously published. 

DATES: The informal airspace meetings 

will be held on Tuesday, September 23, 

2008, from 2 p.m.–7 p.m., Wednesday, 

September 24, 2008, from 10 a.m.–2 

p.m., and Thursday, September 25, 

2008, from 2 p.m.–7 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: (1) The meeting on 

Tuesday, September 23, 2008, will be 

held at the Signature Flight Center 

hangar, 1061 S. Wolf Road, Wheeling, IL 

60090. (2) The meeting on Wednesday, 

September 24, 2008, will be held at 

DuPage Flight Center, Chicago DuPage 

Airport, 2700 International Drive, West 

Chicago, IL 60185. (3) The meeting on 

Thursday, September 25, 2008, will be 

held at the Signature Flight Center 

hanger, 1061 S. Wolf Road, Wheeling, IL 

60090. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Annette Davis, Support Specialist, 

Operations Support Group, Air Traffic 

Organization Central Service Area, 2601 

Meacham Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76137; 

Telephone (817) 222–5729. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On July 30, 2008, a notice of meetings 

was published in the Federal Register 

notifying the public of informal airspace 


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