41326 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 168 / Thursday, August 31, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 3 TO PARAGRAPH (h) OF THIS AD—COMPLIANCE TIMES FOR INSPECTIONS—Continued 

Airplane model Initial inspection Repetitive inspection 

intervals 

FALCON 2000EX airplanes ............... Prior to exceeding 1,000 flight cycles since the airplane’s first flight, or 

within 500 flight cycles after the effective date of this AD, whichever occurs later.

1,000 flight cycles. 

(i) Corrective Action 

If any discrepancy is found during any 

inspection required by paragraph (h) of this 

AD: Before further flight, replace the affected 

anti-ice piccolo tube with a new or 

serviceable part, and replace or re-identify 

the affected wing outboard slat as applicable, 

in accordance with the Accomplishment 

Instructions of Dassault Service Bulletin 

F2000–431, Revision 1, dated June 6, 2016; 

or Service Bulletin F2000EX–391, Revision 1, 

dated June 6, 2016; as applicable. 

(j) Reporting Provisions 

Although Dassault Service Bulletin F2000– 

431, Revision 1, dated June 6, 2016; and 

Service Bulletin F2000EX–391, Revision 1, 

dated June 6, 2016; specify to submit a report 

of crack findings to Dassault, this AD does 

not require a report. 

(k) Optional Terminating Action 

Modification of an airplane by installing a 

new or serviceable anti-ice piccolo tube, and 

replacing or re-identifying the affected wing 

outboard slat, terminates the repetitive 

inspections required by paragraph (h) of this 

AD, if done in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Dassault 

Service Bulletin F2000–431, Revision 1, 

dated June 6, 2016; or Service Bulletin 

F2000EX–391, Revision 1, dated June 6, 

2016; as applicable. 

(l) Parts Installation Prohibition 

As of the time specified in paragraph (l)(1) 

or (l)(2) of this AD, as applicable, no person 

may install on any airplane an affected antiice piccolo tube or an affected outboard slat. 

(1) For an airplane that, on the effective 

date of this AD, has an affected anti-ice 

piccolo tube or an affected outboard slat 

installed: After modification of that airplane 

as required by paragraph (i) of this AD. 

(2) For an airplane that, on the effective 

date of this AD, does not have an affected 

anti-ice piccolo tube or an affected outboard 

slat installed: As of the effective date of this 

AD. 

(m) Later-Approved Parts 

Installation on an airplane of an anti-ice 

piccolo tube having a part number approved 

after the effective date of this AD is 

acceptable for compliance with the 

requirements of paragraph (i) or paragraph (k) 

of this AD, as applicable, provided the 

conditions in paragraphs (m)(1) and (m)(2) of 

this AD are met. 

(1) The anti-ice piccolo tube part number 

must be approved by the Manager, 

International Section, Transport Standards 

Branch, FAA; or the European Aviation 

Safety Agency (EASA); or Dassault Aviation’s 

EASA Design Organization Approval (DOA). 

(2) The installation of the anti-ice piccolo 

tube must be accomplished in accordance 

with a method approved by the Manager, 

International Section, Transport Standards 

Branch, FAA; or the EASA; or Dassault 

Aviation’s EASA DOA. 

(n) Other FAA AD Provisions 

The following provisions also apply to this 

AD: 

(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs): The Manager, International 

Section, Transport Standards Branch, FAA, 

has the authority to approve AMOCs for this 

AD, if requested using the procedures found 

in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 

39.19, send your request to your principal 

inspector or local Flight Standards District 

Office, as appropriate. If sending information 

directly to the International Section, send it 

to the attention of the person identified in 

paragraph (o)(2) of this AD. Information may 

be emailed to: 9-ANM-116-AMOCREQUESTS@faa.gov. Before using any 

approved AMOC, notify your appropriate 

principal inspector, or lacking a principal 

inspector, the manager of the local flight 

standards district office/certificate holding 

district office. 

(2) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any 

requirement in this AD to obtain corrective 

actions from a manufacturer, the action must 

be accomplished using a method approved 

by the Manager, International Section, 

Transport Standards Branch, FAA; or the 

EASA; or Dassault Aviation’s EASA DOA. If 

approved by the DOA, the approval must 

include the DOA-authorized signature. 

(o) Related Information 

(1) Refer to Mandatory Continuing 

Airworthiness Information (MCAI) EASA AD 

2016–0149, dated July 25, 2016, for related 

information. This MCAI may be found in the 

AD docket on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov by searching for and 

locating Docket No. FAA–2017–0475. 

(2) For more information about this AD, 

contact Tom Rodriguez, Aerospace Engineer, 

International Section, Transport Standards 

Branch, FAA, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., 

Renton, WA 98057–3356; telephone 425– 

227–1137; fax 425–227–1149. 

(p) 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 this AD specifies otherwise. 

(i) Dassault Service Bulletin F2000–431, 

Revision 1, dated June 6, 2016. 

(ii) Dassault Service Bulletin F2000EX– 

391, Revision 1, dated June 6, 2016. 

(3) For service information identified in 

this AD, contact Dassault Falcon Jet 

Corporation, Teterboro Airport, P.O. Box 

2000, South Hackensack, NJ 07606; 

telephone 201–440–6700; Internet http://

www.dassaultfalcon.com. 

(4) You may view this service information 

at the FAA, Transport Standards Branch, 

1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA. For 

information on the availability of this 

material at the FAA, call 425–227–1221. 

(5) You may view this service information 

that is incorporated by reference 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 Renton, Washington, on August 

21, 2017. 

Dionne Palermo, 

Acting Director, System Oversight Division, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–18391 Filed 8–30–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2017–0247; Product 

Identifier 2016–NM–180–AD; Amendment 

39–19015; AD 2017–18–06] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing 

Company Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are superseding 

Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2012–05– 

03, which applied to certain The Boeing 

Company Model 747–100, 747–100B, 

747–100B SUD, 747–200B, 747–200C, 

747–200F, 747–300, 747–400, 747– 

400D, 747–400F, 747SR, and 747SP 

series airplanes. AD 2012–05–03 

required modifying the fluid drain path 

in the leading edge area of the wing. 

This AD requires additional work to seal 

those drainage holes in the wing access 

panels. This AD was prompted by a 

design review following a ground fire 


nlaroche on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 168 / Thursday, August 31, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 41327 

incident and reports of flammable fluid 

leaks from the wing leading edge area 

onto the engine exhaust area. We are 

issuing this AD to address the unsafe 

condition on these products. 

DATES: This AD is effective October 5, 

2017. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain publication listed in this AD 

as of October 5, 2017. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain other publication listed in 

this AD as of April 24, 2012 (77 FR 

16143, March 20, 2012). 

ADDRESSES: For service information 

identified in this final rule, contact 

Boeing Commercial Airplanes, 

Attention: Contractual & Data Services 

(C&DS), 2600 Westminster Blvd., MC 

110–SK57, Seal Beach, CA 90740–5600; 

telephone 562–797–1717; Internet 

https://www.myboeingfleet.com. You 

may view this service information at the 

FAA, Transport Standards Branch, 1601 

Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA. For 

information on the availability of this 

material at the FAA, call 425–227–1221. 

It is also available on the Internet at 

http://www.regulations.gov by searching 

for and locating Docket No. FAA–2017– 

0247. 

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–2017– 

0247; 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 final rule, the regulatory 

evaluation, any comments received, and 

other information. The address for the 

Docket Office (phone: 800–647–5527) is 

Docket Management Facility, U.S. 

Department of Transportation, Docket 

Operations, M–30, West Building 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 

DC 20590. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Tung Tran, Aerospace Engineer, 

Propulsion Section, Seattle ACO 

Branch, FAA, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., 

Renton, WA 98057–3356; phone: 425– 

917–6505; fax: 425–917–6590; email: 

Tung.Tran@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

We issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 to supersede AD 2012–05–03, 

Amendment 39–16975 (77 FR 16143, 

March 20, 2012) (‘‘AD 2012–05–03’’). 

AD 2012–05–03 applied to certain The 

Boeing Company Model 747–100, 747– 

100B, 747–100B SUD, 747–200B, 747– 

200C, 747–200F, 747–300, 747–400, 

747–400D, 747–400F, 747SR, and 747SP 

series airplanes. The NPRM published 

in the Federal Register on April 11, 

2017 (82 FR 17403). The NPRM was 

prompted by a design review following 

a ground fire incident and reports of 

flammable fluid leaks from the wing 

leading edge area onto the engine 

exhaust area. The NPRM proposed to 

continue to require modifying the fluid 

drain path in the leading edge area of 

the wing. The NPRM also proposed to 

require additional work to seal those 

drainage holes in the wing access 

panels. We are issuing this AD to 

prevent flammable fluid from leaking 

onto the engine exhaust nozzle, which 

could result in a fire. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD. We 

received no comments on the NPRM or 

on the determination of the cost to the 

public. 

Conclusion 

We reviewed the relevant data and 

determined that air safety and the 

public interest require adopting this AD 

as proposed, except for minor editorial 

changes. We have determined that these 

minor changes: 

• Are consistent with the intent that 

was proposed in the NPRM for 

correcting the unsafe condition; and 

• Do not add any additional burden 

upon the public than was already 

proposed in the NPRM. 

Related Service Information Under 1 

CFR Part 51 

We reviewed Boeing Special 

Attention Service Bulletin 747–57– 

2332, Revision 2, dated February 22, 

2016. This service information divides 

the affected airplanes into 10 groups. 

For all groups, this service 

information describes procedures for 

modifying the fluid drain path in the 

leading edge area of the wing. The 

modification consists of changing fluid 

dam assemblies at wing outboard 

leading edge station (OLES) 1250, and 

installing seal assemblies at OLES 1185. 

Additionally, this service information 

specifies changing the lower leading 

edge wing panels through repairs and 

installation of parts. 

For Groups 1 through 6 airplanes, this 

service information also specifies 

installing fluid dam assemblies at wing 

OLES 770. 

This service information is reasonably 

available because the interested parties 

have access to it through their normal 

course of business or by the means 

identified in the ADDRESSES section. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD will affect 

258 airplanes of U.S. registry. We 

estimate the following costs to comply 

with this AD: 

ESTIMATED COSTS

Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per 

product 

Cost on U.S. 

operators 

Fluid drainage modification (Groups 1–6) (143 airplanes) 

(actions retained from AD 2012–05–03).

95 work-hours × $85 per hour 

= $8,075.

$33,609 $41,684 $5,960,812 

Fluid drainage modification (Groups 7–10) (115 airplanes) 

(actions retained from AD 2012–05–03).

90 work-hours × $85 per hour 

= $7,650.

29,304 36,954 4,249,710 

Drainage hole repair (258 airplanes) (new action) ................. 2 work-hours × $85 per hour 

= $170.

9 179 46,182 

According to the manufacturer, some 

of the costs of this AD may be covered 

under warranty, thereby reducing the 

cost impact on affected individuals. We 

do not control warranty coverage for 

affected individuals. As a result, we 

have included all costs in our cost 

estimate. 

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. 


nlaroche on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with RULES
41328 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 168 / Thursday, August 31, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 

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. 

This AD is issued in accordance with 

authority delegated by the Executive 

Director, Aircraft Certification Service, 

as authorized by FAA Order 8000.51C. 

In accordance with that order, issuance 

of ADs is normally a function of the 

Compliance and Airworthiness 

Division, but during this transition 

period, the Executive Director has 

delegated the authority to issue ADs 

applicable to transport category 

airplanes to the Director of the System 

Oversight Division. 

Regulatory Findings 

We have determined that 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 

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, 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 

removing Airworthiness Directive (AD) 

2012–05–03, Amendment 39–16975 (77 

FR 16143, March 20, 2012), and adding 

the following new AD: 

2017–18–06 The Boeing Company: 

Amendment 39–19015; Docket No. 

FAA–2017–0247; Product Identifier 

2016–NM–180–AD. 

(a) Effective Date 

This AD is effective October 5, 2017. 

(b) Affected ADs 

This AD replaces AD 2012–05–03, 

Amendment 39–16975 (77 FR 16143, March 

20, 2012) (‘‘AD 2012–05–03’’). 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to The Boeing Company 

Model 747–100, 747–100B, 747–100B SUD, 

747–200B, 747–200C, 747–200F, 747–300, 

747–400, 747–400D, 747–400F, 747SR, and 

747SP series airplanes, certificated in any 

category, as identified in Boeing Special 

Attention Service Bulletin 747–57–2332, 

Revision 2, dated February 22, 2016. 

(d) Subject 

Air Transport Association (ATA) of 

America Code 57, Wings. 

(e) Unsafe Condition 

This AD was prompted by a design review 

following a ground fire incident and reports 

of flammable fluid leaks from the wing 

leading edge area onto the engine exhaust 

area. We are issuing this AD to prevent 

flammable fluid from leaking onto the engine 

exhaust nozzle, which could result in a fire. 

(f) Compliance 

Comply with this AD within the 

compliance times specified, unless already 

done. 

(g) Retained Leading Edge Installation, With 

Revised Service Information 

This paragraph restates the requirements of 

paragraph (g) of AD 2012–05–03, with 

revised service information. Within 60 

months after April 24, 2012 (the effective 

date of AD 2012–05–03), modify the fluid 

drain path in the leading edge area of the 

wing, in accordance with all applicable parts 

of the Accomplishment Instructions of 

Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 

747–57–2332, Revision 1, dated July 25, 

2011; or Revision 2, dated February 22, 2016. 

(h) Retained Credit for Previous Actions, 

With No Changes 

This paragraph restates the provisions of 

paragraph (h) of AD 2012–05–03, with no 

changes. This paragraph provides credit for 

modification of the fluid drain path required 

by paragraph (g) of this AD, if the 

modification was performed before April 24, 

2012, using Boeing Special Attention Service 

Bulletin 747–57–2332, dated November 9, 

2010. 

(i) New Requirement to Seal Drainage Holes 

For airplanes on which the actions 

specified in Boeing Special Attention Service 

Bulletin 747–57–2332, dated November 9, 

2010; or Revision 1, dated July 25, 2011; were 

done: Within 2 years after the effective date 

of this AD, fill the drainage holes in wing 

panels 521EB and 621EB with sealant, in 

accordance with Part 5 of the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing 

Special Attention Service Bulletin 747–57– 

2332, Revision 2, dated February 22, 2016. 

(j) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, Seattle ACO Branch, 

FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs 

for this AD, if requested using the procedures 

found in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 

14 CFR 39.19, send your request to your 

principal inspector or local Flight Standards 

District Office, as appropriate. If sending 

information directly to the manager of the 

certification office, send it to the attention of 

the person identified in paragraph (k)(1) of 

this AD. Information may be emailed to: 9- 

ANM-Seattle-ACO-AMOC-Requests@faa.gov. 

(2) Before using any approved AMOC, 

notify your appropriate principal inspector, 

or lacking a principal inspector, the manager 

of the local flight standards district office/ 

certificate holding district office. 

(3) An AMOC that provides an acceptable 

level of safety may be used for any repair, 

modification, or alteration required by this 

AD if it is approved by the Boeing 

Commercial Airplanes Organization 

Designation Authorization (ODA) that has 

been authorized by the Manager, Seattle ACO 

Branch, to make those findings. To be 

approved, the repair method, modification 

deviation, or alteration deviation must meet 

the certification basis of the airplane, and the 

approval must specifically refer to this AD. 

(4) AMOCs approved previously for AD 

2012–05–03 are approved as AMOCs for the 

corresponding provisions of paragraph (g) of 

this AD. 

(k) Related Information 

(1) For more information about this AD, 

contact Tung Tran, Aerospace Engineer, 

Propulsion, Seattle ACO Branch, FAA, 1601 

Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057–3356; 

phone: 425–917–6505; fax: 425–917–6590; 

email: Tung.Tran@faa.gov. 

(2) Service information identified in this 

AD that is not incorporated by reference is 

available at the addresses specified in 

paragraphs (l)(5) and (l)(6) of this AD. 

(l) 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. 

(3) The following service information was 

approved for IBR on October 5, 2017. 

(i) Boeing Special Attention Service 

Bulletin 747–57–2332, Revision 2, dated 

February 22, 2016. 

(ii) Reserved. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 168 / Thursday, August 31, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 41329 

(4) The following service information was 

approved for IBR on April 24, 2012 (77 FR 

16143, March 20, 2012). 

(i) Boeing Special Attention Service 

Bulletin 747–57–2332, Revision 1, dated July 

25, 2011. 

(ii) Reserved. 

(5) For service information identified in 

this AD, contact Boeing Commercial 

Airplanes, Attention: Contractual & Data 

Services (C&DS), 2600 Westminster Blvd., 

MC 110–SK57, Seal Beach, CA 90740–5600; 

telephone 562–797–1717; Internet https://

www.myboeingfleet.com. 

(6) You may view this service information 

at the FAA, Transport Standards Branch, 

1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA. For 

information on the availability of this 

material at the FAA, call 425–227–1221. 

(7) You may view this service information 

that is incorporated by reference 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 Renton, Washington, on August 

21, 2017. 

Dionne Palermo, 

Acting Director, System Oversight Division, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–18397 Filed 8–30–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2017–0502; Product 

Identifier 2016–NM–120–AD; Amendment 

39–19016; AD 2017–18–07] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Dassault 

Aviation Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 

Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 7X 

airplanes. This AD was prompted by a 

discovery of noncompliant rivets in the 

flight deck upper skin. This AD requires 

replacement of noncompliant rivets. We 

are issuing this AD to address the unsafe 

condition on these products. 

DATES: This AD is effective October 5, 

2017. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain publication listed in this AD 

as of October 5, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: For service information 

identified in this final rule, contact 

Dassault Falcon Jet Corporation, 

Teterboro Airport, P.O. Box 2000, South 

Hackensack, NJ 07606; telephone 201– 

440–6700; Internet http://

www.dassaultfalcon.com. You may 

view this referenced service information 

at the FAA, Transport Standards 

Branch, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, 

WA. For information on the availability 

of this material at the FAA, call 425– 

227–1221. It is also available on the 

Internet at http://www.regulations.gov 

by searching for and locating Docket No. 

FAA–2017–0502. 

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–2017– 

0502; 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 (telephone 800–647– 

5527) is Docket Management Facility, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 

Docket Operations, M–30, West 

Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Washington, DC 20590. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom 

Rodriguez, Aerospace Engineer, 

International Section, Transport 

Standards Branch, FAA, 1601 Lind 

Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057–3356; 

telephone 425–227–1137; fax 425–227– 

1149. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

We issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 by adding an AD that would 

apply to certain Dassault Aviation 

Model FALCON 7X airplanes. The 

NPRM published in the Federal 

Register on May 31, 2017 (82 FR 24910) 

(‘‘the NPRM’’). The NPRM was 

prompted by a discovery of 

noncompliant rivets in the flight deck 

upper skin. The NPRM proposed to 

require replacement of noncompliant 

rivets. We are issuing this AD to prevent 

interference between the rivet shank 

and the flight deck mounted overhead 

panel when the flight deck upper skin 

deforms due to impact (e.g., bird strike). 

This condition, if not corrected, could 

affect the functioning of essential flight 

control systems, and result in reduced 

control of the airplane. 

The European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA), which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Union, has issued EASA Airworthiness 

Directive 2016–0124, dated June 22, 

2016 (referred to after this as the 

Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness 

Information, or ‘‘the MCAI’’), to correct 

an unsafe condition for certain Dassault 

Aviation Model FALCON 7X airplanes. 

The MCAI states: 

During an internal review of the 

manufacturing files, it was found that 20 

rivets installed on the cockpit [(flight deck)] 

upper skin are not compliant with the 

original type design. Those 20 MGPL type 

rivets have a shank longer than necessary 

and, in case of a bird strike under maximum 

energy impact, the cockpit upper skin 

deformation would lead to interference 

between the rivet shank and the cockpit 

mounted overhead panel. 

This condition, if not corrected, could 

affect the functioning of essential flight 

control systems, possibly resulting in 

reduced control of the aeroplane. 

To address this potential unsafe condition, 

Dassault Aviation published Service Bulletin 

(SB) F7X–176, providing instructions for 

replacement of the [noncompliant] rivets. 

For the reasons described above, this 

[EASA] AD requires removal of affected 

rivets and replacement with serviceable 

[solid-type] rivets compliant with original 

type design. 

You may examine the MCAI in the 

AD docket on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2017– 

0502. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD. We 

received no comments on the NPRM or 

on the determination of the cost to the 

public. 

Conclusion 

We reviewed the relevant data and 

determined that air safety and the 

public interest require adopting this AD 

as proposed except for minor editorial 

changes. We have determined that these 

minor changes: 

• Are consistent with the intent that 

was proposed in the NPRM for 

correcting the unsafe condition; and 

• Do not add any additional burden 

upon the public than was already 

proposed in the NPRM. 

Related Service Information Under 1 

CFR Part 51 

Dassault Aviation has issued Service 

Bulletin 7X–176, dated February 3, 

2016. This service information describes 

procedures for modifying the airplane 

by replacing certain blind rivets 

installed on the flight deck skin panel 

with solid-type rivets. This service 

information is reasonably available 

because the interested parties have 

access to it through their normal course 


nlaroche on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with RULES