Document ID: FAA-2020-0320-0001
Agency: faa
Document Type: Proposed Rule
Title: Airworthiness Directives: McCauley Propeller Systems Governors
Posted Date: 2020-04-07T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 67 (Tuesday, April 7, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 19399-19401]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-07168]

 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 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.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 67 / Tuesday, April 7, 2020 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 19399]]

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0320; Product Identifier 2019-CE-011-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; McCauley Propeller Systems Governors

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) 
for certain model McCauley Propeller Systems (McCauley) governors 
installed on airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of an 
unapproved variant McCauley idler gear bearing, part number (P/N) A-
20028, that could be installed in the affected governors. This proposed 
AD would require replacing the governor with a governor that is 
eligible for installation. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the 
unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by May 22, 
2020.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://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: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    For service information identified in this NPRM, contact McCauley 
Propeller Systems, One Cessna Boulevard, P.O. Box 7704, Wichita, Kansas 
67277; telephone: (800) 621-7767 or (316) 831-4021; email: 
productsupport@txtav.com; internet: https://mccauley.txtav.com. You may 
view this service information at the FAA, Policy and Innovation 
Division, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on 
the availability of this material at the FAA, call (816) 329-4148.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2020-
0320 or in person at Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains 
this NPRM, the regulatory evaluation, any comments received, and other 
information. The street address for Docket Operations is listed above. 
Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Teplik, Aerospace Engineer, 
Wichita ACO Branch, 1801 Airport Road, Room 100, Wichita, Kansas 67209; 
telephone: (316) 946-4196; fax: (316) 946-4107; email: 
thomas.teplik@faa.gov or 37605e545f5e43561a74786477515656.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this proposal. Send your comments to an address listed 
under the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2020-0320; 
Product Identifier 2019-CE-011-AD'' at the beginning of your comments. 
The FAA specifically invites comments on the overall regulatory, 
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this NPRM. The FAA will 
consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend this 
NPRM because of those comments.
    The FAA will post all comments received, without change, to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. 
The FAA will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal 
contact received about this NPRM.

Discussion

    The FAA has received reports from McCauley that an unapproved 
variant idler gear bearing, part number (P/N) A-20028, was installed on 
certain governors during production between January 31, 2017, and 
September 27, 2018, and may have been installed on governors in service 
after January 31, 2017. The unapproved variant of the idler gear 
bearing does not conform to McCauley drawing requirements.
    All models of McCauley governors have an idler gear bearing with P/
N A-20028 installed; however, the unapproved variant of the bearing can 
be identified by part marking ``BA-59.'' The non-conforming idler gear 
bearing could have also been included in the idler gear assembly (idler 
gear and bearing), P/N A-20107, or the governor overhaul kit, P/N PL-
20233 or PL-20234.
    The non-conformity of the bearing may cause premature failure of 
the idler gear bearing. Early symptoms that the idler gear bearing may 
fail include inability of the governor to hold the selected RPM, 
hunting, surging, etc. An investigation identified 23 occurrences of 
airplane operation problems related to erratic governor behavior that 
may have resulted from the unapproved idler gear bearing.
    This condition, if not addressed, could cause the idler gear 
bearing to fail. This failure could result in failure of the governor, 
loss of propeller pitch control, engine and propeller over speed, 
engine oil contamination, and loss of control.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    The FAA reviewed McCauley Alert Service Bulletin ASB273C, dated 
January 30, 2019. The service bulletin contains model and serial number 
information to identify the affected governors. The service bulletin 
also contains procedures for removing the governor from the engine, 
inspecting the governor for the unapproved variant idler gear bearing, 
replacing the idler gear bearing or idler gear assembly if necessary, 
overhauling the governor if necessary, and installing a governor on the 
engine. 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.

FAA's Determination

    The FAA is proposing this AD because it evaluated all relevant 
information and determined the unsafe

[[Page 19400]]

condition described previously is likely to exist or develop in other 
products of the same type design.

Proposed AD Requirements

    This proposed AD would require replacing an affected governor with 
a governor eligible for installation.

Differences Between This Proposed AD and the Service Information

    The service bulletin contains maintenance procedures for inspecting 
an affected governor and any subsequent corrective actions required to 
ensure the governor is eligible for continued service and installation. 
The service bulletin also references other McCauley service documents 
for additional maintenance actions to include overhaul of the governor. 
However, this NPRM only proposes replacing the affected governor with a 
governor eligible for installation.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this proposed AD affects 2,500 governors as 
installed in airplanes of U.S. registry.
    The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed 
AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                  Cost on U.S.
             Action                    Labor cost            Parts cost      Cost per product      operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remove affected governor.......  1 work-hour x $85 per   Not Applicable...                $85           $212,500
                                  hour = $85.
Install an governor............  1 work-hour x $85 per   See table below..           Variable            Unknown
                                  hour = $85.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    An operator has the option to pay a service center to inspect their 
existing governor and replace the idler gear bearing if necessary or 
pay to have their existing governor overhauled. An operator has the 
option to purchase a factory new governor or an overhauled governor, a 
feathering/syncing governor or a non-feathering/syncing governor. The 
FAA has no way of knowing what option an operator may take to obtain a 
governor eligible for installation. Therefore, the FAA has no way of 
determining the parts cost on U.S. operators. The following represents 
the estimated parts cost associated with obtaining a governor.

                      Cost for an Eligible Governor
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Type of governor                     Cost of governor
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Factory new non-feathering/non-syncing governor......             $2,000
Factory new feathering/syncing governor..............              9,000
Overhaul of existing non-feathering/non-syncing                    1,000
 governor............................................
Overhaul of existing feathering/syncing governor.....              3,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    According to the manufacturer, some of the costs of this proposed 
AD may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on 
affected individuals. The FAA does not control warranty coverage for 
affected individuals. As a result, the FAA has 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.
    The FAA is 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

    The FAA 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 this proposed 
regulation:
    (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive 
Order 12866,
    (2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, 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.

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

0
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.

Sec.  39.13   [Amended]

0
2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness 
directive (AD):

McCauley Propeller Systems: Docket No. FAA-2020-0320; Product 
Identifier 2019-CE-011-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments by May 22, 2020.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to the McCauley Propeller Systems (McCauley) 
governors specified in paragraphs (c)(1) or (2) of this AD and

[[Page 19401]]

installed on airplanes, certificated in any category.
    (1) Models listed in table 2 of McCauley Alert Service Bulletin 
No. ASB273C, dated January 30, 2019 (McCauley ASB273C) with a serial 
number from 170061 through 180501, excluding the serial numbers 
listed in table 1 of McCauley ASB273C.
    (2) Models listed in table 2 of McCauley ASB273C, with any 
serial number, that have an installation date after January 31, 
2017, or an installation date that cannot be determined.

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC)/Air Transport Association 
(ATA) of America Code 61, Propellers.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by reports of an unapproved variant idler 
gear bearing, McCauley part number (P/N) A-20028, installed on 
governors. All models of McCauley governors have a bearing with P/N 
A-20028 installed; however, the unapproved variant can be identified 
with the part marking ``BA-59.'' The FAA is issuing this AD to 
prevent failure of the idler gear bearing. This failure could result 
in failure of the governor, loss of propeller pitch control, engine 
and propeller over speed, engine oil contamination, and loss of 
control of the airplane.

(f) Compliance

    Unless already done, within 50 hours time-in-service after the 
effective date of this AD or within 24 months after the effective 
date of this AD, whichever occurs first, replace the governor with a 
governor eligible for installation.
    Note 1 to paragraph (f) of this AD: Any model McCauley governor 
that is stamped with the letter B, as specified in the 
Accomplishment Instructions in McCauley ASB273C, has already 
complied with the requirements of this AD.

(g) Definition

    For the purposes of this AD, a governor eligible for 
installation is defined as a governor that does not have an idler 
gear bearing with a part marking ``BA-59'' installed.

(h) Parts Installation Prohibition

    As of the effective date of this AD, do not install on any 
airplane a McCauley governor unless it is a governor eligible for 
installation.

(i) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, Wichita 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 (l)(1) of this AD.
    (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.

(j) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Thomas Teplik, 
Aerospace Engineer, Wichita ACO Branch, 1801 Airport Road, Room 100, 
Wichita, Kansas 67209; telephone: (316) 946-4196; fax: (316) 946-
4107; email: thomas.teplik@faa.gov or 73241a101b1a07125e303c20331512125d141c05.
    (2) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
McCauley Propeller Systems, One Cessna Boulevard, P.O. Box 7704, 
Wichita, Kansas 67277; telephone: (800) 621-7767 or (316) 831-4021; 
email: productsupport@txtav.com; internet: https://mccauley.txtav.com. You may view this service information at the 
FAA, Policy and Innovation Division, 901 Locust, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this material 
at the FAA, call (816) 329-4148.

    Issued on April 1, 2020.
Lance T. Gant,
Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-07168 Filed 4-6-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P