Document ID: FAA-2019-0494-0001
Agency: faa
Document Type: Proposed Rule
Title: Airworthiness Directives: The Boeing Company Airplanes
Posted Date: 2019-07-23T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 23, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 35352-35354]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-15519]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2019-0494; Product Identifier 2019-NM-051-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) 
for certain The Boeing Company Model 787 series airplanes. This 
proposed AD was prompted by reports that the nose landing gear (NLG) 
retracted while the airplane was on the ground with weight on wheels, 
due to the installation of a NLG downlock pin in an incorrect location. 
This proposed AD would require installing an insert to prevent 
installation of the pin in the incorrect location. 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 September 
6, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR

[[Page 35353]]

11.43 and 11.45, 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: 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 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 referenced service information at the FAA, Transport 
Standards Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA. For information 
on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195. It 
is also available on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov by 
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2019-0494.

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-2019-
0494; 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: Allen Rauschendorfer, Aerospace 
Engineer, Airframe Section, FAA, Seattle ACO Branch, 2200 South 216th 
St., Des Moines, WA 98198; phone and fax: 206-231-3528; email: 
[email protected].

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-2019-0494; 
Product Identifier 2019-NM-051-AD'' at the beginning of your comments. 
The agency specifically invites comments on the overall regulatory, 
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this NPRM. The agency 
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend 
this NPRM because of those comments.
    The FAA will post all comments, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. 
The FAA will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal 
contact the agency receives about this proposed AD.

Discussion

    In March of 2018, the FAA received a report indicating that the NLG 
on a Boeing Model 787-8 retracted on the ground, with weight on the 
airplane's wheels, while undergoing maintenance testing. Although no 
maintenance personnel were injured, the incident resulted in major 
structural damage to the forward fuselage of the airplane. The NLG 
retraction occurred due to the NLG downlock pin being installed in an 
incorrect location: The apex pin inner bore of the NLG lock link 
assembly, which is adjacent to the correct location for the NLG 
downlock pin. A similar retraction occurred in March of 2016 on a 
Boeing Model 787-8 airplane with passengers aboard, resulting in 
substantial damage to the aircraft and minor injuries to passengers. In 
addition, we received a safety report from an operator's maintenance 
technician arising from the March 2018 incident that described the risk 
of an inadvertent NLG retraction due to accidentally installing the NLG 
downlock pin in the apex pin inner bore of the NLG lock link assembly. 
We considered the reports of NLG retraction and the safety report in 
our risk assessment. Accidentally installing the NLG downlock pin in 
the apex pin inner bore of the NLG lock link assembly, if not 
addressed, could result in the NLG retracting on the ground, possibly 
causing serious injuries to personnel and passengers and substantial 
damage to the airplane.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    The FAA reviewed Boeing Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB320040-
00 RB, Issue 001, dated March 12, 2019. The service information 
describes procedures for installing an insert into the apex pin inner 
bore of the NLG lock link assembly to prevent the NLG downlock pin from 
being inserted in the incorrect location.
    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 the agency evaluated all the 
relevant information and determined the unsafe 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 accomplishment of the actions 
identified in Boeing Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB320040-00 RB, 
Issue 001, dated March 12, 2019, described previously, except for any 
differences identified as exceptions in the regulatory text of this 
proposed AD.
    For information on the procedures and compliance times, see this 
service information at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and 
locating Docket No. FAA-2019-0494.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 73 airplanes 
of U.S. registry. The agency estimates the following costs to comply 
with this proposed AD:

                                      Estimated Costs for Required Actions
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                                                                                     Cost per      Cost on U.S.
                Action                         Labor cost           Parts cost        product        operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Install insert........................  2 work-hours x $85 per            $1,820          $1,990        $145,270
                                         hour = $170.
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[[Page 35354]]

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.
    This proposed 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 and associated appliances to the 
Director of the System Oversight Division.

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):

The Boeing Company: Docket No. FAA-2019-0494; Product Identifier 
2019-NM-051-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments by September 6, 2019.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to The Boeing Company Model 787-8, 787-9, and 
787-10 airplanes, certificated in any category, as identified in 
Boeing Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB320040-00 RB, Issue 001, 
dated March 12, 2019.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 32, Landing 
gear.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by reports that the nose landing gear (NLG) 
retracted on the ground, with weight on the airplane's wheels, due 
to the incorrect installation of a NLG downlock pin in the apex pin 
inner bore of the NLG lock link assembly. The FAA is issuing this AD 
to address the NLG downlock pin being incorrectly installed in the 
apex pin inner bore of the NLG lock link assembly, which could 
result in the NLG retracting on the ground, possibly causing serious 
injuries to personnel and passengers and substantial damage to the 
airplane.

(f) Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, 
unless already done.

(g) Required Actions

    Except as specified by paragraph (h) of this AD: At the 
applicable times specified in the ``Compliance'' paragraph of Boeing 
Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB320040-00 RB, Issue 001, dated 
March 12, 2019, do all applicable actions identified in, and in 
accordance with, the Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing 
Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB320040-00 RB, Issue 001, dated 
March 12, 2019.
    Note 1 to paragraph (g): Guidance for accomplishing the actions 
required by this AD can be found in Boeing Service Bulletin B787-
81205-SB320040-00, Issue 001, dated March 12, 2019, which is 
referred to in Boeing Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB320040-00 
RB, Issue 001, dated March 12, 2019.

(h) Exceptions to Service Information Specifications

    For purposes of determining compliance with the requirements of 
this AD: Where Boeing Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB320040-00 
RB, Issue 001, dated March 12, 2019, uses the phrase ``the Issue 001 
date of Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB320040-00 RB,'' this AD 
requires using ``the effective date of this AD.''

(i) 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 (j)(1) of this AD. Information may be 
emailed to: [email protected].
    (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 Company Organization Designation 
Authorization (ODA) that has been authorized by the Manager, Seattle 
ACO Branch, FAA, 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.

(j) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Allen 
Rauschendorfer, Aerospace Engineer, Airframe Section, FAA, Seattle 
ACO Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; phone and 
fax: 206-231-3528; email: [email protected].
    (2) 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. You may view this referenced service 
information at the FAA, Transport Standards Branch, 2200 South 216th 
St., Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this 
material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.

    Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on July 11, 2019.
Suzanne Masterson,
Acting Director, System Oversight Division, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-15519 Filed 7-22-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P