Proposed Rule2021-24835
Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 15, 2021
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 747-8F and 747-8 series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of unusual flight instrument and engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS) behavior. This proposed AD would require inspecting the left, center, and right electronic flight instrument system (EFIS)/EICAS interface unit (EIU) for certain serial numbers and replacement if necessary. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 217 (Monday, November 15, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 217 (Monday, November 15, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 62960-62962]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24835]
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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. 86, No. 217 / Monday, November 15, 2021 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 62960]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2021-0957; Project Identifier AD-2021-00469-T]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes
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 The Boeing Company Model 747-8F and 747-8 series airplanes.
This proposed AD was prompted by a report of unusual flight instrument
and engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS) behavior. This
proposed AD would require inspecting the left, center, and right
electronic flight instrument system (EFIS)/EICAS interface unit (EIU)
for certain serial numbers and replacement if necessary. 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 December
30, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
<bullet> Fax: 202-493-2251.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> 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 <a href="https://www.myboeingfleet.com">https://www.myboeingfleet.com</a>. You may
view this referenced service information at the FAA, Airworthiness
Products Section, Operational Safety 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 <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-
0957.
Examining the AD Docket
You may examine the AD docket at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> by
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-0957; 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, any comments
received, and other information. The street address for Docket
Operations is listed above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Palmer, Aerospace Engineer,
Systems and Equipment Section, FAA, Los Angeles ACO Branch, 3960
Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, CA 90712-4137; phone: 562-627-5351; fax:
562-627-5210; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bbd1deddddc9dec295cc95cbdad7d6dec9fbdddada95dcd4cd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="83e9e6e5e5f1e6faadf4adf3e2efeee6f1c3e5e2e2ade4ecf5">[email protected]</span></a>.
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 ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2021-0957; Project Identifier
AD-2021-00469-T'' at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful
comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, explain the
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. The FAA
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend
this proposal because of those comments.
Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in
the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR
11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, including any personal information you
provide. The agency will also post a report summarizing each
substantive verbal contact received about this NPRM.
Confidential Business Information
CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily
and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public
disclosure. If your comments responsive to this NPRM contain commercial
or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that
you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to
this NPRM, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing
CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked submissions as
confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public
docket of this NPRM. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to
Jeffrey Palmer, Aerospace Engineer, Systems and Equipment Section, FAA,
Los Angeles ACO Branch, 3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, CA 90712-
4137; phone: 562-627-5351; fax: 562-627-5210; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fc96999a9a8e9985d28bd28c9d9091998ebc9a9d9dd29b938a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="650f00030317001c4b124b150409080017250304044b020a13">[email protected]</span></a>. Any commentary that the FAA receives which is
not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket
for this rulemaking.
Background
The FAA has received a report indicating that an operator of a 747-
8 airplane reported an in-flight event in which the captain's primary
flight display (PFD) and navigation display (ND) flickered after an
involuntary autopilot disconnect, followed by the blanking of the main
EICAS display unit. EICAS information was displayed on the lower EICAS
display unit for the remainder of the flight. Multiple EICAS messages
and unusual checklists appeared intermittently. The crew observed a
master caution light and beeper as these messages appeared and
disappeared. The over speed/stall red dots were displayed all along the
captain's speed tape; however, there was no over speed aural alert or
stick shaker. The flightcrew declared PAN-PAN (urgent situation) due to
unusual flight instrument and EICAS behavior
[[Page 62961]]
and the airplane landed safely. The root cause of this incident was
found to be a hardware problem in the EIU, specifically the input/
output (I/O) chip on the affected Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated
(ARINC), I/O card. Hand-brushed application of the conformal coating
led to an excess of the conformal coating migrating underneath the I/O
chip. This resulted in an interconnect problem between the I/O chip and
the ARINC I/O card. This condition, if not addressed, could result in
reduced ability of the flightcrew to maintain continued safe flight and
landing of the aircraft.
FAA's Determination
The FAA is issuing this NPRM after determining that the unsafe
condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on other
products of the same type design.
Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51
The FAA reviewed Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 747-31A2565 RB,
Revision 1, dated September 14, 2021. This service information
specifies procedures for doing an inspection or a review of the
maintenance and delivery records of the left, center, and right EIUs
for any affected serial number, and replacing each affected EIU.
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 ADDRESSES.
Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM
This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified
in the service information already described, 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 <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> by
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-0957.
Costs of Compliance
The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would
affect 8 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following
costs to comply with this proposed AD:
Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cost per Cost on U.S.
Action Labor cost Parts cost product operators
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Inspection......................... 1 work-hour x $85 per hour $0 $85 $680
= $85.
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The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary
replacements that would be required based on the results of the
proposed inspection. The agency has no way of determining the number of
aircraft that might need these replacements:
On-Condition Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per product
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Replacement................... Up to 3 work-hours x Up to $9,600............... Up to $9,855.
$85 per hour = Up to
$255.
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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) Would not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, 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.
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:
The Boeing Company: Docket No. FAA-2021-0957; Project Identifier AD-
2021-00469-T.
(a) Comments Due Date
The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive
(AD) by December 30, 2021.
(b) Affected ADs
None.
[[Page 62962]]
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to The Boeing Company Model 747-8F and 747-8
series airplanes, certificated in any category, as identified in
Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 747-31A2565 RB, Revision 1, dated
September 14, 2021.
(d) Subject
Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 31, Instruments.
(e) Unsafe Condition
This AD was prompted by a report of unusual flight instrument
and engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS) behavior. The
FAA is issuing this AD to address the possible display of incorrect
information in the integrated display system (IDS). This condition,
if not addressed, could result in reduced ability of the flightcrew
to maintain continued safe flight and landing of the aircraft.
(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
Alert Requirements Bulletin 747-31A2565 RB, Revision 1, dated
September 14, 2021, do all applicable actions identified in, and in
accordance with, the Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Alert
Requirements Bulletin 747-31A2565 RB, Revision 1, dated September
14, 2021.
Note 1 to paragraph (g): Guidance for accomplishing the actions
required by this AD can be found in Boeing Alert Service Bulletin
747-31A2565, Revision 1, dated September 14, 2021, which is referred
to in Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 747-31A2565 RB, Revision 1,
dated September 14, 2021.
(h) Exception to Service Information Specifications
Where Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 747-31A2565 RB,
Revision 1, dated September 14, 2021, uses the phrase ``the Original
Issue date of Requirements Bulletin 747-31A2565 RB,'' this AD
requires using ``the effective date of this AD.''
(i) Credit for Previous Actions
This paragraph provides credit for the actions specified in
paragraph (g) of this AD, if those actions were performed before the
effective date of this AD using Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin
747-31A2565 RB, dated April 27, 2021.
(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 responsible Flight Standards Office,
as appropriate. If sending information directly to the manager of
the certification office, send it to the attention of the person
identified in Related Information. Information may be emailed to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2d14006c6360007e484c59594148006c6e62006c60626e007f485c58485e595e6d4b4c4c034a425b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="586175191615750b3d392c2c343d75191b17751915171b750a3d292d3d2b2c2b183e3939763f372e">[email protected]</span></a>.
(2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager
of the responsible Flight Standards 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.
(k) Related Information
(1) For more information about this AD, contact Jeffrey Palmer,
Aerospace Engineer, Systems and Equipment Section, FAA, Los Angeles
ACO Branch, 3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, CA 90712-4137;
phone: 562-627-5351; fax: 562-627-5210; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#acc6c9cacadec9d582db82dccdc0c1c9deeccacdcd82cbc3da"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e28887848490879bcc95cc92838e8f8790a2848383cc858d94">[email protected]</span></a>.
(2) For information about AMOCs, contact Frank Carreras,
Aerospace Engineer, Systems and Equipment Section, FAA, Seattle ACO
Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; phone and fax:
206-231-3539; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c9afbba8a7a2e7aaa8bbbbacbba8ba89afa8a8e7aea6bf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a7c1d5c6c9cc89c4c6d5d5c2d5c6d4e7c1c6c689c0c8d1">[email protected]</span></a>.
(3) 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 <a href="https://www.myboeingfleet.com">https://www.myboeingfleet.com</a>. You may view this referenced service
information at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational
Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA. For information
on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.
Issued on October 28, 2021.
Lance T. Gant,
Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-24835 Filed 11-12-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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