81 FR 78080 - Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, Inc. Airplanes

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 215 (November 7, 2016)

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier, Inc. Model BD-700-1A10 and BD-700-1A11 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of aileron and rudder control cables which may have tensions that are beyond allowable limits. This proposed AD would require revising the maintenance or inspection program to incorporate certification maintenance requirement tasks that introduce functional tests of the control cable tension. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct out-of-tolerance tension in the control cables, which, with certain system failures and environmental conditions, could result in reduced controllability of the airplane.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 215 (Monday, November 7, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 78080-78083]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26520]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2016-9304; Directorate Identifier 2016-NM-028-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, Inc. Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
certain Bombardier, Inc. Model BD-700-1A10 and BD-700-1A11 airplanes. 
This proposed AD was prompted by reports of aileron and rudder control 
cables which may have tensions that are beyond allowable limits. This 
proposed AD would require revising the maintenance or inspection 
program to incorporate certification maintenance requirement tasks that 
introduce functional tests of the control cable tension. We are 
proposing this AD to detect and correct out-of-tolerance tension in the 
control cables, which, with certain system failures and environmental 
conditions, could result in reduced controllability of the airplane.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by December 22, 
2016.

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 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 
Bombardier, Inc., 400 C[ocirc]te-Vertu Road West, Dorval, Qu[eacute]bec 
H4S 1Y9, Canada; telephone: 514-855-5000; fax: 514-855-7401; email: 
[email protected]; Internet: http://www.bombardier.com. You 
may view this referenced service information at the FAA, Transport 
Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA. For information 
on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 425-227-1221.

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-2016-
9304; 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 proposed AD, the regulatory evaluation, any comments 
received, and other information. The street address for the Docket 
Operations office (telephone: 800-647-5527) is in the ADDRESSES 
section. Comments will

[[Page 78081]]

be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cesar Gomez, Aerospace Engineer, 
Airframe and Mechanical Systems Branch, ANE-171, FAA, New York Aircraft 
Certification Office (ACO), 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, 
NY 11590; telephone: 516-228-7318; fax: 516-794-5531.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this proposed AD. Send your comments to an address 
listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2016-9304; 
Directorate Identifier 2016-NM-028-AD'' at the beginning of your 
comments. We specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, 
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this proposed AD. We 
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend 
this proposed AD based on 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 we 
receive about this proposed AD.

Discussion

    Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), which is the aviation 
authority for Canada, has issued Canadian Airworthiness Directive CF-
2016-06R1, dated July 25, 2016 (referred to after this as the Mandatory 
Continuing Airworthiness Information, or ''the MCAI''), to correct an 
unsafe condition for certain Bombardier, Inc. Model BD-700-1A10 and BD-
700-1A11 airplanes. The MCAI states:

    Recent in-service inspections have shown that aileron and rudder 
control cables may have tensions beyond allowable limits. Review of 
the technical documentation found that there are no maintenance 
tasks to detect and rectify out-of-tolerance tensions on these 
cables. Out of tolerance cables in combinations with certain system 
failures and environmental conditions could result in the degraded 
aircraft controllability.
    * * * [This Canadian] AD was issued to mandate a revision to the 
approved maintenance schedule [maintenance or inspection program, as 
applicable] to introduce cable tension check [e.g., functional 
test,] as [certification maintenance requirement] tasks.

    You may examine the MCAI on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2016-
9304.
    This proposed AD would require revisions to certain operator 
maintenance documents to include new actions (e.g., inspections). 
Compliance with these actions is required by 14 CFR 91.403(c). For 
airplanes that have been previously modified, altered, or repaired in 
the areas addressed by this proposed AD, the operator may not be able 
to accomplish the actions described in the revisions. In this 
situation, to comply with 14 CFR 91.403(c), the operator must request 
approval for an alternative method of compliance according to paragraph 
(j)(1) of this proposed AD. The request should include a description of 
changes to the required actions that will ensure the continued 
operational safety of the airplane.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    We reviewed the following Bombardier, Inc. service information:
     Temporary Revision (TR) 5-2-10, dated November 24, 2015, 
to Part 2, Section 5-10-40, of Bombardier Global Express XRS BD-700 
Time Limits/Maintenance Checks.
     TR 5-2-15, dated November 24, 2015, to Part 2, Section 5-
10-40, of Bombardier Global 6000 GL 6000 Time Limits/Maintenance 
Checks.
     TR 5-2-15, dated November 24, 2015, to Part 2, Section 5-
10-40, of Bombardier Global 5000 GL 5000 Featuring Global Vision Flight 
Deck--Time Limits/Maintenance Checks.
     TR 5-2-16, dated November 24, 2015, to Part 2, Section 5-
10-40, of Bombardier Global 5000 BD-700 Time Limits/Maintenance Checks.
     TR 5-2-47, dated November 24, 2015, to Part 2, Section 5-
10-40, of Bombardier Global Express BD-700 Time Limits/Maintenance 
Checks.
    The service information identifies airworthiness limitation tasks 
for functional tests of the cable tension of the aileron and rudder 
control cables. 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 and Requirements of This AD

    This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another 
country, and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant 
to our bilateral agreement with the State of Design Authority, we have 
been notified of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and service 
information referenced above. We are issuing this AD because we 
evaluated all pertinent information and determined the unsafe condition 
exists and is likely to exist or develop on other products of these 
same type designs.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this proposed AD affects 60 airplanes of U.S. 
registry.
    We estimate the following costs to comply with this proposed AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                    Cost per       Cost on U.S.
               Action                        Labor cost           Parts cost        product         operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maintenance or Inspection Program     1 work-hours x $85 per               $0              $85           $5,100
 Revision.                             hour = $85 per
                                       airplane.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
    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 determined that this AD will not have federalism implications 
under Executive Order 13132. This AD will

[[Page 78082]]

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 the 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.

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):

Bombardier, Inc.: Docket No. FAA-2016-9304; Directorate Identifier 
2016-NM-028-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    We must receive comments by December 22, 2016.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Bombardier, Inc. Model BD-700-1A10 and BD-
700-1A11 airplanes, certificated in any category, serial numbers 
9002 through 9743 inclusive, and 9998.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 27, Flight 
controls.

(e) Reason

    This AD was prompted by reports of aileron and rudder control 
cables which may have tensions that are beyond allowable limits. We 
are issuing this AD to detect and correct out-of-tolerance tension 
in the control cables, which, with certain system failures and 
environmental conditions, could result in reduced controllability of 
the airplane.

(f) Compliance

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

(g) Time Limits/Maintenance Checks (TLMC)--Maintenance or Inspection 
Program Revision

    Within 30 days after the effective date of this AD, revise the 
maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate 
certification maintenance requirement (CMR) tasks 27-11-35-101, 27-
11-35-102, and 27-21-27-101 (for functional tests of the control 
cable tension) as specified in the applicable service information in 
paragraphs (g)(1) through (g)(5) of this AD. The initial compliance 
time for doing the tasks is specified in paragraph (h) of this AD. 
When the applicable temporary revision (TR) has been included in 
general revisions of the TLMC, the general revisions may be inserted 
in the maintenance or inspection program, and the applicable TR may 
be removed, provided the relevant information in the general 
revision is identical to that in the applicable TR.
    (1) TR 5-2-10, dated November 24, 2015, to Part 2, Section 5-10-
40, of Bombardier Global Express XRS BD-700 Time Limits/Maintenance 
Checks (for Model BD-700-1A10 airplanes).
    (2) TR 5-2-15, dated November 24, 2015, to Part 2, Section 5-10-
40, of Bombardier Global 6000 GL 6000 Time Limits/Maintenance Checks 
(for Model BD-700-1A10 airplanes).
    (3) TR 5-2-47, dated November 24, 2015, to Part 2, Section 5-10-
40, of Bombardier Global Express BD-700 Time Limits/Maintenance 
Checks (for Model BD-700-1A10 airplanes).
    (4) TR 5-2-15, dated November 24, 2015, to Part 2, Section 5-10-
40, of Bombardier Global 5000 GL 5000 Featuring Global Vision Flight 
Deck--Time Limits/Maintenance Checks (for Model BD-700-1A11 
airplanes).
    (5) TR 5-2-16, dated November 24, 2015, to Part 2, Section 5-10-
40, of Bombardier Global 5000 BD-700 Time Limits/Maintenance Checks 
(for Model BD-700-1A11 airplanes).

(h) Initial Compliance Times for CMR Tasks

    The initial compliance times for doing the CMR tasks identified 
in paragraph (g) of this AD are at the applicable times specified in 
paragraphs (h)(1), (h)(2), and (h)(3) of this AD, or within 30 days 
after the effective date of this AD, whichever occurs later.
    (1) For airplanes having serial numbers (S/Ns) 9002 through 9694 
inclusive, and 9998: Within 15 months after the effective date of 
this AD; or within 30 months since the date of issuance of the 
original Canadian airworthiness certificate or the date of issuance 
of the original Canadian export certificate of airworthiness; 
whichever occurs first.
    (2) For airplanes having S/Ns 9695 through 9743 inclusive that 
have had aileron and/or rudder control cable replacement and the 
aileron and rudder control cables were rigged as specified in any 
applicable Bombardier aircraft maintenance manual (AMM) revision 
earlier than the revision date shown in paragraphs (h)(2)(i) through 
(h)(2)(v) of this AD or the AMM revision date is unknown: Within 15 
months after the effective date of this AD; or within 30 months 
since the date of issuance of the original Canadian airworthiness 
certificate or the date of issuance of the original Canadian export 
certificate of airworthiness; whichever occurs first.
    (i) GL 700 AMM, Revision 67, dated August 6, 2015 (for Model BD-
700-1A10 airplanes).
    (ii) GL XRS AMM, Revision 45, dated August 6, 2015 (for Model 
BD-700-1A10 airplanes).
    (iii) GL 6000 AMM, Revision 15, dated August 6, 2015 (for Model 
BD-700-1A10 airplanes).
    (iv) GL 5000 AMM, Revision 48, August 6, 2015 (for Model BD-700-
1A11 airplanes).
    (v) GL 5000 GVFD AMM, Revision 15, August 6, 2015 (for Model BD-
700-1A11 airplanes).
    (3) For airplanes other than those identified in paragraphs 
(h)(1) and (h)(2) of this AD: Within 30 months since the date of 
issuance of the original Canadian airworthiness certificate or the 
date of issuance of the original Canadian export certificate of 
airworthiness.

(i) No Alternative Actions and Intervals

    Except as provided by paragraph (h) of this AD, after the 
maintenance or inspection program has been revised as required by 
paragraph (g) of this AD, no alternative actions (e.g., inspections) 
or intervals may be used unless the actions or intervals are 
approved as an alternative method of compliance (AMOC) in accordance 
with the procedures specified in paragraph (j)(1) of this AD.

(j) Other FAA AD Provisions

    The following provisions also apply to this AD:
    (1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, New 
York ACO, ANE-170, 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 ACO, send it to ATTN: Program 
Manager, Continuing Operational Safety, FAA, New York ACO, 1600 
Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; telephone: 516-228-
7300; fax: 516-794-5531. 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, New York ACO, 
ANE-170, FAA; or TCCA; or Bombardier, Inc.'s TCCA Design Approval 
Organization (DAO). If approved by the DAO, the approval must 
include the DAO-authorized signature.

[[Page 78083]]

(k) Related Information

    (1) Refer to Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information 
(MCAI) Canadian AD CF-2016-06 R1, 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-2016-9304.
    (2) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Bombardier, Inc., 400 C[ocirc]te-Vertu Road West, Dorval, 
Qu[eacute]bec H4S 1Y9, Canada; telephone: 514-855-5000; fax: 514-
855-7401; email: [email protected]; Internet: http://www.bombardier.com. You may view this service information at the 
FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, 
WA. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, 
call 425-227-1221.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on October 26, 2016.
Dionne Palermo,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-26520 Filed 11-4-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P