[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 205 (Tuesday, October 25, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-26372]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: October 25, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. 94-CE-07-AD]
Airworthiness Directives; Beech Aircraft Corporation Models 34C,
T-34C, and T-34C-1 Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: This document proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive
(AD) that would apply to certain Beech Aircraft Corporation (Beech)
Models 34C, T-34C, and T-34C-1 airplanes. The proposed action would
require replacing the eight wing attachment steel bolts and hardware
with Inconel bolts and hardware. A report of the right lower aft wing
attachment nut assembly separating in two pieces on a Model T-34C-1
airplane prompted the proposed action. The actions specified by the
proposed AD are intended to prevent the wing from separating from the
fuselage because of failure of this assembly.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 30, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments in triplicate to the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), Central Region, Office of the Assistant Chief
Counsel, Attention: Rules Docket No. 94-CE-07-AD, Room 1558, 601 E.
12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. Comments may be inspected at
this location between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,
holidays excepted.
Service information that applies to the proposed AD may be obtained
from the Beech Aircraft Corporation, P.O. Box 85, Wichita, Kansas
67201-0085. This information also may be examined at the Rules Docket
at the address above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Larry Engler, Aerospace Engineer,
Wichita Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, 1801 Airport Road, Mid-
Continent Airport, Wichita, Kansas 67209; telephone (316) 946-4122;
facsimile (316) 946-4407.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
Interested persons are invited to participate in the making of the
proposed rule by submitting such written data, views, or arguments as
they may desire. Communications should identify the Rules Docket number
and be submitted in triplicate to the address specified above. All
communications received on or before the closing date for comments,
specified above, will be considered before taking action on the
proposed rule. The proposals contained in this notice may be changed in
light of the comments received.
Comments are specifically invited on the overall regulatory,
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of the proposed rule. All
comments submitted will be available, both before and after the closing
date for comments, in the Rules Docket for examination by interested
persons. A report that summarizes each FAA-public contact concerned
with the substance of this proposal will be filed in the Rules Docket.
Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments
submitted in response to this notice must submit a self-addressed,
stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: ``Comments
to Docket No. 94-CE-07-AD.'' The postcard will be date stamped and
returned to the commenter.
Availability of NPRMs
Any person may obtain a copy of this NPRM by submitting a request
to the FAA, Central Region, Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel,
Attention: Rules Docket No. 94-CE-07-AD, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street,
Kansas City, Missouri 64106.
Discussion
The FAA has received a report of the right lower aft wing
attachment nut assembly separating in two pieces on a Beech Model T-
34C-1 airplane. Laboratory investigation of the nut assembly revealed
that stress corrosion caused the failure. If the separated assembly is
not detected and corrected, and is operated in that condition, the wing
could separate from the fuselage.
Beech has issued Service Bulletin (SB) No. 2487, dated August 1993,
which specifies procedures for installing Inconel wing attachment
hardware on Models 34C, T-34C, and T-34C-1 airplanes.
After examining the circumstances and reviewing all available
information related to the incidents described above, the FAA has
determined that AD action should be taken to prevent the wing from
separating from the fuselage because of failure of this assembly.
Since an unsafe condition has been identified that is likely to
exist or develop in other Beech 34C, T-34C, and T-34C-1 airplanes of
the same type design, the proposed AD would require replacing the eight
wing attachment steel bolts and hardware with Inconel bolts and
hardware. The proposed actions would be accomplished in accordance with
Beech SB No. 2487, dated August 1993.
The compliance time for the proposed AD is presented in calendar
time instead of hours time-in- service (TIS). The FAA has determined
that a calendar time for compliance is the most desirable method
because the unsafe condition described by the proposed AD is caused by
stress corrosion. Stress corrosion initiates as a result of airplane
operation, but can continue to develop regardless of whether the
airplane is in service or in storage. Therefore, to ensure that the
above-referenced condition is detected and corrected on all airplanes
within a reasonable period of time without inadvertently grounding any
airplanes, a compliance schedule based upon calendar time instead of
hours TIS is proposed.
The FAA estimates that 494 airplanes in the U.S. registry would be
affected by the proposed AD, that it would take approximately 8
workhours per airplane to accomplish the proposed action, and that the
average labor rate is approximately $55 an hour. Parts cost
approximately $800 per airplane. Based on these figures, the total cost
impact of the proposed AD on U.S. operators is estimated to be
$612,560. This figure is based on the assumption that no affected
airplane owners/operator has accomplished the proposed replacement.
The Beech Aircraft Company has informed the FAA that 89 wing
attachment assembly kits have been sold. Assuming that each of these
kits is installed on an affected airplane, this would reduce the cost
impact of the proposed AD upon U.S. operators of the affected airplanes
by $110,360 from $612,560 to $502,200.
The regulations proposed herein would not have substantial direct
effects 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. Therefore, in
accordance with Executive Order 12612, it is determined that this
proposal would not have sufficient federalism implications to warrant
the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.
For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this action (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); and (3) if promulgated,
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. A copy of the draft regulatory evaluation
prepared for this action has been placed in the Rules Docket. A copy of
it may be obtained by contacting the Rules Docket at the location
provided under the caption ADDRESSES.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Safety.
The Proposed Amendment
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the Federal Aviation Administration proposes to amend
part 39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (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. App. 1354(a), 1421 and 1423; 49 U.S.C.
106(g); and 14 CFR 11.89.
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
2. Section 39.13 is amended by adding a new AD to read as follows:
Beech Aircraft Corporation: Docket No. 94-CE-07-AD.
Applicability: The following model and serial number airplanes,
certificated in any category, that have steel wing attachment
assembly bolts and hardware:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Model Serial Nos.
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34C........... GP-1 through GP-50.
T-34C......... GL-2 through GL-353.
T-34C-1....... GM-1 through GM-71 and GM-78 through GM-98.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Compliance: Within whichever of the following occurs later,
unless already accomplished:
Four years after airplane manufacture;
Four years after installing a new wing attachment
assembly; or
Within the next 30 calendar days after the effective
date of this AD.
To prevent the wing from separating from the fuselage because of
failure of the wing attachment nut assembly, accomplish the
following:
(a) Replace all eight steel wing attach bolts and hardware with
Inconel bolts and hardware in accordance with the ACCOMPLISHMENT
INSTRUCTIONS section in Beech Service Bulletin No. 2487, dated
August 1993.
Note 1: Replacing all eight steel wing attach bolts and hardware
with Inconel bolts and hardware as required by this AD eliminates
the repetitive inspection requirements of AD 85-22-05, Amendment 39-
5146, for the affected airplanes.
(b) Special flight permits may be issued in accordance with
Secs. 21.197 and 21.199 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR
21.197 and 21.199) to operate the airplane to a location where the
requirements of this AD can be accomplished.
(c) An alternative method of compliance or adjustment of the
compliance time that provides an equivalent level of safety may be
approved by the Manager, Wichita Aircraft Certification Office
(ACO), 1801 Airport Road, Room 100, Mid-Continent Airport, Wichita,
Kansas 67209. The request shall be forwarded through an appropriate
FAA Maintenance Inspector, who may add comments and then send it to
the Manager, Wichita ACO.
Note 2: Information concerning the existence of approved
alternative methods of compliance with this AD, if any, may be
obtained from the Wichita ACO.
(d) All persons affected by this directive may obtain copies of
the document referred to herein upon request to the Beech Aircraft
Corporation, P.O. Box 85, Wichita, Kansas 67201-0085; or may examine
this document at the FAA, Central Region, Office of the Assistant
Chief Counsel, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri
64106.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 19, 1994.
John R. Colomy,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 94-26372 Filed 10-24-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-U
