[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 4, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 51944-51946]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-24640]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. 95-CE-50-AD]
Airworthiness Directives; I.A.M. Rinaldo Piaggio S.p.A. Model P
180 Series 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 I.A.M. Rinaldo Piaggio S.p.A.
(Piaggio) Model P 180 series airplanes. The proposed action would
require installing a shield on the front section of the engine cradle.
A report of power control jamming as a result of freezing conditions
during a high altitude flight prompted this AD action. The actions
specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent loss of engine
power or the propeller controls from jamming as a result of freezing
rain entering the engine nacelle, which, if not detected and corrected,
could result in loss of control of the airplane.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 5, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments in triplicate to the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), Central Region, Office of the Assistant Chief
Counsel, Attention: Rules Docket No. 95-CE-50-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 I.A.M. Rinaldo Piaggio, S.p.A., Via Cibrario, 4 16154, Genoa,
Italy. This information also may be examined at the Rules Docket at the
address above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Delano D. Castle, Program Manager,
Brussels Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, Europe, Africa, and Middle
East Office, c/o American Embassy, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium; telephone
(322) 513.3830, ext. 2716; facsimile (322) 230.6899; or Mr. J. Mike
Kiesov, Project Officer, Small Airplane Directorate, Airplane
Certification Service, FAA, 1201 Walnut, suite 900, Kansas City,
Missouri 64105; telephone (816) 426-6932; facsimile (816) 426-2169.
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. 95-CE-50-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. 95-CE-50-AD, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street,
Kansas City, Missouri 64106.
Discussion
The Registro Aeronautico Italiano (RAI), which is the airworthiness
authority for Italy, recently notified the FAA that an unsafe condition
may exist on certain Piaggio Model P 180 series airplanes. The RAI
advised of an incident in which water entered the accessory gearbox
zone during heavy rain conditions, and passed through the starter
generator air discharge port or
[[Page 51945]]
through the interstices between the nacelle inspection hutch and the
nacelle itself. The trapped water on the power and propeller controls
resulted in the controls freezing and jamming while flying at high
altitudes.
Piaggio has issued Service Bulletin (SB) 80-0066; Original Issue
December 12, 1994, which specifies modifying the nacelle by installing
a shield on the front section of the engine cradle to prevent water
from getting into the power and propeller controls.
The RAI classified this service bulletin as mandatory and issued
its AD number 95-087, dated April 6, 1995, in order to assure the
continued airworthiness of these airplanes in Italy.
This airplane model is manufactured in Italy and is type
certificated for operation in the United States under the provisions of
Sec. 21.29 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.29) and the
applicable bilateral airworthiness agreement between Italy and the
United States. Pursuant to this bilateral airworthiness agreement, the
RAI has kept the FAA informed of the situation described above.
The FAA has examined the findings of the RAI, reviewed all
available information, and determined that AD action is necessary for
products of this type design that are certificated for operation in the
United States.
Since an unsafe condition has been identified that is likely to
exist or develop in other Piaggio Model P 180 series airplanes of the
same type design, the proposed AD would require modifying the nacelle
by installing a shield on the front section of the engine cradle in
accordance with Piaggio SB 80-0066; Original Issue: December 12, 1994.
The FAA estimates that 5 airplanes in the U.S. registry would be
affected by the proposed AD, that it would take approximately 2
workhours per airplane to accomplish the proposed action, and that the
average labor rate is approximately $60 an hour. Parts will be
furnished by the manufacturer at no cost to the owner/operators. Based
on these figures, the total cost impact of the proposed AD on U.S.
operators is estimated to be $600. This figure is based on the
assumption that none of the affected airplanes have shields installed
and that none of the affected owners/operators have modified the
airplanes.
The compliance time of this AD is presented in both hours time-in-
service (TIS) and calendar time. The FAA has determined that including
calendar time compliance is also necessary because the unsafe condition
is the result of adverse weather conditions which can affect the
nacelle and power controls while not in use as well as in flight.
Therefore, to ensure that the above-described condition is detected and
corrected on all airplanes within a reasonable period of time without
inadvertently grounding any airplanes, a compliance schedule based upon
both TIS and calendar time instead of hours TIS is required.
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 USC 106(g), 40101, 40113, 44701.
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
2. Section 39.13 is amended by adding a new airworthiness directive
(AD) to read as follows:
I.A.M. Rinaldo Piaggio S.P.A.: Docket No. 95-CE-50-AD.
Applicability: Model P 180 Series Airplanes (serial numbers
1001, 1002, 1004, and 1006 through 1033), certificated in any
category.
Note 1: This AD applies to each airplane identified in the
preceding applicability provision, regardless of whether it has been
modified, altered, or repaired in the area subject to the
requirements of this AD. For airplanes that have been modified,
altered, or repaired so that the performance of the requirements of
this AD is affected, the owner/operator must request approval for an
alternative method of compliance in accordance with paragraph (c) of
this AD. The request should include an assessment of the effect of
the modification, alteration, or repair on the unsafe condition
addressed by this AD; and, if the unsafe condition has not been
eliminated, the request should include specific proposed actions to
address it. Compliance: Required initially within the next 100 hours
time-in service (TIS), or within the next 3 calendar months,
whichever occurs later, after the effective date of this AD, unless
already accomplished.
Note 2: The initial compliance time in this AD takes precedence
over the compliance time reflected in Piaggio Service Bulletin 80-
0066, Original Issue, December 12, 1994.
To prevent loss of engine power or the propeller controls from
jamming, as a result of freezing rain entering the engine nacelle,
which, if not detected and corrected, could result in loss of
control of the airplane, accomplish the following:
(a) Modify the nacelle by installing a shield on the front
section of the engine cradle, in accordance with the ACCOMPLISHMENT
INSTRUCTIONS section in Piaggio Service Bulletin (SB) No. 80-0066;
Original Issue: December 12, 1994.
(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 times that provides an equivalent level of safety may be
approved by the Manager, Brussels Aircraft Certification Office,
FAA, Europe, Africa, and Middle East Office, c/o American Embassy,
B-1000 Brussels, Belgium. The request shall be forwarded through an
appropriate FAA Maintenance Inspector, who may add comments and then
send it to the Manager, Brussels Aircraft Certification Office.
Note 3: Information concerning the existence of approved
alternative methods of compliance with this AD, if any, may be
obtained from the Brussels Aircraft Certification Office.
(d) All persons affected by this directive may obtain copies of
the document referred to herein upon request to I.A.M. Rinaldo
Piaggio, S.p.A., Via Cibrario, 4 16154, Genoa, Italy; 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.
[[Page 51946]]
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on September 26, 1995.
Henry A. Armstrong,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 95-24640 Filed 10-3-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-U
