[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 64 (Friday, April 3, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16452-16453]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8735]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Parts 91, 121, 125, and 129
[Docket No. 29104; Notice No. 97-16A]
RIN 2120-AF81
Repair Assessment for Pressurized Fuselages
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment period.
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SUMMARY: The FAA announces an extension of the comment period for
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) No. 97-16, which was published in
the Federal Register on January 2, 1998. In that notice, the FAA
invites public comments relative to a proposal that would require
incorporation of repair assessment guidelines for the fuselage pressure
boundary (fuselage skins and pressure webs) of certain transport
category airplane models into the FAA-approved maintenance or
inspection program of each operator of those airplanes. This extension
is necessary to afford all interested parties an opportunity to present
their views on the proposed rulemaking.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 2, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Comments on Notice 97-16 may be mailed in triplicate to:
Federal Aviation Administration, Office of the Chief Counsel,
Attention: Rules Docket (AGC-200), Docket No. 19104, 800 Independence
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591; or delivered in triplicate to: Room
915G, 800 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591. Comments
delivered must be marked Docket No. 29104. Comments may also be
submitted electronically to: [email protected] Comments may be
examined in Room 915G weekdays, except Federal holidays, between 8:30
a.m. and 5:00 p.m. In addition, the FAA is maintaining an information
docket of comments in the Transport Airplane Directorate (ANM-100),
Federal Aviation Administration, Northwest Mountain Region, 1601 Lind
Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98055-4056. Comments in the information docket
may be examined weekdays, except Federal holidays, between 7:30 a.m.
and 4:00 p.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dorenda Baker, Manager, Airframe and Airworthiness Branch, ANM-115, FAA
Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, 1601
Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98055-4056; telephone (425) 227-2109,
facsimile (425) 227-1100.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
Interested persons are invited to participate in the rulemaking
proposed in Notice 97-16 by submitting such written data, views, or
arguments as they may desire. Comments relating to the environmental,
energy, federalism, or economic impact that might result from adoption
of the proposals in the notice are also invited. Substantive comments
should also be accompanied by cost estimates. Commenters should
identify the regulatory docket or notice number and submit comments in
triplicate to the Rules Docket address specified above. All comments
received on or before the closing date for comments will be considered
by the Administrator before taking action on the proposed rulemaking.
The proposals contained in Notice 97-16 may be changed in light of the
comments received. All comments received will be available in the Rules
Docket for examination by interested persons, both before and after the
closing date for comments. A report summarizing each substantive public
contact with FAA personnel concerned with this rulemaking will be filed
in the docket. Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of
their comments submitted in response to this notice must include a
self-addressed, stamped postcard on which the following statement is
made: ``Comments to Docket No. 29104.'' The postcard will be date
stamped and returned to the commenter.
Availability of the NPRM
An electronic copy of Notice 97-16 may be downloaded using a modem
and suitable communications software from the FAA regulations section
of the Fedworld electronic bulletin board service (telephone: 703-321-
3339), the online Federal Register database through GPO Access
(telephone: 202-512-1661), or the FAA's Aviation Rulemaking Advisory
Committee Bulletin Board service (telephone: 202-267-5948).
Internet users may reach the FAA's web page at http://www.faa.gov
or GPO's Federal Register web page at http://www.access.gpo.gov/
su__docs for access to recently published rulemaking documents.
Any person may obtain a copy of Notice 97-16 by submitting a
request to the Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Rulemaking,
ARM-1, 800 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, D.C. 20591, or by
calling (202) 267-9677. Communications must identify the notice number.
Persons interested in being placed on a mailing list for future
rulemaking documents should request from the Office of Public Affairs,
Attention: Public Inquiry Center, APA-230, 800 Independence Ave SW.,
Washington, D.C. 20591, or by calling (202) 267-3484, a copy of
Advisory Circular No. 11-2A, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Distribution
System, which describes the application procedure.
Background
On January 2, 1998, the FAA published Notice No. 97-16 (63 FR 126).
In that notice the FAA proposed rulemaking that would require
incorporation of repair assessment guidelines for the fuselage pressure
boundary (fuselage skins and pressure webs) of certain transport
category airplane models into the FAA-approved maintenance or
inspection program of each operator of those airplanes. This action is
the result of concern for the continued operational safety of airplanes
that are approaching or have exceeded their design service goal. The
purpose of the repair assessment guidelines is to establish a damage-
tolerance based supplemental inspection program for repairs to detect
damage, which may develop in a repaired area, before that damage
degrades the load-carrying capability of the structure below the levels
required by the applicable airworthiness standards.
Since Notice 97-16 was published, the FAA has received requests
from persons requesting that the comment period for the notice be
extended past April 2, 1998, to allow commenters more time in which to
study the proposal and to prepare their comments. The commenters point
out that in some cases the repair assessment guidelines referred to in
the notice are not available from the manufacturer for review. The
commenters had anticipated being able
[[Page 16453]]
to review the guidelines along with the proposals in the notice in
order to provide meaningful comment on the proposed rulemaking by the
April 2 comment deadline. As this has not been the case, the commenters
now request that the comment period be extended for a sufficient amount
of time to allow the issuance of the guidelines by the manufacturers
and to allow the commenters to study the proposal and prepare their
comments. The FAA anticipates that the guidelines will be available for
operators to review within 30 days after the publication of this
notice.
Extension of Comment Period
The FAA has reviewed the requests for consideration of an extended
comment period for Notice 97-16 and determined that an extension would
be in the public interest and that good cause exists for taking this
action. Accordingly, the comment period for Notice 97-16, as well as
the draft advisory circular (AC) 120-XX, is extended for an additional
ninety days, as identified under the caption DATES.
Issued in Washington, D.C. on March 27, 1998.
Elizabeth Erickson,
Deputy Director, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 98-8735 Filed 4-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M
