E8-14972. Airworthiness Directives; Boeing Model 747-100, 747-100B, 747-100B SUD, 747-200B, 747-200C, 747-200F, 747-300, 747-400, 747-400D, 747-400F, 747SR, and 747SP Series Airplanes

AGENCY:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Boeing Model 747 airplanes listed above. This AD requires repetitive inspections for broken or missing fasteners in the single-row hinge fasteners of the forward and aft cargo doors, and related investigative/corrective actions. This AD results from reports of broken and missing fasteners in the hinges of the forward and aft cargo doors in both the body hinge segments and the door hinge segments. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct broken or missing fasteners in the hinge segments with a single fastener row, which could lead to opening of the cargo door during flight and result in rapid decompression of the airplane.

DATES:

This AD is effective August 14, 2008.

The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of August 14, 2008.

ADDRESSES:

For service information identified in this AD, contact Boeing Commercial Airplanes, P.O. Box 3707, Seattle, Washington 98124-2207.

Examining the AD Docket

You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov; 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 AD, the regulatory evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The address for the Docket Office (telephone [phone]) is the Document Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ivan Li, Aerospace Engineer, Airframe Branch, ANM-120S, FAA, Seattle Aircraft Certification Office, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98057-3356; telephone [phone]; fax [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

We issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 to include an airworthiness directive (AD) that would apply to all Boeing Model 747-100, 747-100B, 747-100B SUD, 747-200B, 747-200C, 747-200F, 747-300, 747-400, 747-400D, 747-400F, 747SR, and 747SP series airplanes. That NPRM was published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2008 (73 FR 8248). That NPRM proposed to require repetitive inspections for broken or missing fasteners in the single-row hinge fasteners of the forward and aft cargo doors, and related investigative/corrective actions.

Comments

We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing this AD. We considered the comments received.

Request To Cite Corrected Service Bulletin

Japan Airlines (JAL) states that it informed Boeing of an error in Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 747-52A2287, dated October 25, 2007, which we referred to as the appropriate source of service information for doing the actions proposed in the NPRM. JAL found an error in torque values and fastener quantities in Figures 9, 25, and 26 of that service bulletin. Therefore, JAL requests that we delay issuance of the AD until Boeing revises its service information with the corrected values and quantities. Boeing states that it has revised the service bulletin and recommends that the AD refer to Revision 1.

We agree with the commenter. Boeing has issued Service Bulletin 747-52A2287, Revision 1, dated April 17, 2008, which contains the corrected torque values and fastener quantities. Revision 1 of the service bulletin also corrects errors in certain part numbers and station locations. We have revised paragraph (f) of the AD to refer to Revision 1 and to remove the actions to take if there is one or more fasteners missing from a hinge segment. That information is included in Revision 1 of the service bulletin. We have also added a new paragraph (g) to the AD to give credit to operators who accomplished the required actions in accordance with the original issue of the service bulletin. We have re-identified subsequent paragraphs accordingly.

Conclusion

We reviewed the relevant data, considered the comments received, and determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting the AD with the changes described previously. We also determined that these changes will not increase the economic burden on any operator or increase the scope of the AD.

Costs of Compliance

We estimate that this AD affects 165 airplanes of U.S. registry. The “Estimated Costs” table provides the estimated costs for U.S. operators to comply with this AD.

Estimated Costs

Action	Work hours	Average labor rate per hour	Cost per product	Number of U.S.-registered airplanes	Fleet cost
Detailed inspection	3	$80	$240, per inspection cycle	165	$39,600, per inspection cycle.
Torque application (for any hinge segment with no broken or missing fastener)	7	$80	$560, per inspection cycle	Up to 165	Up to $92,400, per inspection cycle.

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

This AD will not have federalism implications under Executive Order 13132. This AD will 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 DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979), and

(3) 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.

You can find our regulatory evaluation and the estimated costs of compliance in the AD Docket.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

• Air transportation
• Aircraft
• Aviation safety
• Incorporation by reference
• Safety

Adoption of the Amendment

Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the FAA amends 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. 106(g), 40113, 44701.

§ 39.13

[Amended]

2. The FAA amends § 39.13 by adding the following new AD:

2008-14-08 Boeing: Amendment 39-15603. Docket No. FAA-2008-0166; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-329-AD.

Effective Date

(a) This airworthiness directive (AD) is effective August 14, 2008.

Affected ADs

(b) None.

Applicability

(c) This AD applies to all Boeing Model 747-100, 747-100B, 747-100B SUD, 747-200B, 747-200C, 747-200F, 747-300, 747-400, 747-400D, 747-400F, 747SR, and 747SP series airplanes, certificated in any category.

Unsafe Condition

(d) This AD results from reports of broken and missing fasteners in the hinges of the forward and aft cargo doors in both the body hinge segments and the door hinge segments. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct broken or missing fasteners in the hinge segments with a single fastener row, which could lead to opening of the cargo door during flight and result in rapid decompression of the airplane.

Compliance

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

Repetitive Inspection and Related Investigative/Corrective Actions

(f) Before the accumulation of 7,200 total flight cycles or within 3,000 flight cycles after the effective date of this AD, whichever occurs later: Do a detailed inspection for broken or missing fasteners of the single-row hinge fasteners of the forward and aft cargo door hinge segments, and do all applicable related investigative (torque application) and corrective actions by accomplishing all the actions specified in the Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Service Bulletin 747-52A2287, Revision 1, dated April 17, 2008. Do all applicable related investigative and corrective actions before further flight. Repeat the inspection thereafter at intervals not to exceed 6,000 flight cycles.

Actions Accomplished According to Earlier Revision of Service Bulletin

(g) Actions accomplished before the effective date of this AD in accordance with Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 747-52A2287, dated October 25, 2007, are acceptable for compliance with the corresponding actions of this AD.

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

(h)(1) The Manager, Seattle Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), FAA, ATTN: Ivan Li, Aerospace Engineer, Airframe Branch, ANM-120S, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98057-3356; telephone [phone]; fax [phone]; has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19.

(2) To request a different method of compliance or a different compliance time for this AD, follow the procedures in 14 CFR 39.19. Before using any approved AMOC on any airplane to which the AMOC applies, notify your appropriate principal inspector (PI) in the FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), or lacking a PI, your local FSDO.

(3) An AMOC that provides an acceptable level of safety may be used for any repair required by this AD, if it is approved by an Authorized Representative for the Boeing Commercial Airplanes Delegation Option Authorization Organization who has been authorized by the Manager, Seattle ACO, to make those findings. For a repair method to be approved, the repair must meet the certification basis of the airplane, and the approval must specifically refer to this AD.

Material Incorporated by Reference

(i) You must use Boeing Service Bulletin 747-52A2287, Revision 1, dated April 17, 2008, to do the actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.

(1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of this service information under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.

(2) For service information identified in this AD, contact Boeing Commercial Airplanes, P.O. Box 3707, Seattle, Washington 98124-2207.

(3) You may review copies of the service information incorporated by reference at the FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington; or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/​federal_​register/​code_​of_​federal_​regulations/​ibr_​locations.html.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on June 24, 2008.

Ali Bahrami,

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.