Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes, 73694-73699 [2021-27974]

Agencies

• Federal Aviation Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 246 (Tuesday, December 28, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 73694-73699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27974]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2021-1005; Project Identifier AD-2021-00842-T]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) 
for certain The Boeing Company Model 747-400 series airplanes. This 
proposed AD was prompted by a report that after a certain circuit 
breaker tripped, power to the two pitot-static (P/S) probe heaters on 
the right-hand side was lost, and the flightcrew discovered conflicting 
procedures in the flightcrew operations manual/quick reference handbook 
(FCOM/QRH). This proposed AD would require revising the existing 
airplane flight manual (AFM) to incorporate procedures to be applied 
during P/S probe heater failure conditions. The FAA is proposing this 
AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by February 
11, 2022.

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 https://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.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket at https://www.regulations.gov by 
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-1005; or in person at 
Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains this NPRM, any comments 
received, and other information. The street address for Docket 
Operations is listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Huey Ton, Aerospace Engineer, Systems 
and Equipment Section, FAA, Los Angeles ACO Branch, 3960 Paramount 
Boulevard, Lakewood, CA 90712-4137; phone: 562-627-5320; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this proposal. Send your comments to an address listed 
under ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2021-1005; Project Identifier 
AD-2021-00842-T'' at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful 
comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, explain the 
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. The FAA 
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend 
this proposal because of those comments.
    Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in 
the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR 
11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to 
https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you 
provide. The agency will also post a report summarizing each 
substantive verbal contact received about this NPRM.

Confidential Business Information

    CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily 
and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public 
disclosure. If your comments responsive to this NPRM contain commercial 
or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that 
you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to 
this NPRM, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted 
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing 
CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked submissions as 
confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public 
docket of this NPRM. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Huey 
Ton, Aerospace Engineer, Systems and Equipment Section, FAA, Los 
Angeles ACO Branch, 3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, CA 90712-4137; 
phone: 562-627-5320; email: [email protected]. Any commentary that the 
FAA receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed 
in the public docket for this rulemaking.

Background

    The FAA has received a report indicating that after a certain 
circuit breaker tripped, power to the two P/S probe heaters on the 
right-hand side was lost, and the flightcrew discovered conflicting 
procedures in the FCOM/QRH. Those existing procedures were written for 
single P/S probe heater failures and did not account for a scenario 
where both P/S probe heaters on one side of the airplane failed 
simultaneously, therefore failing to isolate the unheated P/S probes in 
this scenario. This condition, if not addressed, could result in the 
transmission of potentially inaccurate pitot static pressure data to 
the air data computer (ADC), resulting in erroneous or misleading air 
data being displayed, which, in combination with a stall, overspeed, 
overrun, or short/hard landing conditions, could result in a reduced 
ability of the flightcrew to maintain safe flight and landing of the 
airplane.
    The Boeing Company has revised and released an updated FCOM/QRH to 
address this condition by replacing the conflicting procedures with new 
procedures. However, the FCOM/QRH are not FAA-approved documents. 
Therefore, the FAA has determined the existing AFM must be revised to 
include

[[Page 73695]]

procedures to address the identified unsafe condition.
    The FAA has determined that the identified unsafe condition only 
applies to Model 747-400 series airplanes having a three ADC 
configuration, except for airplanes on which the Production Revision 
Record (PRR) 85655 has been incorporated.

FAA's Determination

    The FAA is issuing this NPRM after determining that the unsafe 
condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on other 
products of the same type design.

Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM

    This proposed AD would require revising the existing AFM to 
incorporate procedures to be applied during P/S probe heater failure 
conditions.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would 
affect 114 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following 
costs to comply with this proposed AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
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                                                                                    Cost per       Cost on U.S.
              Action                     Labor cost            Parts cost           product         operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFM Revision......................  1 work-hour x $85     None................             $85           $9,690
                                     per hour = $85.
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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.
    The FAA is 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

    The FAA determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism 
implications under Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD would 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 this proposed 
regulation:
    (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive 
Order 12866,
    (2) Would not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
    (3) Would 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:

The Boeing Company: Docket No. FAA-2021-1005; Project Identifier AD-
2021-00842-T.

(a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive 
(AD) by February 11, 2022.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to The Boeing Company Model 747-400 series 
airplanes, certificated in any category, having a three air data 
computer (ADC) configuration, except for airplanes on which the 
Production Revision Record (PRR) 85655 has been incorporated.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 34, Navigation.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by a report that after a certain circuit 
breaker tripped, power to the two pitot-static (P/S) probe heaters 
on the right-hand side was lost, and the flightcrew discovered 
conflicting procedures in the flightcrew operations manual/quick 
reference handbook (FCOM/QRH). The FAA is issuing this AD to address 
the conflicting procedures, which could result in the transmission 
of potentially inaccurate pitot static pressure data to the ADC, 
resulting in erroneous or misleading air data being displayed, 
which, in combination with a stall, overspeed, overrun, or short/
hard landing condition, could result in reduced ability of the 
flightcrew to maintain continued safe flight and landing of the 
airplane.

(f) Compliance

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

(g) Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) Revisions

    Within 90 days after the effective date of this AD, revise the 
Non-Normal Procedures Section of the existing AFM to include the 
changes specified in paragraphs (g)(1) through (4) of this AD. 
Revising the existing AFM to include the changes specified in 
paragraphs (g)(1) through (4) of this AD, may be done by inserting a 
copy of figure 1 to paragraph (g)(1) through figure 4 to paragraph 
(g)(4) of this AD into the existing AFM.
    (1) In Section 2, Non-Normal Procedures, add the ``HEAT P/S 
CAPT'' paragraph to include the information in figure 1 to paragraph 
(g)(1) of this AD.
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[[Page 73696]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP28DE21.021

    (2) In Section 2, Non-Normal Procedures, add the ``HEAT P/S F/
O'' paragraph to include the information in figure 2 to paragraph 
(g)(2) of this AD.

[[Page 73697]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP28DE21.022

    (3) In Section 2, Non-Normal Procedures, add the ``HEAT P/S L 
AUX'' paragraph to include the information in figure 3 to paragraph 
(g)(3) of this AD.

[[Page 73698]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP28DE21.023

    (4) In Section 2, Non-Normal Procedures, add the ``HEAT P/S R 
AUX'' paragraph to include the information in figure 4 to paragraph 
(g)(4) of this AD.

[[Page 73699]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP28DE21.024

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(h) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, Seattle ACO Branch, 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 responsible Flight Standards Office, 
as appropriate. If sending information directly to the manager of 
the certification office, send it to the attention of the person 
identified in paragraph (i)(2) of this AD. Information may be 
emailed to: [email protected].
    (2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate 
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager 
of the responsible Flight Standards Office.
    (3) An AMOC that provides an acceptable level of safety may be 
used for any repair, modification, or alteration required by this AD 
if it is approved by The Boeing Company Organization Designation 
Authorization (ODA) that has been authorized by the Manager, Seattle 
ACO Branch, FAA, to make those findings. To be approved, the repair 
method, modification deviation, or alteration deviation must meet 
the certification basis of the airplane, and the approval must 
specifically refer to this AD.

(i) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Huey Ton, 
Aerospace Engineer, Systems and Equipment Section, FAA, Los Angeles 
ACO Branch, 3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, CA 90712-4137; 
phone: 562-627-5320; email: [email protected].
    (2) For information about AMOCs, contact Frank Carreras, 
Aerospace Engineer, Systems and Equipment Section, FAA, Seattle ACO 
Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; phone and fax: 
206-231-3539; email: [email protected].

    Issued on November 12, 2021.
Lance T. Gant,
Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-27974 Filed 12-27-21; 8:45 am]
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