Federal Aviation Administration May 7, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Boeing Model 737-100, -200, -200C, -300, -400, and -500 series airplanes. For all airplanes, this AD requires repetitive overhaul of the retract actuator beam of the main landing gear (MLG). For certain airplanes, this AD requires repetitive inspections for damage of the retract actuator beam, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This AD results from reports of broken retract actuator beams of the MLG and the subsequent failure of the MLG to fully retract. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct broken retract actuator beams of the MLG, which could cause damage to the beam arm, hydraulic tubing, and flight control cables. Damage to the flight control cables could result in loss of control of the airplane.

The FAA is withdrawing a previously published NPRM that proposed to revise the system of ratings and require repair stations to establish a quality program. The NPRM also proposed to require each repair station to maintain a capability list, designate a chief inspector, and have permanent housing for facilities, equipment, materials, and personnel. The proposal would have specified additional instances where the FAA may deny a repair station certificate, and clarified some existing repair station regulations. We are withdrawing the NPRM because we have determined that it does not

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 777-200 series airplanes. This proposed AD would require installing a new insulation blanket on the latch beam firewall of each thrust reverser (T/R) half. This proposed AD results from an in-flight shutdown due to an engine fire indication; an under-cowl engine fire was extinguished after landing. The cause of the fire was uncontained failure of the starter in the engine core compartment; the fire progressed into the latch beam cavity and was fueled by oil from a damaged integrated drive generator oil line. We are proposing this AD to prevent a fire from entering the cowl or strut area, which could weaken T/R parts and result in reduced structural integrity of the T/R, possible separation of T/R parts during flight, and consequent damage to the airplane and injury to people or damage to property on the ground.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to all BAE Systems (Operations) Limited (Jetstream) Model 4101 airplanes. That AD currently requires operators to determine the number of flight cycles accumulated on each component of the main landing gear (MLG) and the nose landing gear (NLG), and to replace each component that reaches its life limit with a serviceable component. The existing AD also requires operators to revise the Airworthiness Limitations (AWL) section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) in the aircraft maintenance manual to reflect the new life limits for structurally significant items. This new AD requires a new revision of the AWL section of the ICA to incorporate revised life limits for structurally significant items, operational and functional tests of certain systems, and instructions to retain critical ignition source prevention features during configuration changes. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of certain structurally significant items, including the MLG and the NLG, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane; and to prevent fuel vapor ignition sources, which could result in fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the airplane.