Federal Aviation Administration February 25, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes special conditions for the Boeing Model 747-8 airplane. This airplane, as modified by L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. This design feature is large, non-structural glass panels in the passenger compartment. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, the FAA's exemption process. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, the FAA's exemption process. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, the FAA's exemption process. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI), Model 369A, 369D, 369E, 369FF, 369HE, 369HM, 369HS, 500N, and 600N helicopters with a certain part-numbered main rotor blade attach pin (pin) installed. This AD requires ensuring the life limit of the pin as listed in the Airworthiness Limitations section of aircraft maintenance records and Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA). If the hours time-in-service (TIS) of a pin is unknown, or if a pin has exceeded its life limit, this AD requires removing the affected pin from service. This AD was prompted by a report from an operator who purchased pins that did not have life limit documentation. These actions are intended to document the life limit to prevent a pin remaining in service beyond its fatigue life, which could result in failure of a pin, failure of a main rotor blade, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 767-200, -300, and -400ER series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by an evaluation by the design approval holder (DAH) indicating that the skin lap splice is subject to widespread fatigue damage (WFD). This proposed AD would require repetitive external detailed and surface high frequency eddy current (HFEC) inspections of the outer skin for cracking around fastener heads common to the inboard fastener row of the skin lap splice. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the skin lap splice, which, if not detected, could grow and result in possible rapid decompression and reduced structural integrity of the airplane.

We propose to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2013-24- 12, which applies to all The Boeing Company Model 747-8 and 747-8F airplanes. AD 2013-24-12 currently requires repetitive ultrasonic or dye penetrant inspections for cracking of the barrel nuts and bolts on each forward engine mount, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. Since we issued AD 2013-24-12, we have determined that it is necessary to mandate the installation of new barrel nuts or new inspections to adequately address the unsafe condition. This proposed AD would retain the requirements of AD 2013-24-12 and add requirements to install new barrel nuts at the forward engine mounts; or identify the part number of the barrel nuts, inspect affected barrel nuts for gaps of the strut bulkhead and forward engine mount, and do related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD would also remove airplanes from the applicability. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct cracked barrel nuts on a forward engine mount, which could result in reduced load capacity of the forward engine mount, separation of an engine under power from the airplane, and consequent loss of control of the airplane.