Flight control safety: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) - Embraer EMB-145 series airplanes
Dec. 7 FR Doc 05-23702 Docket No. FAA-2005-23145
Requires repetitive inspections and terminating action to prevent cracking or breaking of fittings to the aileron power control unit (PCA), which can result in reduced controllability of the airplane. Problem dates back to 1999, and numerous service bulletins (SBs) apply.
Cost of installing new fittings placed at $21,300 per airplane. Affects 661 airplanes in U.S. registry.
Comments due Jan. 6, 2006.
Structural safety: NPRM - Boeing B757 airplanes
Dec. 8 FR Doc 05-23777 Docket No. FAA-2005-23213
Requires new inspections to detect and correct fatigue cracking of principle structural elements (PSEs). Supersedes existing airworthiness directive (AD).
Cost of inspections placed at $65 per airplane. Action affects 1,038 airplanes in worldwide service, of which 673 are in U.S. registry.
Comments due Jan. 23, 2006.
Flight safety: Notice of availability, request for comment - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) publishes proposed policy regarding aircraft environmental certification, PS-ACE100-2005-10039
Dec. 8 FR Doc E5-7022
FAA publishes a draft policy that clarifies and standardizes environmental qualifications for aircraft systems. The term "environment," used by the FAA, may be somewhat of a misnomer, as the policy really addresses the resistance of systems to interference from lightning and high intensity radiated fields (HIRF). According to the policy, "The guidance allows the depth of the environmental qualification to be commensurate with the severity of the hazard."
The FAA lays out five hazard levels and the certification standards for each:
The policy can be accessed via http://www.airweb.faa.gov/policy; type in PS-ACE100-2005-10039.
Comments due Jan. 9, 2006.
Flight control safety: NPRM - BAE Systems BAe 146 airplanes & Avro 146-RJ airplanes
Dec. 8 FR Doc 05-23778 Docket No. FAA-2005-23215
Requires replacement of elevator bearings to prevent corrosion and loss of lubrication, which could lead to reduced controllability. Action results from deterioration of existing bearings.
Cost of replacing the bearings placed at $8,000 per airplane. Action affects 21 airplanes in U.S. registry.
Comments due Jan. 9, 2006.
Safety in icing conditions:Supplemental NPRM and reopening of comment period - BAE Systems BAe 146 airplanes & Avro 146-RJ airplanes
Dec. 8 FR Doc 05-23776 Docket No. 2002-NM-172-AD
Changes the compliance time from 18 to 24 months for installing linear fluid-filled dampers on elevators to prevent pitch oscillation (vertical bouncing) of the fuselage due to excessive ice buildup on the elevator servo tab.
Cost placed at between $19,600 and $20,100 per airplane. Affects 55 airplanes in U.S. registry.
Comments due Jan. 3, 2006.
Flight control safety: Final rule, request for comments - Embraer EMB-135 and EMB-145 airplanes
Dec. 8 FR Doc 05-23656 Docket No. FAA-2005-23187 AD 2005-25-04
Requires review of maintenance records for reports of severe vibration from tail section or rudder pedals and corrective action to prevent failure of the rudder control rods, which could result in reduced controllability of the airplane.
Cost and number of airplanes not specified.
AD effective Dec. 23. Since the unsafe condition affects flight safety, the AD precedes comments. Comments due Feb. 6, 2006.
Aviation security: Notice - FAA and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announce that only properly registered aircraft operate within the National Airspace System (NAS)
Dec. 9 FR Doc 05-23852
FAA/TSA announce action to revitalize and refocus airspace monitoring. Specifically, as of Feb. 1:
"Operators of identified aircraft with questionable registrations and/or no TSA required security measures/waivers will be: (1) notified of the deficiency, (2) a pilot deviation will be filed on the operator, and (3) the operator may be denied access to the NAS.
"In the event the operator is not the owner, the operator and owner will be notified of the deficiency and both will be subject to any action deemed warranted by the agency in accordance with local, state and federal regulations.
"The U.S. Civil Aviation Registry provides means to search and update aircraft owner information."
No comments are invited.
Emergency oxygen: NPRM - Boeing B747-400 airplanes
Dec. 9 FR Doc 05-23833 Docket No. FAA-2005-23250
Requires inspection of crew oxygen cylinder support bracket for manufacturing date, and corrective action as spelled out in Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 747-35- 2114, to replace support bracket. Based on a report that support bracket may not have been properly heat treated, an issue of quality control during manufacture. The SB is dated 2002, which calls into question the alacrity, or lack thereof, of the FAA's action. According to the NPRM, the proposed action is necessary:
"To prevent failure of the oxygen cylinder support under the most critical flight load conditions, which could cause the oxygen cylinder to come loose and leak oxygen. Leakage of oxygen could result in oxygen being unavailable for the flightcrew or could result in a fire hazard in the vicinity of the leak."
Cost placed at $65 per airplane. Affects 70 airplanes worldwide, of which 15 are in U.S. registry.
Comments due Jan. 23, 2006.
Engine safety: NPRM - General Electric CF6-45/-50 series turbofan engines
Dec. 12 FR Doc 05-23898 Docket No. 95-ANE-10-AD
Requires inspections and refurbishment of side links to prevent their failure and separation of the engine from the airplane. FAA action on this problem dates back to 1995. The affected engines are installed on Boeing DC-10, B767 and B747 airplanes, and on Airbus A300 and A310 airplanes.
Cost about $500 per engine. Affects 195 engines installed on aircraft of U.S. registry.
Comments due Feb. 10, 2006.
Fire safety: Final rule - Raytheon Model 390, Premier 1 business jets
Dec. 12 FR Doc 05-23773 Docket No. FAA-2005-20712 AD 2005-25-07
Requires replacement of plastic cover over the air conditioning compressor motor with a metal one, based on reports that the plastic cover was found melted or burned.
Cost about $665 per airplane. Affects 100 airplanes in U.S. registry.
AD effective Jan. 23, 2006.
Engine safety: Final rule - Pratt & Whitney JT8D series engines
Dec. 12 FR Doc 05-23897 Docket No. 98-ANE-48-AD AD 2005-25-05
Requires inspection and replacement of critical life-limited rotating engine parts, failure of which could result in uncontained engine failure and damage to the airplane. Engines are installed on McDonnell Douglas DC-9, and Boeing B727 and B737 airplanes.
Cost about $520 per engine. About 6,085 engines in worldwide service, of which 3,286 are installed on airplanes of U.S. registry.
AD effective June 12.
Engine safety: Final rule - Pratt & Whitney PW4000 series engines
Dec. 12 FR Doc 05-23828 Docket No. 98-ANE-66-AD AD 2005-25-09
Requires inspection and replacement of critical life-limited rotating engine parts, failure of which could result in uncontained engine failure and damage to the airplane. Engines are installed on Airbus A300, A310 and A330 airplanes, on Boeing B747, B767 and B777 airplanes, and on McDonnell Douglas MD-11 airplanes.
Cost estimated at $650 per engine. About 2,626 engines are in worldwide service, of which 600 are installed on airplanes of U.S. registry.
AD effective June 12, 2006
Flight control safety: Final rule and request for comments - Fokker F27 Mark 050 airplanes
Dec. 12 FR Doc 05-23779 Docket No. FAA-2005-23214 AD 2005-25-06
Requires inspections and addition of locking devices on leading edge attachments of the elevator, rudder and aileron. Action is necessary to prevent a loose leading edge and binding of the flight controls caused by loose attachment screws. Numerous SBs apply.
Cost of modifications placed at $3,400 to $5,700 per airplane. No aircraft in U.S. registry, but if one were to be imported, the work must be done.
AD effective Dec. 27.
Source: U.S. Federal Register, see http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html
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