Cargo safety: Notice of availability -- Draft technical standard order (TSO) on cargo restraint strap assemblies Dec. 13, 2005 FR Doc 05-23934 Federal Aviation Administration (
FAA) publishes for comment TSO-C172 outlining minimum performance standards for cargo restraint strap assemblies. The straps are used...
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Cargo safety: Notice of availability -- Draft technical standard order (TSO) on cargo restraint strap assemblies
Dec. 13, 2005 FR Doc 05-23934
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) publishes for comment TSO-C172 outlining minimum performance standards for cargo restraint strap assemblies. The straps are used for cargo loaded onto pallets for transport in the cargo hold. Of interest, the testing criteria are not just for new, pristine, strap assemblies, but also for those worn in service:
"In particular, operating instructions and limitations must include allowable webbing deterioration limits, as well as wear, damage, and corrosion limits that ensure the cargo strap assembly will meet its rated ultimate load."
Comments due Jan. 27.
Fuel system safety: Final special conditions -- Boeing B737s (both Classics and Next Generation)
Dec. 13, 2005 FR Doc 05-23936 Docket No. NM309 Special Conditions No. 25-308-SC
This is the second special condition issued on Boeing aircraft to increase the safety of heated center wing tanks by installing an inerting system that will fill the void space in the tank with nitrogen enriched air (NEA). The first special condition was issued on the B747 in the Federal Register of Jan. 24, 2005, and this document is very similar. Additional special conditions can be anticipated for B757 and B767 aircraft; less clear is whether such inerting and special conditions will apply to the B777, which uses sonar rather than electricity in its fuel quantity measuring system.
The special condition requires the submission of a Monte Carlo analysis to demonstrate that fleet-wide average flammability will be no more than 3 percent when the void space is filled with NEA, allowing an oxygen concentration of not more than 12 percent. In most cases, 12 percent oxygen will sustain an explosion in only the most extreme case. The issue of the Monte Carlo method and the other proposed rulemaking to increase fuel tank safety have been addressed previously in this publication (see ASW, Dec. 5, 2005).
The effective date of the special conditions is Dec. 5, 2005, although comments on the general approach to fuel tank safety, propounded by the FAA in an NPRM of Nov. 23, are not due until March 23 (see ASW, Dec. 5, 2005).
Flight control safety:Final rule -- Boeing B737 airplanes (both Classics and Next Generation)
Dec. 16 FR Doc 05-24151 Docket No. FAA-2005-21712 AD 2005-26-03
Requires modifying the input torque tube to prevent a jam of the elevator control system. A special tool is required, which will be provided by Boeing at no charge.
Cost, depending on model, varies from $245 to $1,745 per airplane.
Affects 2,971 airplanes in worldwide service, of which 1,573 are in U.S. registry.
Airworthiness directive (AD) effective Jan. 20.
Flight control safety:Final rule -- Boeing B777-200 and -300 airplanes
Dec. 16 FR Doc 05-24050 Docket No. FAA-2005-21356 AD 2005-25-24
Requires repetitive inspections for worn, fretted and fractured bolts to prevent flaperon departing from the airplane, resulting in loss of roll control and possible damage to the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. A flaperon is a control surface that combines aspects of both flaps and ailerons.
Cost placed at $14,000 per airplane for inspections and corrective actions. Affects 483 airplanes worldwide, of which 131 are in U.S. registry.
AD effective Jan. 20.
Structural safety:Final rule ? Boeing B747-400 airplanes
Dec. 16 FR Doc 05-24053 Docket No. FAA-2005-22437 AD 2005-25-26
Requires repetitive inspections of B747s delivered between 1995 and 1999 for corrosion in the in the forward and aft cargo compartments to prevent rapid decompression of the airplane. Peeling, missing or blistering paint are telltale signs of corrosion; action based on report of skin corrosion found on four B747 aircraft delivered between 1995 and 1999.
Cost of inspections about $650 per airplane. Affects 260 airplanes in worldwide service, of which 36 are in U.S. registry.
AD effective Jan. 20.
Flight control safety:Final rule -- Boeing B767-200 and -300 airplanes
Dec. 16, 2005 FR Doc 05-24054 Docket No. FAA-2005-21716 AD 2005-25-25
Requires installation of a modified unit to prevent jamming of the pilot's aileron control and reduced controllability of the airplane. Results from report of an override mechanism seizing.
Cost placed at $796 per airplane. Affects 82 airplanes in worldwide service, of which 45 are in U.S. registry.
AD effective Jan. 20.
Flight and duty time rest restrictions: Notice -- FAA announces procedures for handling requests for interpretation of the flight time, rest and duty period regulations
Dec. 16 FR Doc 05-24128
FAA says it has received several requests for interpretation of the flight/duty time regulations and that a public comment period will be provided. The following procedures will apply:
- Repetitive type questions will not be entertained; restrict comments and requests to new issues.
- The FAA reserves the right to modify or discontinue procedures at any time "at the election of the Office of Chief Counsel."
It should be noted that the Chief Counsel's office's last public pronouncement on the flight/duty time rules was in May 2001, when it declared that the 16-hour duty day was sacrosanct -- thus preserving 8 hours of rest in each 24-hour period (see ASW, May 28, 2001).
Policy effective Jan. 1.
Safety in icing conditions: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), extension of comment period ? Airplane performance and handling qualities in icing conditions
Dec. 19, 2005 FR Doc 05-24157
FAA extends the comment period to Feb. 2 from Jan. 3 on proposed Advisory Circular (AC) 25.21-1X, "Performance and Handling Characteristics in the Icing Conditions Specified in Part 25, Appendix C" (see ASW, Nov. 14, 2005). The AC is half of the two-part rulemaking; the other half is upgraded airworthiness standards (see ASW, Nov. 14, 2005).
The extension of the comment period brings the time for comment on the proposed AC into alignment with the time to comment on the larger rulemaking.
Comments due Feb. 2.
Safety in icing conditions: Notice of proposed AC and request for comment -- Revisions to AC 25-7A, "Flight Test Guide for Certification of Transport Category Airplanes"
Dec. 19, 2005 FR Doc 05-24156
Proposed revisions remove the guidance material for flight in icing conditions and places them in AC 25.21-1X (see above). The FAA explains:
"The effect of the proposed changes ... would be to allow extrapolation of airplane takeoff and landing performance data to higher and lower altitudes without applying an arbitrary distance penalty ... This proposed methodology is consistent with, but more stringent than, some of the means of compliance that have been accepted in past certification programs ... This proposed revision ... should act as a catalyst to provide more consistency throughout the industry for applying 'best practices' in determining and substantiating airplane and propulsion system performance models throughout the operating envelope. Instead of applying an arbitrary takeoff and landing distance penalty for large extrapolations in altitude above the test altitude, this means of compliance encourages applicants to develop and verify an accurate model of the propulsion system performance and substantiate its integration with the airplane drag model."
Comments due Feb. 2.
Structural safety: NPRM -- Boeing B747-100 through -400 airplanes
Dec. 20, 2005 FR Doc. 05-24242 Docket No. FAA-2005-23358
Requires detection and correction of fatigue cracking in lower fuselage. Supersedes existing AD by expanding applicability and is considered interim action only pending refining of a final fix.
Cost of inspection estimated at $130 per airplane per inspection cycle. Affects 681 airplanes in worldwide service, of which 99 are in U.S. registry.
Comments due Feb. 3.
Fuel system safety:NPRM -- Boeing B777-200 airplanes
Dec. 20, 2005 FR Doc 05-24243 Docket No. FAA-2005-23357
Requires installing a new washer in the sump drain valve assembly to prevent a lightening strike from arcing in the center fuel tank, which could result in a fuel tank explosion. Stems from SFAR 88 mandated review of fuel system safety (see ASW, July 11, 2005).
Cost placed at $620 per airplane. Affects 88 airplanes worldwide, of which 22 are in U.S. registry.
Comments due Feb. 3.
Electrical system safety:Supplemental NPRM and reopening of comment period -- McDonnell Douglas DC-9, and MD-81 through MD-88 airplanes
Dec. 20, 2005 FR Doc 05-24246 Docket No. 2003-NM-198-AD
Requires repetitive inspections of static port heaters to prevent an electrical short from igniting the thermal/acoustic insulation blanket, which could result in smoke/fire migrating to the cabin. This action stems from National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendation to replace the one-time inspection with repetitive inspections, as incorrect stacking of the heater and insulator components can occur after the initial inspection. This action stems from the NTSB investigation of a static port heater fire on a Delta Air Lines MD-88 in 1999. Note that the NTSB investigation was completed in 2001 and the details of corrective action are still being discussed.
Cost of inspection placed at $130 per airplane. Action affects 1,836 airplanes in the worldwide fleet, of which 1,125 are in U.S. registry.
Comments due Jan. 17.
Electrical system safety: Supplemental NPRM and reopening of comment period -- McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 airplanes
Dec. 20, 2005 FR Doc 05-24247 Docket No. 2003-NM-194-AD
Essentially a duplicate of the entry immediately above but applicable to MD-90-30 airplanes.
Cost of inspection placed at $130 per airplane. Action affects 116 airplanes in the worldwide fleet, of which 22 are in U.S. registry.
Comments due Jan. 17.
Engine safety: Final rule -- Dassault Falcon 2000 airplanes
Dec. 20, 2005 FR Doc 05-24150 Docket No. FAA-2005-22633 AD 2005-26-01
Requires inspection and replacement of fail-safe pins/fasteners to prevent separation of engine in flight.
Cost of inspection estimated at $65 per airplane. Affects 149 airplanes in U.S. registry.
AD effective Jan. 24.
Flight control safety: Final rule -- Bombardier CL-600 and CL-601 airplanes
Dec. 21, 2005 FR Doc 05-24244 Docket No. FAA-2005-22627 AD 2005-26-04
Requires inspection and replacing or modifying the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator to prevent loss of the horizontal stabilizer.
Cost about $780 per airplane. Affects 269 airplanes in U.S. registry.
AD effective Jan. 25.
Engine safety: Final rule -- General Electric CF6-45A, CF6-50A and CF6-50E turbofan engines
Dec. 22, 2005 FR Doc 05-24341 Docket No. FAA-2005-22124 AD 2005-26-06
Requires installing new interstage seals to prevent uncontained engine failure.
Cost about $26,700 per engine. Affects 2,079 engines in worldwide service, of which 790 are installed on planes of U.S. registry, primarily on Boeing DC-10 and B747 airplanes, and on Airbus A300 airplanes.
Airworthiness directive (AD) effective Jan. 26.
Structural safety: Emergency airworthiness directive -- Pacific Aerospace Model PAC 750XL airplanes
Dec. 23 AD 2005-26-53
Prior to further flight, the airplane flight manual (AFM) must be modified to read: "The maximum takeoff weight is reduced from 7,500 pounds to 7,125 pounds."
The FAA explains:
"This AD is the result of information that the wing of these airplanes may not meet the ultimate load requirements for a maximum takeoff weight of 7,500 pounds. Pacific Aerospace Corporation Ltd. found the condition on a production wing during an ultimate load test [ultimate load applies a 50 percent safety factor to limit load, which is the heaviest loading expected in service].
"Investigation is not complete, but indications show that some critical rivets were not fully age-hardened. This AD is intended to allow wing ultimate load requirements to be met, which if not met, could result in wing failure and subsequent loss of control of the airplane."
The manufacturer has a modification in the works to replace the critical rivets with bolts, but it will be some time before the modification is available.
The airplane is manufactured in New Zealand, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of New Zealand issued an emergency airworthiness directive on Dec. 22, and the FAA action basically emulates the CAA.
The PAC 750XL is a turboprop powered, gull wing, fixed tricycle landing gear airplane designed for utility operations, to include dropping parachutists. It is designed to compete with Cessna's Caravan. Photo: http://www.aerospace.co.nz/gallery/default.htm
Source: U.S. Federal Register, see http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html
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