Airworthiness Directives; Raytheon Aircraft Company 90, 100, 200, and 300 Series Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 136 (Thursday, July 16, 1998)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 38295-38298] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-18868]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 97-CE-92-AD; Amendment 39-10664; AD 98-15-13] RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Raytheon Aircraft Company 90, 100, 200, and 300 Series Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Raytheon Aircraft Company (Raytheon) 90, 100, 200, and 300 series airplanes (formerly known as Beech Aircraft Corporation 90, 100, 200,

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and 300 series airplanes). This AD requires: checking the airplane maintenance records from January 1, 1994, up to and including the effective date of this AD, for any MIL-H-6000B fuel hose replacements on the affected airplanes; inspecting any replaced rubber fuel hose for a spiral or diagonal external wrap with a red stripe the length of the hose with 94519 printed along the stripe; and replacing any MIL-H-6000B rubber fuel hose matching this description with an FAA-approved hose having a criss-cross or braided external wrap. This AD was prompted by a report of a product defect by the manufacturer that could cause fuel system blockage and engine stoppage. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent fuel flow interruption, which could lead to uncommanded loss of engine power and loss of control of the airplane.

DATES: Effective August 28, 1998. The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in the regulations is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of August 28, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Service information that applies to this AD may be obtained from Raytheon Aircraft Company, P.O. Box 85, Wichita, Kansas 67201- 0085; telephone: (800) 625-7043. This information may also be examined at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Central Region, Office of the Regional Counsel, Attention: Rules Docket No. 97-CE-92-AD, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; or at the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW, suite 700, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Randy Griffith, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Wichita Aircraft Certification Office, Room 100, 1801 Airport Rd., Wichita, Kansas 67209; telephone: (316) 946-4145; facsimile: (316) 946-4407.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Events Leading to the Issuance of This AD

A proposal to amend part 39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) to include an AD that would apply to certain Raytheon 90, 100, 200, and 300 series airplanes was published in the Federal Register as a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on March 4, 1998 (63 FR 10573). The NPRM proposed to require: replacing all of the MIL-H- 6000B rubber fuel hoses in the affected airplanes that were manufactured from January 1, 1994, and after, with an FAA-approved rubber fuel hose that has a criss-cross or braided pattern on the external wrap. For airplanes manufactured prior to January 1, 1994, the proposed AD would require checking the airplane maintenance records from January 1, 1994, up to and including the effective date of the proposed AD, for any MIL-H-6000B rubber fuel hose replacements; and, if a replacement has been made, checking the replacement hose for diagonal or spiral wrap that has a \3/8\-inch-wide red or orange-red, length- wise stripe, with the manufacturer's code, 94519, printed periodically along the line in red letters on one side. In the case of the Raytheon Models C90A, B200, and B300 airplanes with this fuel hose installed at the factory, the proposed AD would require replacing the fuel hoses with FAA-approved MIL-H-6000B fuel hoses that have a criss-cross or braided external wrap. Accomplishment of the proposed action as specified in the NPRM would be in accordance with Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin No. 2718, Rev. 1, Issued: January, 1997, Revised: June, 1997. The NPRM was the result of a report of a product defect by the manufacturer that could cause fuel system blockage and engine stoppage. Interested persons have been afforded an opportunity to participate in the making of this amendment. Due consideration has been given to the one comment received. The FAA received a comment from the manufacturer, Raytheon Aircraft Company. Raytheon states that the Model C90B listed in the applicability section of the proposed AD should actually be listed as Model C90A because the model number C90B was only used as a designation on certain airplanes for marketing purposes. There are not actually any Raytheon airplanes with the model number C90B. The FAA concurs and will change the model number in the applicability section of the AD to read:

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Model Serial No. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ C90A.............................. LJ-1288, LJ-1295, and LJ-1300 through LJ-1445. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

The FAA's Determination

After careful review of all available information related to the subject presented above, the FAA has determined that air safety and the public interest require the adoption of the rule as proposed except for the model change referenced above and minor editorial corrections. The FAA has determined that this change and minor corrections will not change the meaning of the AD and will not add any additional burden upon the public than was already proposed.

Cost Impact

The FAA estimates that 4,868 airplanes in the U.S. registry will be affected by this AD, that it will take approximately 1 workhour per airplane to accomplish this initial check, and that the average labor rate is approximately $60 an hour. Parts and labor cost will be covered under the manufacturer's warranty program if the hose is returned to the manufacturer. Based on these figures, the total cost impact of this AD on U.S. operators is estimated to be $292,080 or $60 per airplane. Since an owner/operator who holds at least a private pilot's certificate as authorized by sections 43.7 and 43.9 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 43.7 and 43.9) can accomplish the initial check of the airplane maintenance records, the only cost impact upon the public is the time it will take the affected airplane owners/ operators of airplanes to check the records. The FAA has not taken into account the cost of the inspection of the hoses because this inspection would be on the condition a hose replacement had been made within a certain time frame. The cost of replacing the hose is not included in the initial cost estimate, since the manufacturer is offering warranty credit for the hose replacement. The cost impact figure discussed above is based on the assumption that no operator has yet accomplished any of the requirements of this AD action, and that no operator will accomplish these actions in the future if this AD were not adopted.

Regulatory Impact

The regulations adopted herein will not have substantial direct effects 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. Therefore, in accordance with Executive Order 12612, it is determined that this final rule does not have sufficient federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a Federalism Assessment. For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this action (1) is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a ``significant rule'' under DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979); and (3) will not have a significant economic impact, positive or negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. A copy of the final

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evaluation prepared for this action is contained in the Rules Docket. A copy of it may be obtained by contacting the Rules Docket at the location provided under the caption ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by reference, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the Federal Aviation Administration amends part 39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) as follows:

PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

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]

2. Section 39.13 is amended by adding a new airworthiness directive (AD) to read as follows:

98-15-13 Raytheon Aircraft Company: Amendment 39-10664; Docket No. 97-CE-92-AD.

Applicability: The following airplane models and serial numbers, certificated in any category.

Note 1: The airplane models and serial numbers listed in this AD take precedence over those listed in Raytheon Aircraft Service Bulletin No. 2718, Rev. 1, Issued: January, 1997; Revised: June, 1997.

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Models Serial Nos. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 65-90..................................... LJ-1 through LJ-75, and LJ- 77 through LJ-113. 65-A90.................................... LJ-76, LJ-114 through LJ- 317, and LJ-178A. B90....................................... LJ-318 through LJ-501. C90....................................... LJ-502 through LJ-1062. C90A...................................... LJ-1063 through LJ-1445. E90....................................... LW-1 through LW-347. F90....................................... LA-2 through LA-236. H90....................................... LL-1 through LL-61. 100....................................... B-2 through B-89, and B-93. A100...................................... B-1, B-90 through B-92, B-94 through B-204, and B-206 through B-247. A100-1 (RU-21J)........................... BB-3 through BB-5. B100...................................... BE-1 through BE-137. 200....................................... BB-2, BB-6 through BB-185, BB-187 through BB-202, BB- 204 through BB-269, BB-271 through BB-407, BB-409 through BB-468, BB-470 through BB-488, BB-490 through BB-509, BB-511 through BB-529, BB-531 through BB-550, BB-552 through BB-562, BB-564 through BB-572, BB-574 through BB-590, BB-592 through BB-608, BB-610 through BB-626, BB-628 through BB-646, BB-648 through BB-664, BB-735 through BB-792, BB-794 through BB-797, BB-799 through BB-822, BB-824 through BB-828, BB-830 through BB-853, BB-872, BB- 873, BB-892, BB-893, and BB- 912. 200C...................................... BL-1 through BL-23, and BL- 25 through BL-36. 200CT..................................... BN-1. 200T...................................... BT-1 through BT-22, and BT- 28. A200...................................... BC-1 through BC-75, and BD-1 through BD-30. A200C..................................... BJ-1 through BJ-66. A200CT.................................... BP-1, BP-7 through BP-11, BP- 22, BP-24 through BP-63, FC- 1 through FC-3, FE-1 through FE-36, and GR-1 through GR-19. B200...................................... BB-829, BB-854 through BB- 870, BB-874 through BB-891, BB-894, BB-896 through BB- 911, BB-913 through BB-990, BB-992 through BB-1051, BB- 1053 through BB-1092, BB- 1094, BB-1095, BB-1099 through BB-1104, BB-1106 through BB-1116, BB-1118 through BB-1184, BB-1186 through BB-1263, BB-1265 through BB-1288, BB-1290 through BB-1300, BB-1302 through BB-1425, BB-1427 through BB-1447, BB-1449, BB-1450, BB-1452, BB-1453, BB-1455, BB-1456, and BB- 1458 through BB-1536. B200C..................................... BL-37 through BL-57, BL-61 through BL-140, BU-1 through BU-10, BV-1 through BV-12, and BW-1 through BW- 21. B200CT.................................... BN-2 through BN-4, BU-11, BU- 12, FG-1, and FG-2. B200T..................................... BT-23 through BT-27, and BT- 29 through BT-38. 300....................................... FA-1 through FA-230, and FF- 1 through FF-19. B300...................................... FL-1 through FL-141. B300C..................................... FM-1 through FM-9, and FN-1. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note 2: This AD applies to each airplane identified in the preceding applicability provision, regardless of whether it has been modified, altered, or repaired in the area subject to the requirements of this AD. For airplanes that have been modified, altered, or repaired so that the performance of the requirements of this AD is affected, the owner/operator must request approval for an alternative method of compliance in accordance with paragraph (f) of this AD. The request should include an assessment of the effect of the modification, alteration, or repair on the unsafe condition addressed by this AD; and, if the unsafe condition has not been eliminated, the request should include specific proposed actions to address it. Compliance: Required as indicated in the body of this, unless already accomplished. To prevent fuel flow interruption, which if not corrected, could lead to uncommanded loss of engine power and loss of control of the airplane, accomplish the following: (a) For airplanes manufactured prior to January 1, 1994: within the next 200 hours time-in-service (TIS) after the effective date of this AD, check the airplane maintenance records for any MIL-H-6000B fuel hose replacement from January 1, 1994, up to and including the effective date of this AD. Accomplish the following in accordance with PART II of the ACCOMPLISHMENT INSTRUCTIONS section in Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin (SB) No. 2718, Rev. 1, Issued: January, 1997; Revised: June, 1997: (1) If the airplane records show that an MIL-H-6000B fuel hose has been replaced, prior to further flight, inspect the airplane fuel hoses for a \3/8\-inch-wide red or orange-red, length-wise stripe, with the manufacturer's code, 94519, printed periodically along the line in red letters on one side. The hoses have a spiral or diagonal outer wrap with a fabric-type texture on the rubber surface. (2) Prior to further flight, replace any fuel hose that matches the description in paragraph (a)(1) of this AD with an FAA-approved MIL-H-6000B fuel hose that has a criss-cross or braided external wrap.

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(b) An owner/operator holding at least a private pilot certificate as authorized by section 43.7 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 43.7) can accomplish paragraph (a) required by this AD, and must enter the accomplished action into the aircraft records showing compliance with this AD in accordance with section 43.9 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 43.9). (c) For Raytheon Models C90A, B200, and B300 airplanes that were manufactured on January 1, 1994, and after: within the next 200 hours time-in-service (TIS) after the effective date of this AD, replace the MIL-H-6000B fuel hoses in accordance with PART I of the ACCOMPLISHMENT INSTRUCTIONS section of Raytheon SB No. 2718, Rev. 1, Issued: January, 1997, Revised: June, 1997. (d) As of the effective date of this AD, no person shall install a rubber fuel hose having spiral or diagonal external wrap with a \3/8\-inch-wide red or orange-red, length-wise stripe running down the side of the hose, with the manufacturer's code, 94519, printed periodically along the line in red letters on any of the affected airplanes. (e) Special flight permits may be issued in accordance with sections 21.197 and 21.199 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.197 and 21.199) to operate the airplane to a location where the requirements of this AD can be accomplished. (f) An alternative method of compliance or adjustment of the compliance times that provides an equivalent level of safety may be approved by the Manager, Wichita Aircraft Certification Office, Room 100, 1801 Airport Rd., Wichita, Kansas 67209. The request shall be forwarded through an appropriate FAA Maintenance Inspector, who may add comments and then send it to the Manager, Wichita Aircraft Certification Office.

Note 3: Information concerning the existence of approved alternative methods of compliance with this AD, if any, may be obtained from the Wichita Aircraft Certification Office.

(g) The inspection and replacement required by this AD shall be done in accordance with Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin No. 2718, Rev. 1, Issued: January, 1997; Revised: June, 1997. This incorporation by reference was approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Copies may be obtained from to Raytheon Aircraft Company, P.O. Box 85, Wichita, Kansas 67201-0085. Copies may be inspected at the FAA, Central Region, Office of the Regional Counsel, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri, or at the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW, suite 700, Washington, DC. (h) This amendment becomes effective on August 28, 1998.

Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 9, 1998. Michael Gallagher, Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. [FR Doc. 98-18868 Filed 7-15-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-13-U