[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 248 (Wednesday, December 28, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 79821-79823]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-28220]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2022-1656; Project Identifier AD-2022-01081-A]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Allied Ag Cat Productions, Inc. 
Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) 
for Allied Ag Cat Productions, Inc. (Allied Ag Cat) Model G-164A and G-
164B airplanes with certain supplemental type certificates (STCs) 
installed. This proposed AD was prompted by an accident involving an 
Allied Ag Cat Model G-164B airplane where the propeller pitch control 
(PPC) linkage detached from the PPC of the engine and resulted in an 
accident that significantly damaged the airplane and injured the pilot. 
This proposed AD would require installing a secondary retention feature 
(bolt, washer, and safety wire) on the PPC lever and the PPC assembly. 
The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these 
products.

DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by February 
13, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.

[[Page 79822]]

     Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FAA-2022-1656; or in person at Docket Operations between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD 
docket contains this NPRM, any comments received, and other 
information. The street address for Docket Operations is listed above.
    Material Incorporated by Reference:
     For service information identified in this NPRM, contact 
Honeywell International, Inc., 111 South 34th Street, Phoenix, AZ 
85034; phone: (800) 601-3099; website: aerospace.honeywell.com.
     You may view this service information at the FAA, 
Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 901 Locust, 
Kansas City, MO 64106. For information on the availability of this 
material at the FAA, call (817) 222-5110.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Justin Carter, Aviation Safety 
Engineer, Fort Worth ACO Branch, FAA, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort 
Worth, TX 76177; phone: (817) 222-5146; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this proposal. Send your comments to an address listed 
under ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2022-1656; Project Identifier 
AD-2022-01081-A'' at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful 
comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, explain the 
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. The FAA 
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend 
this proposal because of those comments.
    Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in 
the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR 
11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to 
regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. The 
agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal 
contact received about this NPRM.

Confidential Business Information

    CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily 
and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public 
disclosure. If your comments responsive to this NPRM contain commercial 
or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that 
you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to 
this NPRM, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted 
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing 
CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked submissions as 
confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public 
docket of this NPRM. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to 
Justin Carter, Aviation Safety Engineer, Fort Worth ACO Branch, FAA, 
10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177. Any commentary that the 
FAA receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed 
in the public docket for this rulemaking.

Background

    The FAA received a report of an accident involving an Allied Ag Cat 
Model G-164 airplane where the PPC linkage detached from the PPC of the 
engine. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the airplane was 
substantially damaged. The root cause was determined to be a lack of a 
secondary retention feature for the PPC of the engine.
    This condition, if not addressed, could result in reduced control 
of the airplane.
    Aircraft configurations for airplanes with the potential for this 
condition to exist are as follows:
     Model G-164A airplanes with STC No. SA7769SW, SA7966SW, or 
SA8720SW installed; and
     Model G-164B airplanes with STC No. SA7546SW, SA7966SW, 
SA7987SW, or SA8720SW installed.

FAA's Determination

    The FAA is issuing this NPRM after determining that the unsafe 
condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on other 
products of these same type designs.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    The FAA reviewed Honeywell Service Bulletin TPE331-72-2190, 
Revision 0, dated December 21, 2011. This service information 
identifies the affected PPC assemblies and applicable engines, and 
specifies procedures for reworking the affected PPC assemblies to 
incorporate a threaded hole in the splined end of the shouldered shaft. 
This service information is reasonably available because the interested 
parties have access to it through their normal course of business or by 
the means identified in ADDRESSES.

Other Related Service Information

    The FAA reviewed the Honeywell TPE331 Propeller Pitch Control Lever 
letter, dated August 26, 2011, addressed to the original equipment 
manufacturer (OEM). This letter informs the OEM of a report Honeywell 
received about the TPE331 PPC lever shaft becoming detached from the 
PPC assembly cam shaft and communicates the future development of a 
Honeywell service bulletin (released as Honeywell Service Bulletin 
TPE331-72-2190, Revision 0, dated December 21, 2011).

Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM

    This proposed AD would require installing a secondary retention 
feature (bolt, washer, and safety wire) on the PPC lever and the PPC 
assembly.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would 
affect 200 airplanes of U.S. registry.
    The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed 
AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                    Cost per       Cost on U.S.
               Action                        Labor cost           Parts cost        product         operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Installation of secondary retention   4 work-hours x $85 per           $1,000           $1,340         $268,000
 feature.                              hour = $340.
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[[Page 79823]]

Authority for This Rulemaking

    Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to 
issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the 
authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII: Aviation Programs, 
describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's authority.
    The FAA is issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in 
Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: General requirements. 
Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with promoting safe flight 
of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing regulations for 
practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator finds necessary 
for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within the scope of that 
authority because it addresses an unsafe condition that is likely to 
exist or develop on products identified in this rulemaking action.

Regulatory Findings

    The FAA determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism 
implications under Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD would not 
have a substantial direct effect 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.
    For the reasons discussed above, I certify this proposed 
regulation:
    (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive 
Order 12866,
    (2) Would not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
    (3) Would not have a significant economic impact, positive or 
negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria 
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

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

The Proposed Amendment

    Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the FAA proposes to amend 14 CFR part 39 as follows:

PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

0
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]

0
2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness 
directive:

Allied Ag Cat Productions, Inc.: Docket No. FAA-2022-1656; Project 
Identifier AD-2022-01081-A.

(a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive 
(AD) by February 13, 2023.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to the following Allied Ag Cat Productions, Inc. 
airplanes, all serial numbers, certificated in any category.
    (1) Model G-164A airplanes with Supplemental Type Certificate 
(STC) No. SA7769SW, SA7966SW, or SA8720SW installed.
    (2) Model G-164B airplanes with STC No. SA7546SW, SA7966SW, 
SA7987SW, or SA8720SW installed.

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC) Code 6120, Propeller 
Controlling System.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by a report of an accident caused by the 
detachment of the propeller pitch control (PPC) linkage from the PPC 
of the engine. The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent the PPC linkage 
from detaching from the PPC of the engine. The unsafe condition, if 
not addressed, could result in reduced control of the airplane.

(f) Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, 
unless already done.

(g) Install Secondary Retention Feature

    Within 12 months after the effective date of this AD, install a 
secondary retention feature (bolt, washer, and safety wire) on the 
PPC lever and the PPC assembly. If rework of the PPC assembly 
(specifically, the shouldered shaft within the cam assembly within 
the PPC assembly) is required to do this installation, do the rework 
in accordance with the procedures in Section 3.C(3)(d)2 of Honeywell 
Service Bulletin TPE331-72-2190, Revision 0, dated December 21, 
2011. After the rework is completed, re-identify the part number of 
the PPC assembly, cam assembly, and shouldered shaft, in accordance 
with Sections 3.C(4), 3.C(5), and 3.C(7), as applicable, of 
Honeywell Service Bulletin TPE331-72-2190, Revision 0, dated 
December 21, 2011. Part re-identification is required only if rework 
is done.

    Note 1 to paragraph (g): Honeywell TPE331 Propeller Pitch 
Control Lever letter, dated August 26, 2011, to the original 
equipment manufacturer, contains information related to this 
subject.

(h) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, Fort Worth ACO Branch, FAA, has the authority 
to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the procedures 
found in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, send your 
request to your principal inspector or local Flight Standards 
District Office, as appropriate. If sending information directly to 
the manager of the certification office, send it to the attention of 
the person identified in paragraph (i)(1) of this AD.
    (2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate 
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager 
of the local flight standards district office/certificate holding 
district office.

(i) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Justin Carter, 
Aviation Safety Engineer, Fort Worth ACO Branch, FAA, 10101 Hillwood 
Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177; phone: (817) 222-5146; email: 
[email protected].
    (2) Service information identified in this AD that is not 
incorporated by reference is available at the addresses specified in 
paragraphs (j)(3) and (4) of this AD.

(j) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference (IBR) of the service information listed 
in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) You must use this service information as applicable to do 
the actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
    (i) Honeywell Service Bulletin TPE331-72-2190, Revision 0, dated 
December 21, 2011.
    (ii) [Reserved]
    (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Honeywell International, Inc., 111 South 34th Street, Phoenix, AZ 
85034; phone: (800) 601-3099; website: aerospace.honeywell.com.
    (4) You may view this service information at the FAA, 
Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 901 
Locust, Kansas City, MO 64106. For information on the availability 
of this material at the FAA, call (817) 222-5110.
    (5) You may view this service information that is incorporated 
by reference at the National Archives and Records Administration 
(NARA). For information on the availability of this material at 
NARA, email: [email protected], or go to: www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

    Issued on December 21, 2022.
Christina Underwood,
Acting Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-28220 Filed 12-27-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P


