[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 22, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 57012-57014]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17776]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2023-1648; Project Identifier AD-2022-01501-T]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD)
for certain The Boeing Company Model 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10
airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a reported quality
escapement where the seat track fitting nuts were under-torqued on some
flight attendant seats in production. This proposed AD requires re-
torqueing each free standing attendant seat track fitting nut. 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 October 6,
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.
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-2023-1648; 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
Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Contractual & Data Services
(C&DS), 2600 Westminster Blvd., MC 110 SK57, Seal Beach, CA 90740-5600;
telephone 562-797-1717; website myboeingfleet.com.
You may view this service information at the FAA,
Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South
216th St., Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this
material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tony Koung, Aviation Safety Engineer,
FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA; phone: 206-231-3985; 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-2023-1648; Project Identifier
AD-2022-01501-T'' 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 Tony
Koung, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines,
WA 98198; phone: 206-231-3985; email: [email protected]. Any
commentary that the FAA receives that is not specifically designated as
CBI will be placed in the public docket for this rulemaking.
Background
The FAA has received a report indicating Boeing found a quality
escapement where the seat track fitting nuts were under-torqued on some
flight attendant seats in production. One flight attendant seat was
discovered to be loose after final installation, and a subsequent
production line check found similarly under-torqued fitting nuts on
other airplanes. An investigation revealed that the attachment nuts
were torqued using a yoke-type U-joint adapter, which is not allowed
for final torque, as using these adapters can result in inaccurate
torque values. While the attachment nuts should be torqued to 140-150
in-lbs, the inspections found a few fitting nuts that were only finger
tight (essentially zero torque), and many fitting nuts that were
torqued only to the 30-130 in-lbs range. This condition, if not
addressed, could result in the forward facing flight attendant seats
breaking free in a high load event, causing injury to the flight
attendants and blocking the exits during emergency egress.
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 the same type design.
Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51
The FAA reviewed Boeing Service Letter 787-SL-25-025, dated
September 6, 2022. This service information specifies procedures for
re-torqueing each free standing attendant seat track fitting nut to
140-150 in-lbs. 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.
[[Page 57013]]
Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM
This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified
in the service information already described.
Costs of Compliance
The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would
affect 134 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following
costs to comply with this proposed AD:
Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cost on U.S.
Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per product operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re-Torque seat track fitting nuts Up to 2.5 work- $0 Up to $212.50...... Up to $28,475.
hours x $85 per
hour = Up to
$212.50.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The FAA has included all known costs in its cost estimate.
According to the manufacturer, however, some or all of the costs of
this proposed AD may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the
cost impact on affected operators.
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:
The Boeing Company: Docket No. FAA-2023-1648; Project Identifier AD-
2022-01501-T.
(a) Comments Due Date
The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive
(AD) by October 6, 2023.
(b) Affected ADs
None.
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to The Boeing Company Model 787-8, 787-9, and
787-10 airplanes, certificated in any category, as identified in
Boeing Service Letter 787-SL-25-025, dated September 6, 2022.
(d) Subject
Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 25, Equipment/
furnishings.
(e) Unsafe Condition
This AD was prompted by a reported quality escapement where the
seat track fitting nuts were under-torqued on some flight attendant
seats in production. The FAA is issuing this AD to address under-
torqued seat track fitting nuts. The unsafe condition, if not
addressed, could result in the forward facing flight attendant seats
breaking free in a high load event, causing injury to flight
attendants and blocking the exits during emergency egress.
(f) Compliance
Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified,
unless already done.
(g) Re-torque Seat Track Fitting Nuts
Within 6 months after the effective date of this AD, re-torque
each free standing attendant seat track fitting nut in accordance
with Steps 2., 3., and 4. of ``Suggested Operator Action'' of Boeing
Service Letter 787-SL-25-025, dated September 6, 2022.
(h) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)
(1) The Manager, AIR-520 Continued Operational Safety 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
responsible Flight Standards 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)
of this AD. Information may be emailed to: [email protected].
(2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager
of the responsible Flight Standards Office.
(3) An AMOC that provides an acceptable level of safety may be
used for any repair, modification, or alteration required by this AD
if it is approved by The Boeing Company Organization Designation
Authorization (ODA) that has been authorized by the Manager, AIR-520
Continued Operational Safety Branch, FAA, to make those findings. To
be approved, the repair method, modification deviation, or
alteration deviation must meet the certification basis of the
airplane, and the approval must specifically refer to this AD.
(i) Related Information
For more information about this AD, contact Tony Koung, Aviation
Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198;
phone: 206-231-3985; email: [email protected].
(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.
[[Page 57014]]
(2) You must use this service information as applicable to do
the actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
(i) Boeing Service Letter 787-SL-25-025, dated September 6,
2022.
(ii) [Reserved]
(3) For service information identified in this AD, contact
Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Contractual & Data Services
(C&DS), 2600 Westminster Blvd., MC 110-SK57, Seal Beach, CA 90740-
5600; telephone 562-797-1717; website myboeingfleet.com.
(4) You may view this service information at the FAA,
Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200
South 216th St., Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability
of this material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.
(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 protected], or go to: www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.
Issued on July 26, 2023.
Victor Wicklund,
Deputy Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-17776 Filed 8-21-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P