AD 68-17-03R1

AD Final Rules - 68-17-03 R1.pdf
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AD Number:
68-17-03R1
Document Type:
AD Final Rules
Docket Number:
FAA-2006-24094
Subject Heading:
Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Models PC-6, PC- 6-H1, PC-6-H2, PC-6/350, PC-6/350-H1, PC-6/350-H2, PC-6/A, PC-6/A-H1, PC-6/A-H2, PC-6... ...Show more
Subject:
Rudder end rib
Status:
Current
Citation:
Federal Register: June 21, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 119)
Citation Publish Date:
06/21/2006
Effective Date:
08/03/2006
Make:
Pilatus Aircraft Limited
Model:
PC-6 | PC-6-H1 | PC-6-H2 | PC-6/350 | PC-6/350-H1 | PC-6/350-H2 | PC-6/A | PC-6/A-H1 ...Show more
Product Type:
Aircraft
Product Subtype:
Small Airplane
Affected AD:
Superseded AD:
68-17-03
Affected By:
Superseded By:
Service/Office:
Office of Primary Responsibility:
CFR Part Reference:
Part 39
Comments:
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1


[Federal Register: June 21, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 119)]


[Rules and Regulations]


[Page 35502-35505]


From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


[DOCID:fr21jn06-6]


–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION


Federal Aviation Administration


14 CFR Part 39


[Docket No. FAA-2006-24094; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-20-AD; Amendment 39-14656;


AD 68-17-03R1]


RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Models PC-6, PC-6-H1, PC-6-H2, PC-6/350,


PC-6/350-H1, PC-6/350-H2, PC-6/A, PC-6/A-H1, PC-6/A-H2, PC-6/B-H2, PC-6/B1-H2, PC-


6/B2-H2, PC-6/B2-H4, PC-6/C-H2, and PC-6/C1-H2 Airplanes


AGENCY:
 
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT).


ACTION:
 
Final rule.


–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


SUMMARY:
 
We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) to revise AD 68-17-03, which


applies to all Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. (Pilatus) PC-6 series airplanes. AD 68-17-03 requires you to


repetitively inspect the rudder end rib for cracks and replace the rudder end rib with a modified


rudder end rib when you find cracks. Installing the modified rudder end rib terminates the repetitive


inspection requirements of AD 68-17-03. Under a licensing agreement with Pilatus, Fairchild


Republic Company (also identified as Fairchild Industries, Fairchild Heli Porter, or Fairchild-Hiller


Corporation) produced Model PC-6 series airplanes (manufacturer serial numbers 2001 through


2092) in the United States. AD 68-17-03 was intended to apply to all affected serial numbers of


Model PC-6 series airplanes listed on Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) No. 7A15, including the


Fairchild-produced airplanes. Consequently, this AD clarifies that all models of the PC-6 airplane on


TCDS No. 7A15 (including those models produced under the licensing agreement by Fairchild


Republic Company) are included in the applicability. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct


cracks in the rudder end rib, which could result in failure of the rudder end rib. This failure could


result in loss of rudder control.


DATES:
 
This AD becomes effective on August 3, 2006.


As of August 3, 2006, the Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by


reference of certain publications listed in the regulation.


ADDRESSES:
 
For service information identified in this AD, contact Pilatus Aircraft Ltd., Customer


Liaison Manager, CH-6371 Stans, Switzerland; telephone: +41 41 619 63 19; facsimile: +41 41 619


6224.
2


To view the AD docket, go to the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of


Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, Washington, DC 20590-


001, or on the Internet at
 
http://dms.dot.gov
. The docket number is FAA-2006-24094; Directorate


Identifier 2006-CE-20-AD.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
 
Doug Rudolph, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small


Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-


4059; facsimile: (816) 329-4090.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:


Discussion


On April 17, 2006, we issued a proposal to amend part 39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations


(14 CFR part 39) to include an AD that would apply to all Pilatus PC-6 series airplanes. This


proposal was published in the Federal Register as a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on April


24, 2006 (71 FR 20919). The NPRM proposed to revise AD 68-17-03 with a new AD that would


retain all actions currently required by AD 68-17-03 and would clarify the applicability of the


affected airplanes by:


•
 
Identifying those airplanes produced in the United States through a licensing agreement with the


Fairchild Republic Company; and


•
 
Listing all Pilatus Model PC-6 series airplanes on Type Certificate Data Sheet No. 7A15 in the


applicability section.


Comments


We provided the public the opportunity to participate in developing this AD. We received one


comment in favor of the proposed AD.


Conclusion


We have carefully reviewed the available data and determined that air safety and the public


interest require adopting the AD as proposed except for minor editorial corrections. We have


determined that these minor corrections:


•
 
Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the NPRM for correcting the unsafe


condition; and


•
 
Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was already proposed in the NPRM.


Costs of Compliance


We estimate that this AD affects 49 airplanes in the U.S. registry.


We estimate the following costs to do the inspection:


Labor cost
 
Parts cost
 
Total cost for each


airplane


Total cost on U.S.


operators


1 work-hour × $80 an hour = 80.
 
Not applicable
 
$80
 
$80 × 49 = $3,920.


We estimate the following costs to do any necessary replacements that will be required based on


the results of the inspection. We have no way of determining the number of airplanes that may need


this replacement: