AD Amdt-39-16237

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 52 (Thursday, March 18, 2010)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 12968-12971]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2010-5778]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2009-0883; Directorate Identifier 97-ANE-08; Amendment 
39-16237; AD 97-17-04R1]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & Whitney JT8D-209, -217, -217C, 
and -219 Turbofan Engines

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is revising an existing airworthiness directive (AD) 
for Pratt & Whitney JT8D-209, -217, -217C, and -219 turbofan engines 
with front compressor front hub (fan hub), part number (P/N) 5000501-01 
installed. That AD currently requires cleaning the front compressor 
front hubs (fan hubs), initial and repetitive eddy current (ECI) and 
fluorescent penetrant inspections (FPI) of tierod and counterweight 
holes for cracks, removal of bushings, cleaning and ECI and FPI of 
bushed holes for cracks and, if necessary, replacement with serviceable 
parts. In addition, that AD currently requires reporting the findings 
of cracked fan hubs and monthly reports of the number of inspections 
completed. This AD requires the same actions, except for the monthly 
reporting of the number of completed inspections. This AD results from 
the FAA determining that it has collected a sufficient amount of data 
since issuing AD 97-17-04 and that therefore, it no longer needs the 
monthly reporting of the number of completed inspections. We are 
issuing this AD to prevent fan hub failure due to tierod, 
counterweight, or bushed hole cracking, which could result in an 
uncontained engine failure and damage to the airplane.

DATES: This AD becomes effective April 22, 2010. The Director of the 
Federal Register previously approved the incorporation by reference of 
the publications listed in the regulations as of March 5, 1997 (62 FR 
4902).

ADDRESSES: You can get the service information identified in this AD 
from Pratt & Whitney, 400 Main St., East Hartford, CT 06108; telephone 
(860) 565-8770; fax (860) 565-4503.
    The Docket Operations office is located at Docket Management 
Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-
0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Dickert, Aerospace Engineer, 
Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 
New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f79c92819e99d9939e949c928583b7919696d9909881"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="78131d0e1116561c111b131d0a0c381e1919561f170e">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>; telephone (781) 238-7117; fax (781) 238-7199.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA proposed to amend 14 CFR part 39 
with a proposed AD. The proposed AD applies to Pratt & Whitney JT8D-
209, -217, -217C, and -219 turbofan engines with front compressor front 
hub (fan hub), P/N 5000501-01 installed. We published the proposed AD 
in the Federal Register on December 21, 2009 (74 FR 67831). That action 
proposed to require cleaning the front compressor front hubs (fan 
hubs), initial and repetitive ECI and FPI of tierod and counterweight 
holes for cracks, removal of bushings, cleaning and ECI and FPI of 
bushed holes for cracks and, if necessary, replacement with serviceable 
parts. That action also proposed to eliminate the monthly reporting of 
the number of completed inspections.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>; or in person at the Docket Operations office 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. The AD docket contains this AD, the regulatory evaluation, 
any comments received, and other information. The street address for 
the Docket Operations office (telephone (800) 647-5527) is provided in 
the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket 
shortly after receipt.

Comments

    We provided the public the opportunity to participate in the 
development of this AD. We have considered the one comment received. 
The commenter supports the proposal.

Conclusion

    We have carefully reviewed the available data, including the 
comment received, and determined that air safety and the public 
interest require adopting the AD as proposed.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD revision will affect 1,170 JT8D-209, -217, 
-217C, and -219 turbofan engines installed on airplanes of U.S. 
registry. We estimate that it will take four work-hours per engine to 
complete one inspection of the fan hub at piece-part exposure. The 
average labor rate is $80 per work-hour. Based on these figures, we 
estimate the total cost of the AD to U.S. operators to be $374,400.

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.
    We are 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

    We have determined that this AD will not have federalism 
implications under Executive Order 13132. This AD will 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 that this AD:
    (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.
    We prepared a summary of the costs to comply with this AD and 
placed it in the AD Docket. You may get a copy of this summary at the 
address listed under ADDRESSES.

[[Page 12969]]

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

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

Adoption of the Amendment

0
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, 
the Federal Aviation Administration amends 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 removing Amendment 39-10106 (62 FR 
45152, August 26, 1997), and by adding a new airworthiness directive, 
Amendment 39-16237, to read as follows:

97-17-04R1 Pratt & Whitney: Amendment 39-16237. Docket No. FAA-2009-
0883; Directorate Identifier 97-ANE-08.

Effective Date

    (a) This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes effective April 
22, 2010.

Affected ADs

    (b) This AD revises AD 97-17-04, Amendment 39-10106.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Pratt & Whitney (PW) JT8D-209, -217, -
217C, and -219 turbofan engines with front compressor front hub (fan 
hub), part number (P/N) 5000501-01, installed. These engines are 
installed on, but not limited to, McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series 
airplanes.

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD results from the FAA determining that it has 
collected a sufficient amount of data since issuing AD 97-17-04 and 
that therefore, it no longer needs the monthly reporting of the 
number of completed inspections. We are issuing this AD to prevent 
fan hub failure due to tierod, counterweight, or bushed hole 
cracking, which could result in an uncontained engine failure and 
damage to the airplane.

Compliance

    (e) You are responsible for having the actions required by this 
AD performed within the compliance times specified unless the 
actions have already been done.
    (f) Inspect fan hubs for cracks in accordance with the 
Accomplishment Instructions, Paragraph A, Part 1, and, if 
applicable, Paragraph B, of PW Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) No. 
A6272, dated September 24, 1996, as follows:
    (1) For fan hubs identified by serial numbers (S/Ns) in Table 2 
of this AD, after the fan hub has accumulated more than 4,000 
cycles-since-new (CSN), as follows:
    (i) Initially inspect within 315 cycles-in-service (CIS) from 
the effective date of this AD, or 4,315 CSN, whichever occurs later.
    (ii) Thereafter, re-inspect after accumulating 2,500 CIS since 
last inspection, but not to exceed 10,000 CIS since last inspection.
    (2) For fan hubs identified by S/Ns in Appendix A of PW ASB No. 
A6272, dated September 24, 1996, after the fan hub has accumulated 
more than 4,000 CSN, as follows:
    (i) Select an initial inspection interval from Table 1 of this 
AD, and inspect accordingly.

                          Table 1--Inspections
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         Initial inspection                     Re-inspection
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(A) Within 1,050 CIS after the       After accumulating 2,500 CIS since-
 effective date of AD 97-02-11,       last-inspection, but not to exceed
 March 5, 1997, or prior to           6,000 CIS since-last-inspection.
 accumulating 5,050 CSN, whichever
 occurs later;
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OR                                   OR
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(B) Within 990 CIS after the         After accumulating 2,500 CIS since-
 effective date of AD 97-02-11,       last-inspection, but not to exceed
 March 5, 1997, or prior to           8,000 CIS since-last-inspection.
 accumulating 4,990 CSN, whichever
 occurs later;
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OR                                   OR
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(C) Within 965 CIS after the         After accumulating 2,500 CIS since-
 effective date of AD 97-02-11,       last-inspection, but not to exceed
 March 5, 1997, or prior to           10,000 CIS since-last-inspection.
 accumulating 4,965 CSN, whichever
 occurs later.
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                                      Table 2--Hubs With Traveler Notations
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      M67663           M67802          P66880          S25545          P66747          R33099          S25292
      M67671           M67812          P66885          S25558          P66756          R33107          S25299
      M67675           M67826          R32732          S25564          P66800          R33113          S25301
      M67681           M67829          R32733          S25598          P66814          R33124          S25302
      M67685           M67830          R32735          S25618          P66819          R33131          S25308
      M67686           M67831          R32740          S25621          P66831          R33132          S25312
      M67687           M67832          R32741          S25637          R32767          R33133          S25316
      M67697           M67834          R32810          S25640          R32787          R33136          S25323
      M67700           M67843          R32849          T50693          R32792          R33152          S25334
      M67706           M67849          R32850          T50752          R32795          R33157          S25335
      M67710           M67858          S25222          T50785          R32796          R33163          S25337
      M67712           M67866          S25464          T50791          R32800          R33165          S25344
      M67713           M67868          S25481          T50792          R32807          R33168          S25369
      M67714           M67869          S25483          T50819          R32856          R33171          S25377
      M67715           M67872          S25484          T50823          R32860          R33173          S25378
      M67716           M67888          S25486          T50827          R32870          R33180          S25381
      M67717           N71771          S25488          T50874          R32883          R33181          S25394
      M67722           N71804          S25489          T50875          R32905          R33189          S25399
      M67723           N71806          S25490          T51058          R32926          R33194          S25402
      M67725           N71810          S25491          T51104          R32930          R33198          S25406
      M67726           N71811          S25492     ..............       R32952          R33201          S25411
      M67730           N71875          S25494     ..............       R32964          R33202          S25413
      M67731           N71876          S25495     ..............       R32966          R33207          S25414
      M67746           N71921          S25497     ..............       R32971          S25193          S25415

[[Page 12970]]

 
      M67751           N71965          S25498     ..............       R32976          S25195          S25418
      M67753           N72062          S25499     ..............       R32981          S25207          S25419
      M67764           N72126          S25500     ..............       R32990          S25208          S25421
      M67765           N72152          S25501     ..............       R32994          S25221          S25422
      M67784           N72162          S25502     ..............       R33000          S25229          S25430
      M67791           N72207          S25505     ..............       R33004          S25238          S25437
      M67792           N72216          S25506     ..............       R33040          S25246          S25439
      M67793           N72219          S25507     ..............       R33055          S25248          S25449
      M67794           N72242          S25508     ..............       R33059          S25250          R33186
      M67795           P66693          S25509     ..............       R33077          S25256          S25528
      M67796           P66695          S25514     ..............       R33080          S25262     ..............
      M67797           P66696          S25529     ..............       R33082          S25268     ..............
      M67798           P66698          S25532     ..............       R33086          S25278     ..............
      M67799           P66699          S25541     ..............       R33087          S25287     ..............
      M67800           P66737          S25543     ..............       R33089          S25288     ..............
      M67801           P66753          S25544     ..............       R33090     ..............  ..............
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     (ii) Thereafter, re-inspect at intervals that correspond to the 
selected inspection interval.
    (3) If a fan hub is identified in both Table 2 of this AD and 
Appendix A of PW ASB No. A6272, dated September 24, 1996, inspect in 
accordance with paragraph (f)(1) or (f)(2) of this AD, whichever 
occurs first.
    (4) For fan hubs with S/Ns not listed in Table 2 of this AD or 
in Appendix A of PW ASB No. A6272, dated September 24, 1996, after 
the fan hub has accumulated more than 4,000 CSN, inspect the next 
time the fan hub is in the shop at piece-part level, but not to 
exceed 10,000 CIS after March 5, 1997.
    (5) Prior to further flight, remove from service fan hubs found 
cracked or that exceed the bushed hole acceptance criteria described 
in PW ASB No. A6272, dated September 24, 1996.

Reporting Requirements

    (g) Report findings of cracked fan hubs using Accomplishment 
Instructions, Paragraph F, of Attachment 1 to PW ASB No. A6272, 
dated September 24, 1996, within 48 hours to Kevin Dickert, Engine 
Certification Office, FAA, Engine and Propeller Directorate, 12 New 
England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; telephone (781) 238-
7117; fax (781) 238-7199; e-mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ee858b988780c08a878d858b9c9aae888f8fc0898198"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b9d2dccfd0d797ddd0dad2dccbcdf9dfd8d897ded6cf">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.
    (h) The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the 
reporting requirements and assigned OMB control number 2120-0056.

Alternative Methods of Compliance

    (i) The Manager, Engine Certification Office, FAA, has the 
authority to approve alternative methods of compliance for this AD 
if requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. Alternate 
methods of compliance approved in accordance with AD 97-17-04 are 
approved as alternate methods of compliance with this AD.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    (j) You must use the Pratt & Whitney service information 
specified in Table 3 of this AD to perform the inspections required 
by this AD. The Director of the Federal Register previously approved 
the incorporation by reference of the documents listed in the 
following Table 3 as of March 5, 1997 (62 FR 4902) in accordance 
with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Contact Pratt & Whitney, 400 
Main St., East Hartford, CT 06108; telephone (860) 565-8770; fax 
(860) 565-4503, for a copy of this service information. You may 
review copies at the FAA, New England Region, 12 New England 
Executive Park, Burlington, MA; or at the National Archives and 
Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability 
of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: <a href="http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html">http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html</a>.

                                       Table 3--Incorporation by Reference
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        Service information                  Page                 Revision                     Date
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Alert Service Bulletin No. A6272..  All..................  Original.............  September 24, 1996.
    Total Pages: 21
Non-Destruct Inspection Procedure   All..................  A....................  September 15, 1996.
 No. NDIP-892.
    Total Pages: 30
Attachment I......................  All..................  A....................  September 15, 1996.
    Total Pages: 4
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[[Page 12971]]

    Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on March 9, 2010.
Peter A. White,
Assistant Manager, Engine and Propeller Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-5778 Filed 3-17-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P