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Air Safety Week, April 3, 2006

Passenger seats: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) - Sicma Aero Seat passenger seat assemblies.

March 17, 2006 FR Doc. E6-3908 Docket No. FAA-2006-24036

This proposed airworthiness directive (AD) would modify the aft track fittings on these passenger seat assemblies by installing new tab locks, and then torquing the aft track fitting locking bolts. There have been reports of loose and unlocked aft track fittings. FAA wants to prevent detachment of passenger seat assemblies during emergency conditions.

There are 239,209 of these assemblies on 1,016 airplanes of U.S. registry; the total cost to U.S. operators would be $563,880. The manufacturer also has indicated it might provide the parts at no cost to the operators.

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Comments are due May 16.

>>Contacts: Sicma Aero Seat, (33) 54 03 39 39; fax: (33) 54 03 15 16; Jeffrey Lee, FAA, (781) 238-7161<<

Thrust reversers: Final rule - General Electric Co. model CF6-80C2D1F turbofan engines.

March 21, 2006 FR Doc. 06-2648 Docket No. FAA-2005-22055

This AD modifies the latching system of the fan reverser. There have been 13 reports of released thrust reverser hardware. FAA wants to prevent release of the thrust reverser cascade on landing, which could result in runway debris and a possible hazard to other aircraft.

This will affect 138 U.S. airplanes; costs will be $6,644 per engine.

The effective date is April 25.

>>Contacts: Middle River Aircraft Systems, (410) 682-0094; James Lawrence, FAA, (781) 238-7176<<

Fuel tank inerting: NPRM, extension of comment period - Reduction of fuel tank flammability in transport category airplanes.

March 21, 2006 FR Doc. E6-4025 Docket No. FAA-2005-22997

For an NPRM originally published on Nov. 23, 2005 (Air Safety Week, Dec. 5), this action extends the comment period from March 23 to May 8. The extension is a result of requests from a number of entities to allow public comment on new information that has recently been placed in the public docket.

The NPRM proposes requiring operators and manufacturers of transport category airplanes to reduce fuel-tank explosions through promising technologies that make fuel tanks effectively inert, by preventing electrical and other systems from igniting flammable vapors. Moreover, the new rules would not be technology specific, but would establish a set of performance-based requirements. This would allow manufacturers and operators to weigh their options from among a range of commercially feasible methods.

Direct repair costs are estimated at about $1.7 billion and benefits, in terms of lives and aircraft saved, at about $2.6 billion.

In a separate Federal Register notice on March 21 (FR Doc. E6-4023), the comment period for a related proposed advisory circular Proposed Advisory Circular (25.981-2A) also is extended to May 8.

>>Contact: Michael E. Dostert, FAA, (425) 227-2132, e-mail: mike.dostert@faa.gov<<

Engines: Final rule - Lycoming AEIO-360, IO-360, O-360, LIO-360, and LO- 360 series reciprocating engines.

March 23, 2006 FR Doc. 06-2759 Docket No. Docket No. FAA-2005-23269

This AD requires replacing certain crankshafts. This results from a crankshaft failure in a Lycoming LO-360-A1H6 reciprocating engine.

There are 282 engines in affected U.S. aircraft; repair costs would be $15,300 per airplane.

The effective date is April 27.

>>Contacts: Lycoming, (570) 323-6181; Norm Perenson, FAA, (516) 228- 7337<<

Landing gear: Supplemental NPRM, reopening of comment period - Airbus model A300 B2 and A300 B4 series airplanes; A300 B4-600, B4-600R, and F4-600R series; and model C4-605R variant F airplanes (collectively called A300-600 series).

March 27, 2006 FR Doc. E6-4402 Docket No. FAA-2004-19002

The original NPRM would have superseded an existing AD that requires repetitive inspections to detect cracks in gear rib 5 of the main landing gear (MLG) attachment fittings at the lower flange, and repair. That AD also requires modification of gear rib 5, which constitutes terminating action for the repetitive inspections. The original NPRM proposed reducing the compliance times for all inspections, and require doing the inspections in accordance with new revisions of the service bulletins. That proposal resulted from new service information issued by the manufacturer and mandated by the French airworthiness authority. This new action revises the original NPRM by proposing new repetitive inspections of certain areas of the attachment fittings that were repaired in accordance with both the existing AD and the original NPRM. This supplemental NPRM is necessary to prevent fatigue cracking of the MLG attachment fittings, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane.

There are 164 affected U.S. airplanes; total costs of repairs and inspections to U.S. aircraft would be more than $2.5 million.

Comments are due April 12.

>>Contact: Tim Backman, FAA, (425) 227-2797<<

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Significant Regulatory Activity

Air Safety Week, April 3, 2006

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