90 FR 42 pgs. 11239-11241 - Airworthiness Directives; MHI RJ Aviation ULC (Type Certificate Previously Held by Bombardier, Inc.) Airplanes
Type: PRORULEVolume: 90Number: 42Pages: 11239 - 11241
Pages: 11239, 11240, 11241Docket number: [Docket No. FAA-2025-0336; Project Identifier MCAI-2022-00194-T]
FR document: [FR Doc. 2025-03526 Filed 3-4-25; 8:45 am]
Agency: Transportation Department
Sub Agency: Federal Aviation Administration
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2025-0336; Project Identifier MCAI-2022-00194-T]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; MHI RJ Aviation ULC (Type Certificate Previously Held by Bombardier, Inc.) 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 all MHI RJ Aviation ULC Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701, and 702), CL-600-2C11 (Regional Jet Series 550), CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705), CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900), and CL-600-2E25 (Regional Jet Series 1000) airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive aircraft maintenance manual (AMM) tasks are necessary. This proposed AD would require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive AMM tasks, as specified in a Transport Canada AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). 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 April 21, 2025.
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.
• 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-2025-0336; 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, the mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The street address for Docket Operations is listed above.
Material Incorporated by Reference:
• For Transport Canada material identified in this proposed AD, contact Transport Canada, Transport Canada National Aircraft Certification, 159 Cleopatra Drive, Nepean, Ontario K1A 0N5, Canada; telephone 888-663-3639; email TC.AirworthinessDirectives-Consignesdenavigabilite.TC@tc.gc.ca; website at tc.canada.ca/en/aviation. It is also available at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2025-0336.
• You may view this material 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:
Christopher Spencer, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: 516-228-7300; email: 9-avs-nyaco-cos@faa.gov.
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 the ADDRESSES section. Include "Docket No. FAA-2025-0336; Project Identifier MCAI-2022-00194-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 the 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
[top] 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 Christopher Spencer, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: 516-228-7300; email: 9-avs-nyaco-cos@faa.gov. Any commentary that the FAA receives which is not specifically designated as
Background
Transport Canada, which is the aviation authority for Canada, has issued Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44, dated December 9, 2019 (Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44) (also referred to as the MCAI), to correct an unsafe condition on all MHI RJ Aviation ULC (Type Certificate Previously Held by Bombardier, Inc.) Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701, and 702), CL-600-2C11 (Regional Jet Series 550), CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705), CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900), and CL-600-2E25 (Regional Jet Series 1000) airplanes. The MCAI states the manufacturer developed a new appendix for candidate certification maintenance requirement (CCMR) interval limitations that are airworthiness limitations. The FAA has determined failure to adhere to the interval limitations specified in the appendix can lead reduced structural integrity and reduced controllability of the airplane.
The FAA is proposing this AD to address reduced structural integrity and reduced controllability of the airplane.
You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2025-0336.
FAA's Determination
This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another country and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design Authority, it has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI referenced above. 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.
Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM
This proposed AD would require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive AMM tasks, which are specified in Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44 described previously, as incorporated by reference. Any differences with Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44 are identified as exceptions in the regulatory text of this proposed AD and discussed under "Differences Between This Proposed AD and the MCAI or Referenced Material."
Explanation of Required Compliance Information
In the FAA's ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of the AD process, the FAA developed a process to use some civil aviation authority (CAA) ADs as the primary source of information for compliance with requirements for corresponding FAA ADs. The FAA has been coordinating this process with manufacturers and CAAs. As a result, the FAA proposes to incorporate Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44 by reference in the FAA final rule. This proposed AD would, therefore, require compliance with Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44 through that incorporation, except for any differences identified as exceptions in the regulatory text of this proposed AD. Material required by Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44 for compliance will be available at regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2025-0336 after the FAA final rule is published.
Differences Between This Proposed AD and the MCAI or Referenced Material
Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44 introduces new CCMR intervals that the FAA cannot mandate as CCMRs as specified in the MCAI. Instead of mandating the CCMRs as done in the Transport Canada AD, the FAA, after coordination with Transport Canada, determined the corresponding AMM task numbers will be used. Therefore, the FAA proposes to mandate the AMM tasks as specified in paragraph (h)(2) of this proposed AD.
Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44 refers to "Temporary Revision (TR) ALI-0716, dated September 13, 2019, or later revisions" for the airworthiness limitation tasks. Since that TR was issued, TR ALI-0735, dated April 15, 2020, has been published. The FAA has referred to TR ALI-0735, dated April 15, 2020, in paragraph (h)(2) of this proposed AD.
Costs of Compliance
The FAA estimates that this proposed AD affects 556 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed AD:
The FAA has determined that revising the maintenance or inspection program takes an average of 90 work-hours per operator, although the agency recognizes that this number may vary from operator to operator. Since operators incorporate maintenance or inspection program changes for their affected fleet(s), the FAA has determined that a per-operator estimate is more accurate than a per-airplane estimate. Therefore, the agency estimates the average total cost per operator to be $7,650 (90 work-hours x $85 per work-hour).
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
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:
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Authority:
49 U.S.C. 106(f), 40113, 44701.
§?39.13 [Amended]
2. The FAA amends §?39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness directive:
MHI RJ Aviation ULC (Type Certificate Previously Held by Bombardier, Inc.): Docket No. FAA-2025-0336; Project Identifier MCAI-2022-00194-T.
(a) Comments Due Date
The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive (AD) by April 21, 2025.
(b) Affected ADs
None.
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to all MHI RJ Aviation ULC (Type Certificate Previously Held by Bombardier, Inc.) airplanes, certificated in any category, identified in paragraphs (c)(1) through (5) of this AD.
(1) Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701, and 702) airplanes.
(2) Model CL-600-2C11 (Regional Jet Series 550) airplanes.
(3) Model CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705) airplanes.
(4) Model CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) airplanes.
(5) Model CL-600-2E25 (Regional Jet Series 1000) airplanes.
(d) Subject
Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 05, Time Limits/Maintenance Checks.
(e) Unsafe Condition
This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive aircraft maintenance manual (AMM) tasks are necessary because failure to adhere to the interval limitations can lead to reduced structural integrity and reduced controllability of the airplane. The FAA is issuing this AD to address reduced structural integrity and reduced controllability of the airplane.
(f) Compliance
Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, unless already done.
(g) Maintenance or Inspection Program Revision
Except as specified in paragraph (h) of this AD: Comply with all required actions and compliance times specified in, and in accordance with, Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44, dated December 9, 2019 (Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44).
(h) Exception to Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44
(1) Where Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44 refers to its effective date, this AD requires using the effective date of this AD.
(2) Where paragraph 1. of Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44 specifies to "incorporate the revised Appendix, A2-00, into Part 2 ALI as introduced by Temporary Revision (TR) ALI-0716, dated 13 September 2019, or later revisions of these tasks approved by Transport Canada," this AD requires replacing that text with "revise the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, by incorporating the AMM tasks, including the interval limitation, specified in the revised Appendix, A2-00, as introduced by Temporary Revision (TR) ALI-0735, dated April 15, 2020, or later revisions of these tasks approved by Transport Canada. Only the AMM tasks and intervals must be incorporated."
(3) The initial compliance time for doing the AMM tasks specified in the TR identified in paragraph (h)(2) of this AD is at the later of the times specified in paragraphs (h)(3)(i) and (ii) of this AD.
(i) Before the applicable interval limitation specified in the TR identified in paragraph (h)(2) of this AD since entry into service.
(ii) Within 30 days after the effective date of this AD.
(4) This AD does not adopt paragraphs 2. and 3. of Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44.
(i) No Alternative Actions or Intervals
After the existing maintenance or inspection program has been revised as required by paragraph (g) of this AD, no alternative actions ( e.g., inspections) or intervals may be used unless the actions and intervals are approved as an alternative method of compliance (AMOC) in accordance with the procedures specified in paragraph (j) of this AD.
(j) Additional AD Provisions
The following provisions also apply to this AD:
(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, International Validation 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 International Validation Branch, send it to the attention of the person identified in paragraph (k) of this AD and email to: AMOC@faa.gov . Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager of the responsible Flight Standards Office.
(2) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any requirement in this AD to obtain instructions from a manufacturer, the instructions must be accomplished using a method approved by the Manager, International Validation Branch, FAA; or Transport Canada; or MHI RJ Aviation ULC's Transport Canada Design Approval Organization (DAO). If approved by the DAO, the approval must include the DAO-authorized signature.
(k) Additional Information
For more information about this AD, contact Christopher Spencer, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: 516-228-7300; email: 9-avs-nyaco-cos@faa.gov.
(l) Material Incorporated by Reference
(1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of the material listed in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
(2) You must use this material as applicable to do the actions required by this AD, unless this AD specifies otherwise.
(i) Transport Canada AD CF-2019-44, dated December 9, 2019.
(ii) [Reserved]
(3) For Transport Canada material identified in this AD, contact Transport Canada, Transport Canada National Aircraft Certification, 159 Cleopatra Drive, Nepean, Ontario K1A 0N5, Canada; telephone 888-663-3639; email TC.AirworthinessDirectives-Consignesdenavigabilite.TC@tc.gc.ca; website tc.canada.ca/en/aviation.
(4) You may view this material 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 material at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations or email fr.inspection@nara.gov.
Issued on February 27, 2025.
Victor Wicklund,
Deputy Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-03526 Filed 3-4-25; 8:45 am]
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