Federal Register/Vol. 64, No. 196/Tuesday, October 12, 1999
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55208 Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 196 / Tuesday, October 12, 1999 / Proposed Rules • Wing and Tail Leading Edge Pneumatic DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION the address specified above. All Deicing Boot System, if installed, must be communications received on or before activated: Federal Aviation Administration the closing date for comments, specified ÐAt the first sign of ice formation above, will be considered before taking anywhere on the aircraft, or upon 14 CFR Part 39 action on the proposed rule. The annunciation from an ice detector [Docket No. 99±CE±47±AD] proposals contained in this notice may system, whichever occurs first; and be changed in light of the comments RIN 2120±AA64 ÐThe system must either be continued to received. be operated in the automatic cycling Airworthiness Directives; AeroSpace Comments are specifically invited on mode, if available; or the system must be Technologies of Australia Pty Ltd. the overall regulatory, economic, manually cycled as needed to minimize Models N22B and N24A Airplanes environmental, and energy aspects of the ice accretions on the airframe. the proposed rule. All comments • The wing and tail leading edge AGENCY: Federal Aviation submitted will be available, both before pneumatic deicing boot system may be Administration, DOT. and after the closing date for comments, deactivated only after leaving icing ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking in the Rules Docket for examination by conditions and after the airplane is (NPRM). interested persons. A report that determined to be clear of ice.'' summarizes each FAA-public contact (b) Incorporating the AFM revisions, as SUMMARY: This document proposes to concerned with the substance of this required by this AD, may be performed by adopt a new airworthiness directive proposal will be filed in the Rules the owner/operator holding at least a private (AD) that would apply to all AeroSpace Docket. pilot certificate as authorized by section 43.7 Technologies of Australia Pty Ltd. Commenters wishing the FAA to of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR (AeroSpace Technologies) Models N22B acknowledge receipt of their comments 43.7), and must be entered into the aircraft and N24A airplanes. The proposed AD submitted in response to this notice records showing compliance with this AD in would require revising the Airplane must submit a self-addressed, stamped accordance with section 43.9 of the Federal Flight Manual (AFM) to include postcard on which the following Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 43.9). requirements for activation of the statement is made: ``Comments to (c) Special flight permits may be issued in airframe pneumatic deicing boots. The Docket No. 99±CE±47±AD.'' The accordance with sections 21.197 and 21.199 proposed AD is the result of reports of postcard will be date stamped and of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR in-flight incidents and an accident that returned to the commenter. 21.197 and 21.199) to operate the airplane to occurred in icing conditions where the a location where the requirements of this AD airframe pneumatic deicing boots were Availability of NPRMs can be accomplished. not activated. The actions specified by Any person may obtain a copy of this (d) An alternative method of compliance or the proposed AD are intended to assure NPRM by submitting a request to the adjustment of the compliance time that that flightcrews activate the pneumatic FAA, Central Region, Office of the provides an equivalent level of safety may be wing and tail deicing boots at the first approved by the Manager, Small Airplane Regional Counsel, Attention: Rules signs of ice accumulation. This action Docket No. 99±CE±47±AD, Room 1558, Directorate, 1201 Walnut, suite 900, Kansas will prevent reduced controllability of City, Missouri 64106. The request shall be 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri the aircraft due to adverse aerodynamic 64106. forwarded through an appropriate FAA effects of ice adhering to the airplane Maintenance Inspector, who may add prior to the first deicing cycle. Discussion comments and then send it to the Manager, DATES: Comments must be received on Small Airplane Directorate. On January 9, 1997, an Empresa or before December 1, 1999. Brazileira de Aeronautica, S.A. Note 2: Information concerning the ADDRESSES: Submit comments in (EMBRAER) Model EMB±120RT series existence of approved alternative methods of triplicate to the Federal Aviation compliance with this AD, if any, may be airplane was involved in an Administration (FAA), Central Region, uncommanded roll excursion and obtained from the Small Airplane Office of the Regional Counsel, Directorate. consequent rapid descent that resulted Attention: Rules Docket No. 99±CE±47± in an accident near Monroe, Michigan. (e) Information related to this AD may be AD, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, The post-accident investigation examined at the FAA, Central Region, Office Kansas City, Missouri 64106. Comments conducted by the National of the Regional Counsel, Room 1558, 601 E. may be inspected at this location Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday concluded that the airplane had Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on through Friday, holidays excepted. accumulated a thin, rough layer of ice October 4, 1999. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. on its lifting surfaces. That Michael Gallagher, John P. Dow, Sr., Aerospace Engineer, accumulation of ice, in combination Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 1201 with the slowing of the airplane to an Certification Service. Walnut, suite 900, Kansas City, Missouri airspeed inappropriate for the icing [FR Doc. 99±26570 Filed 10±8±99; 8:45 am] 64106; telephone: (816) 426±6932; conditions in which the airplane was BILLING CODE 4910±13±P facsimile: (816) 426±2169. flying, resulted in loss of control that SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: was not corrected before the airplane impacted the ground. The NTSB also Comments Invited concluded that the flight crew did not Interested persons are invited to activate the wing and tail pneumatic participate in the making of the deicing boots. An NTSB proposed rule by submitting such recommendation related to this accident written data, views, or arguments as requested that the FAA mandate that they may desire. Communications pneumatic deicing boots be turned on as should identify the Rules Docket soon as the airplane enters icing number and be submitted in triplicate to conditions. VerDate 06-OCT-99 16:47 Oct 08, 1999 Jkt 190000 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\12OCP1.XXX pfrm07 PsN: 12OCP1 Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 196 / Tuesday, October 12, 1999 / Proposed Rules 55209 The FAA has reviewed the icing- Delayed Activation of Pneumatic onset of ice accretion, with ice not shed related incident history of certain Deicing Boots on the initial deicing boot cycle airplanes, and has determined that icing In accordance with manufacturer continuing to increase in thickness and incidents may have occurred because instructions and FAA-approved airplane being shed during subsequent cycles. During the previously discussed pneumatic deicing boots were not flight manual (AFM) procedures, the November 1997 international workshop, activated at the first evidence of ice flightcrews of most airplanes equipped the inability of flightcrews to accurately accretion. As a result, the handling with pneumatic deicing boots delay the gauge wing and control surfaces ice qualities or the controllability of the initial activation of the boots until a accretion thickness before activating the airplane may have been reduced due to certain quantity of ice has accumulated deicing boots was recognized. Also, the accumulated ice. That factor was on the protected surfaces (boots). Some present in the accident discussed increased airplane drag resulting from crews routinely wait for 1¤4 to 1¤2 inch of previously and, as such, constitutes an ice accretion was recognized as a ice to accumulate, and at least one potential contributing cause of unsafe condition. airplane type is routinely flown with up 1 inadvertent airspeed loss that Request for Information to 1 ¤2 inches of ice on the protected characterized most in-flight icing related surfaces before the initial activation of accidents and incidents. Two airframe On October 1, 1998, the FAA sent the deicing boots. letters to certain manufacturers of manufacturers, whose products airplanes certified in accordance with Ice Bridging comprise a substantial percentage of the turbopropeller transport fleet, reported part 25 of the Federal Aviation In the past, concern about ``ice that, because of these concerns they Regulations (14 CFR part 25). The letters bridging'' on early pneumatic deicing recommend activating the automatic requested certain icing system design boot designs resulted in the common airframe deicing system at first onset of information and operational procedures practice of delaying activation of ice airframe icing. Those manufacturers applicable to their airplanes concerning protection. Ice bridging of pneumatic have received no reports of deicing boot flight during icing conditions. The deicing boots occurred when a thin letters also requested that manufacturers ice bridging events for these airplanes. layer of ice is sufficiently plastic to The FAA considers that ice provide data showing that the aircraft deform to the shape of the inflated has safe operating characteristics with accumulation on protected surfaces due deicing boot tube