2025-02528

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: • the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document • the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to • the agency docket number / agency internal file number • the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration • 14 CFR Part 39 • [Docket No. FAA-2023-1893; Project Identifier AD-2023-00389-A; Amendment 39-22944; AD 2025-02-11] • RIN 2120-AA64 AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain FS 2001 Corp, FS 2002 Corporation, FS 2003 Corporation, Piper, and Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Piper) airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of broken rudders. This AD requires replacing any rudder equipped with a rudder post made from a certain carbon steel with a rudder equipped with a rudder post made from a certain low-alloy steel. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. DATES: This AD is effective March 20, 2025. ADDRESSES: AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2023-1893; 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 final rule, any comments received, and other information. The address for Docket Operations is U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Zuklic, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198; phone: (206) 231-3858; email: joseph.r.zuklic@faa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to certain FS 2001 Corp, FS 2002 Corporation, FS 2003 Corporation, and Piper airplanes. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on October 6, 2023 (88 FR 69556). On November 20, 2023 (88 FR 80647) the FAA extended the comment period by 90 days until February 20, 2024. The NPRM was prompted by reports of two non-fatal accidents involving airplanes designed and built by Piper that were caused by broken rudder posts that structurally failed above the upper hinge in flight. Both accidents occurred in Anchorage, Alaska. The first accident occurred on June 8, 2020, and involved an FS 2003 Model PA-12 airplane and the second accident occurred on July 23, 2021, and involved an FS 2002 Model PA-14 airplane. Both airplanes sustained substantial damage when the rudder structurally failed. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published the report Structural Failure of Piper Part Number 40622 Rudder Posts Made of 1025 Carbon Steel, NTSB/AIR-22-02, dated January 10, 2022 (NTSB/AIR-22-02), which provides information regarding the NTSB's investigations of these two accidents. The NTSB accident investigation report included a recommendation (Safety Recommendation No. A-22-3) to the FAA to issue an AD addressing this unsafe condition. The NTSB report can be found on ntsb.gov. The NTSB examined the rudders involved in these accidents and determined that the rudder posts fractured above the upper hinge and the top portion of the rudder folded over the upper tail brace wires. The NTSB also determined that the rudder posts were made from 1025 carbon s…

Fonte: Federal Register (federalregister.gov). Texto original em inglês. Conteúdo sanitizado por segurança.