AD 99-01-03

This amendment supersedes Airworthiness Directive (AD) 97-14- 16, which applies to Raytheon Aircraft Company (Raytheon) Models 1900, 1900C, and 1900D airplanes. AD 97-14-16 currently requires repetitively inspecting the outboard flap support roller bearings and flap attachment brackets for indications of contact (wear), inspecting for elongated holes in the flap attachment brackets, repairing or replacing any part showing wear, and replacing any bracket with elongated holes. AD 97-14-16 was the result of five incidents where the flap roller bearings rubbed on the flap attachment brackets and resulted in aileron interference. This AD retains the repetitive inspection requirement of AD 97-14-16, but reduces the number of ground-air-ground (GAG) cycles allowed between inspections and lowers the total number of accumulated GAG cycles allowed before mandatory accomplishment of the initial inspection. This AD also provides the option of replacing the outboard flap roller bearings with parts of improved design as terminating action for the repetitive inspection requirement. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent asymmetric flaps, jammed flaps, and/ or possible interference between the flap and the aileron, which could inhibit aileron travel and result in possible loss of roll control of the airplane.

Final rule.

99-01-03 Raytheon Aircraft Company (Type Certificate No. A24CE formerly held by the Beech Aircraft Corporation): Amendment 39- 10970; Docket No. 98-CE-23-AD; Supersedes AD 97-14-16, Amendment 39- 10074.

Applicability: The following model and serial number airplanes, certificated in any category:

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Model Serial numbers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1900................................... UA-1, UA-2, and UA-3. 1900C.................................. UB-1 through UB-74, and UC-1
through UC-174. 1900C (C-12J).......................... UD-1 through UD-6. 1900D.................................. UE-1 through UE-322. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note 1: This AD applies to each airplane identified in the preceding applicability provision, regardless of whether it has been modified, altered, or repaired in the area subject to the requirements of this AD. For airplanes that have been modified, altered, or repaired so that the performance of the requirements of this AD is affected, the owner/operator must request approval for an alternative method of compliance in accordance with paragraph (e) of this AD. The request should include an assessment of the effect of the modification, alteration, or repair on the unsafe condition addressed by this AD; and, if the unsafe condition has not been eliminated, the request should include specific proposed actions to address it.

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Compliance: Required as indicated in the body of this AD, unless already accomplished.

Note 2: Hours time-in-service (TIS) may be substituted for ground-air-ground (GAG) cycles by multiplying the number of hours TIS by 2. For example, 1,300 hours TIS would equal 2,600 GAG cycles.

To prevent asymmetric flaps, jammed flaps, and/or possible interference betweenthe flap and the aileron, which could inhibit aileron travel and result in possible loss of roll control of the airplane, accomplish the following:
(a) Initially at whichever of the compliance times in paragraphs (a)(1), (a)(2), and (a)(3) of this AD that occurs later, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 600 ground-air-ground (GAG) cycles, inspect the outboard flap attachment brackets and roller bearings on both wings for visible wear and elongation of the bracket holes, in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions section of Raytheon Aircraft Safety Communique No. 137, Revision 1, dated December, 1997.
(1) Upon accumulating 600 total GAG cycles;
(2) Within 600 GAG cycles from the date of the last inspection required by AD 97-14-16; or
(3) Within the next 100 GAG cycles after the effective date of this AD.
(b) Prior to further flight after any inspection required by paragraph (a) of this AD, repair or replace any worn or damaged part in accordance with Raytheon Aircraft Temporary Revision No. 57-1 to the Raytheon Aircraft Beech 1900 Airliner Series Structural Repair Manual P/N 114-590021-9B6, dated May 16, 1997; Reissued: June 30, 1992.
(c) As an alternative method of compliance to the repetitive inspections and possible repairs or replacements required by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this AD, replace the outboard flap support roller bearings with parts of improved design, in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions section of Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 27-3158, Issued: July, 1998. Replacement of the outboard flap roller bearings is considered terminating action for the repetitive inspection requirement of this AD.
(d) Special flight permits may be issued in accordance with sections 21.197 and 21.199 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.197 and 21.199) to operate the airplane to a location where the requirements of this AD can be accomplished.
(e) An alternative method of compliance or adjustmentof the initial or repetitive compliance times that provides an equivalent level of safety may be approved by the Manager, Wichita Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), Room 100, 1801 Airport Road, Mid- Continent Airport, Wichita, Kansas 67209.
(1) The request shall be forwarded through an appropriate FAA Maintenance Inspector, who may add comments and then send it to the Manager. Wichita ACO.
(2) Alternative methods of compliance approved for AD 97-14-16 (superseded by this AD) are not considered approved as alternative methods of compliance for this AD.
(3) Replacing all outboard flap support roller bearings with parts of improved design, in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions section of Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 27-3158, Issued: July, 1998, is approved as an alternative method of compliance for this AD.

Note 3: Information concerning the existence of approved alternative methods of compliance with this AD, if any, may be obtained fromthe Wichita ACO.

(f) The inspections required by this AD shall be done in accordance with Raytheon Aircraft Safety Communique No. 137, Revision 1, dated December, 1997. The outboard flap support roller bearing replacements (optional) required by this AD shall be accomplished in accordance with Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 27-3158, Issued: July, 1998. The repairs or replacements of any worn or damaged parts required by this AD shall be done in accordance with Raytheon Aircraft Temporary Revision No. 57-1 to the Raytheon Aircraft Beech 1900 Airliner Series Structural Repair Manual P/N 114-590021-9B, dated May 16, 1997; Reissued: June 30, 1992.
(1) The incorporation by reference of Raytheon Aircraft Safety Communique No. 137, Revision 1, dated December, 1997; and Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 27-3158, Issued: July, 1998, was approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
(2) The incorporation by reference of Raytheon Aircraft Temporary Revision No. 57-1 to the Raytheon Aircraft Temporary Revision No. 57-1 to the Raytheon Aircraft Beech 1900 Airliner Series Structural Repair Manual P/N 114-590021-9B, dated May 16, 1997; Reissued: June 30, 1992, was previously approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51 as of August 4, 1997 (62 FR 37128, July 11, 1997).
(3) Copies may be obtained from the Raytheon Aircraft Company, 9709 E. Central, P.O. Box 85, Wichita, Kansas 67201-0085. Copies may be inspected at the FAA, Central Region, Office of the Regional Counsel, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri, or at the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW, suite 700, Washington, DC.
(g) This amendment supersedes AD 97-14-16, Amendment 39-10074.
(h) This amendment becomes effective on February 8, 1999.

Events Leading to the Issuance of This AD

A proposal to amend part 39 of the Federal
Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) to include an AD that would apply to Raytheon Models 1900, 1900C, and 1900D airplanes was published in the Federal Register as a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on July 8, 1998 (63 FR 36864). The NPRM proposed to supersede AD 97-14-16, Amendment 39-10074 (62 FR 37128, July 11, 1997), which currently requires repetitively inspecting the outboard flap support roller bearings and flap attachment brackets for indications of contact (wear), inspecting for elongated holes in the flap attachment brackets, repairing or replacing any part showing wear, and replacing any bracket with elongated holes.
The NPRM proposed to retain the same actions as AD 97-14-16, but would reduce the number of ground-air-ground (GAG) cycles allowed between inspections and would lower the total number of accumulated GAG cycles allowed before mandatory accomplishment of the initial inspection.
Accomplishment of the proposed inspections as specified in the NPRM would be required in accordance with Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 27-158, Issued: June, 1998. Accomplishment of the proposed repairs as specified in the NPRM would be required in accordance with Raytheon Aircraft Temporary Revision No. 57-1 to the Raytheon Aircraft Beech

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1900 Airliner Series Structural Repair Manual P/N 114-590021-9B, dated May 16, 1997; Reissued: June 30, 1992.
Interested persons have been afforded an opportunity to participate in the making of this amendment. Due consideration has been given to the comments received from three different commenters.

Comment Disposition

One commenter supports the NPRM as written.
The other two commenters raise issues concerning the way the FAA referenced the applicable service information in the NPRM. The commenters' concerns are as follows:

--The FAA incorrectly referenced Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 27-3158, Issued: July, 1998, as the document to use to accomplish the inspections. The document that contains procedures to accomplish the inspections is Raytheon Aircraft Safety Communique No. 137, Revision 1, dated December, 1997. --Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 27-3158 is incorrectly referenced as ``Issued: June, 1998'' instead of ``Issued: July, 1998''. --Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 27-3158, Issued: July, 1998, references replacing the outboard flap support roller bearings. This should be an option available to the owners/operators of the affected airplanes, instead of the repetitive inspections.

The FAA concurs with all of the above comments. The FAA will develop this final rule to include Raytheon Aircraft Safety Communique No. 137, Revision 1, dated December, 1997, as the document to use to accomplish the repetitive inspections. The FAA will also include the option of replacing the outboard flap support roller bearings in accordance with Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 27- 3158, Issued: July, 1998, as terminating action for the repetitive inspection requirement of the AD.

The FAA's Determination

After careful review of all available information related to the subject presented above, the FAA has determined that air safety and the public interest require the adoption of the rule as proposed except for the changes described above and minor editorial corrections. The FAA has determined that these changes and minor corrections will not change the meaning of the AD and will not add any additional burden upon the public than was already proposed.

Cost Impact

The FAA estimates that 527 airplanes in the U.S. registry will be affected by this AD.
The following cost information is for those owners/operators of the affected airplanes who choose to repetitively inspect the outboard flap support roller bearings instead of replacing these bearings with parts of improved design. It will take approximately 2 workhours per airplane to accomplish the initial inspection at approximately $60 per workhour. Based on these figures, the total cost impact of the initial inspection is estimated to be $120 per airplane. Costs to repair the outboard flap support roller bearings (if wear is found) would cost $920 per airplane (8 workhours x $60 per hour + $440 parts cost). Only the initial inspection and possible initial repair costs are calculated into these figures. The FAA has no way of determining how many repetitive inspections and repairs would be required on each affected airplane.
The following cost information is for those owners/operators of the affected airplanes who choose to replace the outboard flap support roller bearings with parts of improved design rather than repetitively inspect these bearings. It will take approximately 3 workhours per airplane to accomplish the replacement at approximately $60per workhour. Replacement outboard flap support roller bearings cost approximately $1,140 per airplane. Based on these figures, the total cost impact of the replacement is estimated to be $1,320 per airplane. Raytheon will give warranty credit for replacement outboard flap support roller bearings until July 1999.

Regulatory Impact

The regulations adopted herein will not have substantial direct effects 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. Therefore, in accordance with Executive Order 12612, it is determined that this final rule does not have sufficient federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.
For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this action (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. A copy of the final evaluation prepared for this action is contained in the Rules Docket. A copy of it may be obtained by contacting the Rules Docket at the location provided under the caption ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

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

Adoption of the Amendment

Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the Federal Aviation Administration amends part 39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) as follows:

PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

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]

2. Section 39.13 is amended by removing Airworthiness Directive (AD) 97-14-16, Amendment 39-10074 (62 FR 37128, July 11, 1997), and by adding a new AD to read as follows: