AD 2019-12-03

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Bombardier, Inc., Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701 & 702), CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705), and CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) airplanes. This AD was prompted by a determination that new and more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary for operational checks of the landing gear alternate extension system (AES). This AD requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new and more restrictive airworthiness limitations. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

Final rule.

Adoption of the Amendment

Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows:

PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

0 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]

0 2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness directive (AD):

2019-12-03 Bombardier, Inc.: Amendment 39-19658; Docket No. FAA- 2019-0185; Product Identifier 2018-NM-178-AD.

(a) Effective Date

This AD is effective August 7, 2019.

(b) Affected ADs

None.

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(c) Applicability

This AD applies to all Bombardier, Inc., Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701 & 702), CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705), and CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) airplanes, certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 32, Landinggear.

(e) Reason

This AD was prompted by a determination that new and more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary for operational checks of the landing gear alternate extension system (AES). The FAA is issuing this AD to address a deficiency in the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, that does not meet the certification criteria for all critical AES failure modes, which could reduce the ability of the flightcrew to maintain the safe flight and landing of the airplane.

(f) Compliance

Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, unless already done.

(g) Maintenance or Inspection Program Revision

Within 30 days after the effective date of this AD, revise the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate the information specified in CRJ Regional Jet (Bombardier) Temporary Revision ALI-0652, dated July 9, 2018. The initial compliance time for doing the tasks is at the time specified in figure 1 to paragraph (g) of this AD. [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR03JY19.000

(h) 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 or intervals are approved as an alternative method of compliance (AMOC) in accordance with the procedures specified in paragraph (i)(1) of this AD.

(i) Other FAA AD Provisions

The following provisions also apply to this AD:
(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, New York ACO 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 local Flight Standards District Office, as appropriate. If sending information directly to the manager of the certification office, send it to ATTN: Program Manager, Continuing Operational Safety, FAA, New York ACO Branch, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; telephone 516-228-7300; fax 516-794-5531. Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager of the local flight standards district office/certificate holding district office.
(2) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any requirement in this AD to obtain corrective actions from a manufacturer, the action must be accomplished using a method approved by the Manager, New York ACO Branch, FAA; or Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA); or Bombardier, Inc.'s TCCA Design Approval Organization (DAO). If approved by the DAO, the approval must include the DAO-authorized signature.

(j) Related Information

(1) Refer to Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information (MCAI) Canadian AD CF-2018-31, dated November 28, 2018, for related information. This MCAI may be found in the AD docket on the internet athttp://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2019-0185.
(2) For more information about this AD, contact Darren Gassetto, Aerospace Engineer, Mechanical Systems and Administrative Services Section, FAA, New York ACO Branch, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; telephone 516-228-7323; fax 516-794-5531; email 9-avs-nyaco-cos@faa.gov.

(k) Material Incorporated by Reference

(1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference (IBR) of the service information listed in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
(2) You must use this service information as applicable to do the actions required by this AD, unless this AD specifies otherwise.
(i) CRJ Regional Jet (Bombardier) Temporary Revision ALI-0652, dated July 9, 2018.
(ii) [Reserved]
(3) For service information identified in this AD, contact Bombardier, Inc., 400 C[ocirc]te Vertu Road West, Dorval, Qu[eacute]bec H4S 1Y9, Canada; Widebody Customer Response Center North America toll-free telephone 1-866-538-1247 or direct-dial telephone 1-514-855-2999; fax 514-855-7401; email ac.yul@aero.bombardier.com; internet http://www.bombardier.com.
(4) You may view this service information at the FAA, Transport Standards 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 service information that is incorporated by reference at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

Discussion

The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to all Bombardier, Inc., Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701 & 702), CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705), and CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) airplanes. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on March 28, 2019 (84 FR 11656). The NPRM was prompted by a determination that new and more restrictive airworthiness limitations are

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necessary for operational checks of the landing gear AES. The NPRM proposed to require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new and more restrictive airworthiness limitations.
The FAA is issuing this AD to address a deficiency in the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, that does not meet the certification criteria for all critical AES failure modes, which could reduce the ability of the flightcrew to maintain the safe flight and landing of the airplane.
Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), which is the aviation authority for Canada, has issued Canadian AD CF-2018-31, dated November 28, 2018 (referred to after this as the Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information, or ``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for all Bombardier, Inc., Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701 & 702), CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705), and CL- 600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) airplanes. The MCAI states:

During the Bombardier Maintenance Review Board (MRB) inspection escalation interval project, it was discovered that the current interval of 8000 hours air time and previous interval of 6000 hours air time for the MRB Task 320100-203 ``Operational Check of the Landing Gear Alternate Extension System (AES)'' does not meet the certification criteria to cover for all critical AES failure modes [which could reduce the ability of the flightcrew to maintain the safe flight and landing of the airplane]. For this reason, a new Certification Maintenance Requirement (CMR) task needs to be implemented in the maintenance program at a shorter interval of 1600 hours air time.
This [Canadian] AD mandates a new CMR task for an operational check of the AES with interval of 1600 hours air time.

You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2019- 0185.

Comments

The FAA gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing this final rule. The FAA has considered the comment received. The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) indicated its support for the NPRM.

Conclusion

The FAA reviewed the relevant data, considered the comment received, and determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting this final rule as proposed, except for minor editorial changes. The FAA has determined that these minor changes:Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the NPRM for addressing the unsafe condition; and
Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was already proposed in the NPRM.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

Bombardier has issued CRJ Regional Jet (Bombardier) Temporary Revision ALI-0652, dated July 9, 2018. This service information describes airworthiness limitations for a CMR task related to operational checks of the landing gear AES.
This service information is reasonably available because the interested parties have access to it through their normal course of business or by the means identified in the ADDRESSES section.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this AD affects 536 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD:
The FAA has determined that revising the existing maintenance or inspection program takes an average of 90 work-hours per operator, although the FAA recognizes that this number may vary from operator to operator. In the past, the FAA has estimated that this action takes 1 work-hour per airplane. 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 FAA estimates the 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.
This AD is issued in accordance with authority delegated by the Executive Director, Aircraft Certification Service, as authorized by FAA Order 8000.51C. In accordance with that order, issuance of ADs is normally a function of the Compliance and Airworthiness Division, but during this transition period, the Executive Director has delegated the authority to issue ADs applicable to transport category airplanes and associated appliances to the Director of the System Oversight Division.

Regulatory Findings

This AD will not have federalism implications under Executive Order 13132. This AD will 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 that this AD:
(1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 12866,
(2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, 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.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

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