Airworthiness directives: Boeing,

[Federal Register: February 4, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 23)]

[Proposed Rules]

[Page 5766-5767]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr04fe98-21]

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket Nos. 97-NM-09-AD, 97-NM-97-AD, 97-NM-80-AD, and 97-NM-81-AD]

RIN Nos. 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives: Boeing 727 Series Airplanes; Notice of Public Meetings

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings, reopening of comment period.

SUMMARY: This notice reopens the comment period and announces two public meetings on the subject proposed airworthiness directives (AD's) that would reduce payload limits for converted Boeing 727 cargo airplanes. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss technical issues related to loads and stresses on cargo floors and margins of safety. The comment period is being reopened to facilitate collection and consideration of data concerning these technical issues.

DATES: The public meetings will be held February 18-19 and April 1-3, 1998, at 9:00 a.m., in Seattle, Washington. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. on the day of each meeting. Comments must be received no later than April 24, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held at the following location:

The Radisson Hotel, 17001 Pacific Highway South, Seattle Washington 98188, Telephone 206-244-6000.

Persons who are unable to attend the meeting may mail their comments (clearly marked with the docket numbers) in triplicate to: Federal Aviation Administration, Northwest Mountain Region, Regulations Branch (ANM-114), 1601 Lind Avenue, SW, Renton, Washington 98055-4056.

Written comments to the dockets will receive the same consideration as statements made at the public meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests to present a statement at the public meetings and questions regarding the logistics of the meeting should be directed to Gerald Lakin, Federal Aviation Administration, Northwest Mountain Region, Transport Airplane Directorate (ANM-115), 1601 Lind Avenue, SW, Renton, Washington, 98055-4056, telephone (425) 227-1187, fax (425) 227-1320.

Questions concerning the proposed Airworthiness Directives should be directed to Paul Sconyers, Associate Manager, Airframe and Propulsion Branch, ACE-117A, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office, One Crown Center, 1895 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 450, Atlanta, Georgia 303349; telephone (770) 703- 6076; fax (770) 703-6097.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Participation at the Public Meeting on the Proposed Airworthiness Directives

Requests from persons who wish to present oral statements at the public meetings should be received by the FAA no later than 10 days prior to each meeting. Such requests should be submitted to Gerald Lakin as listed in the section titled FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above, and should include a written summary of oral remarks to be presented, and an estimate of time needed for the presentation. Requests received after the date specified above will be scheduled if there is time available during the meeting; however, the names of those individuals may not appear on the written agenda. The FAA will prepare an agenda of speakers that will be available at the meeting. To accommodate as many speakers as possible, the amount of time allocated to each speaker may be less than the amount of time requested. Those persons desiring to have available

[[Page 5767]]

audiovisual equipment should notify the FAA when requesting to be placed on the agenda.

Background

On July 15, 1997, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published in the Federal Register (62 FR 37798) for public comment four proposed AD's that would be applicable to certain Boeing Model 727 airplanes that have been converted from a passenger to a cargo-carrying (or combination) configuration in accordance with one of several Supplemental Type Certificates (STC's). The AD's proposed to require the limitation of payloads on the main cargo deck. The AD's also proposed to provide for the submission of data and analyses that substantiate the strength of the main cargo deck, or modification of the main cargo deck, as optional terminating action for the payload restrictions.

The comment period on the proposed rules closed on August 22, 1997. Since that time, the FAA has received several additional comments and has been contacted by various interested parties. Records of these contacts are included in the dockets for these rules. The FAA has received comments as late as January 20, 1998.

Based on the content of the comments and the interest in the rules expressed by various operators of modified aircraft, the STC holders, and other interested parties, the FAA has determined that it is in the public interest to reopen the comment period on these rules in order to seek additional data and the supporting methodologies concerning allowable loads for cargo floors on converted Boeing 727 airplanes.

Accordingly, the FAA will conduct two public meetings in Seattle, Washington for the purpose of gathering additional information.

The comment periods on these proposed rules will remain open until April 24, 1998, three weeks after the close of the second meeting. The FAA anticipates that the agency and the industry will use these public meetings as a forum to resolve the approach used to analyze floor structure on converted Boeing 727 airplanes, including the methodology and technical assumptions used in the calculation of allowable loads; and to seek additional data and supporting methodologies from industry.

Persons interested in obtaining a copy of the proposed airworthiness directives as published in the Federal Register should contact Gerald Lakin at the address or telephone number provided in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

An electronic copy of these documents may be downloaded using a modem and suitable communications software from the FAA regulations section of the Fedworld electronic bulletin board service (telephone: (703) 321-3339) or the Federal Register electronic bulletin board service (telephone: (202) 512-1661).

Internet users may reach the FAA's webpage at http://www.faa.gov or the Federal Register webpage at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su__docs to access recently published rulemaking documents.

Public Meeting Procedures

Persons who plan to attend the meeting should be aware of the following procedures that have been established for this meeting:

1. There will be no admission fee or other charge to attend or to participate in the public meeting. The meeting will be open to all persons who have requested in advance to present statements, or who register on the day of the meeting (between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.) subject to availability of space in the meeting room.

2. Representatives from the FAA will conduct the public meeting. A technical panel of FAA experts will be established to discuss information presented by participants.

3. The public meetings are intended as a forum to resolve the approach used to analyze the floor structure on converted Boeing 727 airplanes, including the methodology and technical assumptions used in the calculation of allowable loads, and to seek additional data and supporting methodologies from industry. Participants must limit their presentations and submissions of data to this issue.

4. The meetings will offer the opportunity for all interested parties to present any additional information not currently available to the FAA, and an opportunity for FAA to explain the methodology and technical assumptions supporting its current conclusions.

5. FAA experts, industry, and public participants are expected to engage in a full discussion of all technical material presented at the meetings. Anyone presenting conclusions will be expected to submit to the FAA data supporting those conclusions; any proprietary data submitted will be protected by the FAA from disclosure.

6. The FAA will try to accommodate all speakers; therefore, it may be necessary to limit the time available for an individual or group. If necessary, the meetings may be extended to evenings or additional days. If practicable, the meetings may be accelerated to enable adjournment in less than the time scheduled.

7. Sign and oral interpretation can be made available at the meeting, as well as an assistive listening device, if requested 10 calendar days before the meeting.

8. The meeting will be recorded by a court reporter. A transcript of the meeting and any material accepted by the panel during the meeting will be included in the public dockets. Any person who is interested in purchasing a copy of the transcript should contact the court reporter directly. This information will be available at the meeting.

9. The FAA will review and consider all material presented by participants at the public meeting. Position papers or material presenting views or information related to the proposed airworthiness directives may be accepted at the discretion of the presiding officer and subsequently placed in the public docket. The FAA requests that persons participating in the meeting provide 10 copies of all materials to be presented for distribution to the panel members; others copies may be provided to the audience at the discretion of the participant.

10. Statements made by members of the panel are intended to facilitate discussion of the issues or to clarify issues. Comments made at these public meetings will be considered by the FAA before making a final decision on issuance of the airworthiness directives.

11. The meetings are designed to solicit public views and more complete information on the proposed airworthiness directives. Therefore, the meeting will be conducted in an informal and nonadversarial manner.

Issued in Washington, DC, on January 30, 1998. Douglas Kirkpatrick, Acting Director, Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 98-2834Filed2-2-98; 12:45 pm]

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