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AGENCY:
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION:
Final rule.
SUMMARY:
The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2022-02-10, which applied to certain Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 7X, FALCON 900EX, and FALCON 2000EX airplanes. AD 2022-02-10 required replacement of certain titanium screws. Since the FAA issued AD 2022-02-10, affected parts have been found in other areas of certain Falcon 7X airplanes as well as in additional Falcon 7X airplanes. This AD continues to require the actions in AD 2022-02-10, adds other locations for screw replacement, and revises the applicability, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
DATES:
This AD is effective October 15, 2024.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in this AD as of October 15, 2024.
ADDRESSES:
AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2024-0457; 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, the mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI), 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.
Material Incorporated by Reference:
- For EASA material identified in this AD, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 8999 000; emailADs@easa.europa.eu; website easa.europa.eu. You may find this material on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.
- For Dassault Aviation material identified in this AD, contact Dassault Falcon Jet Corporation, Teterboro Airport, P.O. Box 2000, South Hackensack, NJ 07606; telephone 201-440-6700; websitedassaultfalcon.com.
- You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195. It is also available in the AD docket atregulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2024-0457.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tom Rodriguez, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; telephone: 206-231-3226; email: tom.rodriguez@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 to supersede AD 2022-02-10, Amendment 39-21907 (87 FR 7025, February 8, 2022) (AD 2022-02-10). AD 2022-02-10 applied to certain Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 7X, FALCON 900EX, and FALCON 2000EX airplanes. AD 2022-02-10 was prompted by MCAI originated by EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union. EASA issued AD 2021-0047, dated February 16, 2021 (EASA AD 2021-0047), to correct an unsafe condition. AD 2022-02-10 required replacement of certain titanium screws. The FAA issued AD 2022-02-10 to address failure of an affected screw installed in a critical location, possibly resulting in reduced structural integrity of the airplane.
The NPRM published in the Federal Register on March 6, 2024 (89 FR 15965). The NPRM was prompted by EASA AD 2023-0207, dated November 21, 2023 (also referred to as the MCAI). The MCAI states that since EASA issued AD 2021-0047, it was determined that affected parts have been installed in production in additional areas of certain Model FALCON 7X airplanes already included in the applicability of EASA AD 2021-0047. Additionally, it was determined that additional Model FALCON 7X airplanes were not included in the applicability of EASA AD 2021-0047.
In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to continue to require the actions in AD 2022-02-10, add other locations for screw replacement, and revise the applicability, as specified in EASA AD 2023-0207. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2024-0457.
Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive
Comments
The FAA received no comments on the NPRM or on the determination of the cost to the public.
Conclusion
This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another country and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design Authority, it has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI referenced above. The FAA reviewed the relevant data and determined that air safety requires adopting this AD as proposed. Accordingly, the FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on this product. Except for minor editorial changes, this AD is adopted as proposed in the NPRM. None of the changes will increase the economic burden on any operator.
Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51
EASA AD 2023-0207 specifies procedures for replacing certain Decomatic titanium screws (including an inspection of the bore dimension and corrective actions (oversizing or repair)). The EASA AD also restricts installation of certain Decomatic titanium screws.
Dassault Service Bulletin 7X-467, Revision 2, dated March 20, 2023, specifies procedures for additional work.
This material 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 44 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD:
Estimated Costs for Required Actions
| Action | Labor cost | Parts cost | Cost per product | Cost on U.S. operators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retained actions from AD 2022-02-10 | Up to 90 work-hours × $85 per hour = $7,650 | $0 | Up to $7,650 | Up to $336,600. |
| New proposed requirements | Up to 110 work-hours × $85 per hour = $9,350 | 0 | Up to $9,350 | Up to $411,400. |