AD 2012-01-11

This AD is effective February 29, 2012.

The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in the AD as of February 29, 2012.

For service information identified in this AD, contact Cirrus Design Corporation, 4515 Taylor Circle, Duluth, Minnesota 55811-1548, phone: (218) 788-3000; fax: (218) 788-3525; email: fieldservice@cirrusaircraft.com; Internet: http://www.cirrusaircraft.com. You may review copies of the referenced service information at the FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call (816) 329-4148.

Michael Downs, Propulsion Engineer, Chicago ACO, FAA, O'Hare Lake Office Center, 2300 East Devon Ave., Des Plaines, Illinois 60018; phone: (847) 294-7870; fax: (847) 294-7834; email: michael.downs@faa.gov.

We issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 to include an AD that would apply to the specified products. That NPRM published in the Federal Register on November 2, 2011 (76 FR 67631). That NPRM proposed to require inspection and modification of the air box flange welds and slots and installation of induction system air box seals as applicable.

We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing this AD. We received no comments on the NPRM (76 FR 67631, November 2, 2011) or on the determination of the cost to the public.

We reviewed the relevant data and determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting the AD as proposed except for minor editorial changes. We have determined that these minor changes:

• Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the NPRM (76 FR 67631, November 2, 2011) for correcting the unsafe condition; and

• Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was already proposed in the NPRM.

We estimate that this AD affects 67 airplanes of U.S. registry.

We estimate the following costs to comply with this AD:

According to the manufacturer, all of the costs of this AD may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on affected individuals. We do not control warranty coverage for affected individuals. As a result, we have included all costs in our cost estimate.

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.

We are 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 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) Is not a “significant rule” under DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979),

(3) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and

(4) 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.

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

1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:

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