AD 2018-20-03 R1

This AD is effective December 12, 2018.

We must receive any comments on this AD by January 11, 2019.

You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

• Fax: 202-493-2251.

• Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, 20590.

• Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

For service information identified in this AD, contact Hoffmann Propeller GmbH & Co. KG, Sales and Service, Küpferlingstrasse 9, 83022 Rosenheim, Germany; phone: +49 (0) 8031 1878 0; fax: +49 (0) 8031 1878 78; email: info@hoffmann-prop.com. You may view this service information at the FAA, Engine & Propeller Standards Branch, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA, 01803. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 781-238-7759. It is also available on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2018-0975.

Maureen Maisttison, Aerospace Engineer, Boston ACO Branch, FAA, 1200 District Ave, Burlington, MA, 01803; phone: 781-238-7076; fax: 781-238-7898; email: maureen.maisttison@faa.gov.

We issued AD 2018-20-03, Amendment 39-19437 (83 FR 50821, October 10, 2018), (“AD 2018-20-03”), for Hoffmann model HO-V 62 propellers. AD 2018-20-03 required removal of the affected propeller blades and installation of modified propeller blades marked with a change letter “A” or “B” suffix. AD 2018-20-03 resulted from the failure of the propeller blade lag screws. We issued AD 2018-20-03 to prevent failure of the propeller.

Since we issued AD 2018-20-03, we determined that we inadvertently included all Hoffmann S/N model HO-V 62 propeller blades without a change letter “A” or “B” suffix in the applicability and installation prohibition paragraphs of this AD. This AD corrects the applicability and installation prohibition paragraphs to affect only Hoffmann model HO-V 62 propeller blades with S/N 1 to 6049, inclusive. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We reviewed Hoffmann Propeller GmbH & Co. KG Service Bulletin (SB) E34 Rev. B, dated September 18, 2017. The SB describes the instructions for the removal and installation of the propeller blades. 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.

This product has been approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to our bilateral agreement with the European Community, EASA has notified us of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and service information referenced above. We are issuing this AD because we evaluated all the relevant information provided by EASA and determined the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design.

This AD requires removal of the affected propeller blades and installation of modified propeller blades marked with a change letter “A” or “B” suffix.

We are revising AD 2018-20-03 to correct the applicability and installation prohibition paragraphs, which were overly inclusive. We also reduced the compliance time in this AD to align more closely with the effective compliance time in AD 2018-20-03. We previously provided notice and an opportunity to comment on the substance of this rulemaking and received no comments. Therefore, we find that notice and opportunity for prior public comment are unnecessary and that good cause exists for making this amendment effective in less than 30 days.

This AD is a final rule that involves requirements affecting flight safety, and we did not provide you with notice and an opportunity to provide your comments before it becomes effective. However, we invite you to send any written data, views, or arguments about this final rule. Send your comments to an address listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include the docket number FAA-2018-0975 and product identifier 2018-NE-06-AD at the beginning of your comments. We specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this final rule. We will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend this final rule because of those comments.

We will post all comments we receive, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. We will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact we receive about this final rule.

We estimate that this AD affects 50 propellers installed on airplanes of U.S. registry.

We estimate that 25 propellers will need to be replaced between overhaul and 25 propellers will need to be replaced at overhaul to comply with this AD:

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 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 engines, propellers, and associated appliances to the Manager, Engine and Propeller Standards Branch, Policy and Innovation Division.

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 part 39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (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 removing airworthiness directive (AD) 2018-20-03, Amendment 39-19437 (83 FR 50821, October 10, 2018), and adding the following new AD: