Airworthiness Directives; Embraer S.A. (Type Certificate Previously Held by Yaborã Indústria Aeronáutica S.A.; Embraer S.A.; Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica S.A. (EMBRAER)) Airplanes

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <SUBAGY>Federal Aviation Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>14 CFR Part 39</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. FAA-2025-0010; Project Identifier MCAI-2024-00270-T; Amendment 39-23020; AD 2025-08-07]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2120-AA64</RIN> <SUBJECT>Airworthiness Directives; Embraer S.A. (Type Certificate Previously Held by Yaborã Indústria Aeronáutica S.A.; Embraer S.A.; Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica S.A. (EMBRAER)) Airplanes</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2006-20-08, which applied to all Embraer S.A. Model EMB-145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP, and -145EP airplanes. AD 2006-20-08 required repetitive inspections to detect cracking or failure of the rod ends and fittings of the aileron power control actuator (PCA), and corrective actions if necessary, and provided an optional terminating action. This AD was prompted by a determination that there was an error in identifying a maintenance task number. This AD continues to require the actions in AD 2006-20-08 and corrects an error in a task number, as specified in an Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This AD is effective June 26, 2025. The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of June 26, 2025. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> <E T="03">AD Docket:</E> You may examine the AD docket at <E T="03">regulations.gov</E> under Docket No. FAA-2025-0010; 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. <E T="03">Material Incorporated by Reference:</E> • For ANAC material identified in this AD, contact: National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), Aeronautical Products Certification Branch (GGCP), Rua Dr. Orlando Feirabend Filho, 230—Centro Empresarial Aquarius—Torre B—Andares 14 a 18, Parque Residencial Aquarius, CEP 12.246-190—São José dos Campos—SP, Brazil; telephone 55 (12) 3203-6600; email <E T="03">pac@anac.gov.br</E> . You may find this material on the ANAC website at <E T="03">sistemas.anac.gov.br/certificacao/DA/DAE.asp</E> . • You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195. It is also available at <E T="03">regulations.gov</E> under Docket No. FAA-2025-0010. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Hassan Ibrahim, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: 206-231-3653; email <E T="03">hassan.m.ibrahim@faa.gov</E> . </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Background</HD> The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 to supersede AD 2006-20-08, Amendment 39-14777 (71 FR 58487, October 4, 2006) (AD 2006-20-08). AD 2006-20-08 applied to all Embraer Model EMB-145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP, and -145EP airplanes. AD 2006-20-08 required repetitive inspections to detect cracking or failure/breaking of the rod ends and fittings of the aileron PCA, and corrective actions if necessary, and provided an optional terminating action for the requirements. The FAA issued AD 2006-20-08 to detect and correct cracking or breaking of the rod ends and connecting fittings of the aileron PCA, which could result in reduced controllability of the airplane. The NPRM published in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> on January 31, 2025 (90 FR 8684). The NPRM was prompted by AD 1999-02-01R7, effective May 6, 2024; as corrected October 11, 2024 (ANAC AD 1999-02-01R7) (also referred to as the MCAI), issued by ANAC, which is the aviation authority for Brazil. The MCAI states that after ANAC AD 1999-02-01R6 was issued it was identified that the visual inspection task number referenced on requirement (c) of that AD (AMM TASK 27-12-01-212-002-A00, “Aileron PCA Rod Ends/Fitting, Lugs for Integrity and General Condition”) was incorrect. ANAC AD 1999-02-01R7 was issued to replace the task reference to MRB-145/1150 TASK 27-12-01-212-002-A05. For airplanes identified in paragraph (c) of ANAC AD 1999-02-01R7, accomplishing repetitive inspections as specified in MRB-145/1150 TASK 27-12-01-212-002-A05 are necessary to address the unsafe condition. In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to continue to require the actions in AD 2006-20-08 and correct an error in a task number, as specified in ANAC AD 1999-02-01R7. The FAA is issuing this AD to address cracking or breaking of the rod ends and connecting fittings of the aileron PCA, which could result in reduced controllability of the airplane. You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at <E T="03">regulations.gov</E> under Docket No. FAA-2025-0010. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Comments</HD> The FAA received comments from the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) who supported the NPRM without change. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Conclusion</HD> 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, considered the comment received, 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. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51</HD> ANAC AD 1999-02-01R7 specifies procedures for repetitive inspections to detect cracking and failure of the rod ends and PCA fittings of the aileron PCA and corrective actions if necessary, and provides an optional terminating action. Corrective actions include replacing cracked and failed rod ends and PCA fittings. 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 <E T="02">ADDRESSES</E> section. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Costs of Compliance</HD> The FAA estimates that this AD will affect 272 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD: <GPOTABLE COLS="05" OPTS="L2,nj,i1" CDEF="s50,r50,r50,12,12"> <TTITLE>Estimated Costs For Required Actions</TTITLE> <CHED H="1">Action</CHED> <CHED H="1">Labor cost</CHED> <CHED H="1">Parts cost</CHED> <CHED H="1">Cost per product</CHED> <CHED H="1">Cost on U.S. operators</CHED> <ROW> <ENT I="01">Retained actions from AD 2006-20-08</ENT> <ENT>1 work-hour × $85 per hour = $85</ENT> <ENT>None</ENT> <ENT>$85</ENT> <ENT>$23,120</ENT> </ROW> </GPOTABLE> <GPOTABLE COLS="03" OPTS="L2,nj,i1" CDEF="s100,12C,18C"> <TTITLE>Estimated Costs for Optional Actions</TTITLE> <CHED H="1">Labor cost</CHED> <CHED H="1">Parts cost</CHED> <ENT I="01">24 work-hours × $85 per hour = $2,040</ENT> <ENT>$19,817</ENT> <ENT>$21,857</ENT> </ROW> </GPOTABLE> The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary on-condition actions that would be required based on the results of any required actions. The FAA has no way of determining the number of aircraft that might need these on-condition actions: <GPOTABLE COLS="03" OPTS="L2,nj,i1" CDEF="s100,12C,18C"> <TTITLE>Estimated Costs of On-Condition Actions</TTITLE> <CHED H="1">Labor cost</CHED> <CHED H="1">Parts cost</CHED> <ENT I="01">24 work-hours × $85 per hour = $2,040</ENT> <ENT>$19,817</ENT> <ENT>$21,857</ENT> </ROW> </GPOTABLE> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Authority for This Rulemaking</HD> 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. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Regulatory Findings</HD> 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 intrast ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 21k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━