AD 2003-17-05R1 Airworthiness Directives; Short Brothers & Harland Ltd. Models SC-7 Series 2 and SC-7 Series 3 Airplanes

Models named: SC-7 Series 2, SC-7 Series 3. Read the applicability below — it usually turns on serial or part numbers too.

This AD applies to Models SC-7 Series 2 and SC-7 Series 3 airplanes, all serial numbers, that are certificated in any category.

Do not operate the airplane upon accumulating the applicable life limit or within the next 90 days after September 29, 2003 (the effective date of AD 2003-17-05), whichever occurs later. For owners/operators that do not have a record of the number of flights on the aircraft, assume the number of flights on the basis of two per operating hour. The following table presents the life limits: Table 1.—Original Life Limits Serial No. Life limit (1) SH1845 and SH1883 10,000 hours time-in-service (TIS). (2) SH1847 15,200 hours TIS. (3) SH1889 13,805 flights. (4) SH1943 11,306 flights. (5) SH1960 4,142 flights. (6) All airplanes that do not have serial number SH1845, SH1883, SH1847, SH1889, SH1943, or SH1960 20,000 flights. (f) For airplanes with serial numbers SH1845, SH1847, or SH1883: You can extend the life limits by doing the actions of Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-52, Revision No.: 4, dated: July 16, 2002 (and all service information or modifications referenced in the Planning Information section of the service bulletin), and Shorts Skyvan Maintenance Program, Amendment List No. 22, dated May 7, 2003, or Amendment List No. 23, dated December 14, 2004, or Amendment List No. 24, dated November 2, 2006. You may use any future amendment to this maintenance program if it does not change the inspection intervals, requirements, or the life limits of this AD or the previous amendments. The following table presents the extended life limit: Table 2.—Extended Life Limits After Incorporation of Required Inspections and Modifications     (1) SH1845 13,456 hours TIS. (2) SH1847 20,200 hours TIS. (3) SH1883 15,000 hours TIS. (g) For airplanes with serial numbers SH1889, SH1943, or SH1960: You can extend the life limits by doing the actions of Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-52, Revision No.: 4, dated: July 16, 2002 (and all service information or modifications referenced in the Planning Information section of the service bulletin including Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 6, dated: March 14, 1983; or Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 8, dated: July 5, 2006. You cannot use Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 7, dated: January 2005.), and Shorts Skyvan Maintenance Program, Amendment List No. 22, dated May 7, 2003, or Amendment List No. 23, dated December 14, 2004, or Amendment List No. 24, dated November 2, 2006. You may use any future amendment to this maintenance program if it does not change the inspection intervals, requirements, or the life limits of this AD or the previous amendments. The following table presents the extended life limit: Table 3.—Extended Life Limits After Incorporation of Required Inspections and Modifications Serial No. Extended life limit (1) SH1889 20,094 flights. (2) SH1943 17,325 flights. (3) SH1960 8,449 flights. (h) For airplanes that do not have serial numbers SH1845, SH1847, SH1883, SH1889, SH1943, or SH1960: You can extend the life limit to 27,000 flights by doing the actions of Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 6, dated: March 14, 1983; or Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 8, dated: July 5, 2006; and Shorts Skyvan Maintenance Program, Amendment List No. 22, dated May 7, 2003; or Amendment List No. 23, dated December 14, 2004 or Amendment List No. 24, dated November 2, 2006. You may use any future amendment to this maintenance program if it does not change the inspection intervals, requirements, or the life limits of this AD or the previous amendments. You cannot use Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 7, dated: January 2005. (i) The repetitive visual inspection requirements using Shorts Service Bulletin No. 57-59, which is referenced on page 3 of Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 6, dated: March 14, 1983, paragraph C (Special limitations) are every 2,400 flights; and the repetitive visual inspection program in Skyvan Maintenance Program, Maintenance Program Appendix 1, parts A and B (Section 57-00, Item 3) are every 1,100 flights or 800 hours TIS intervals, whichever occurs first. You must use the repetitive inspection intervals of the Skyvan Maintenance Program for the repetitive inspection of the wing structure, skin, and skin doublers to be every 1,100 flights or 800 hours TIS, whichever occurs first and not the 2,400 flights as stated in Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 6, dated: March 14, 1983. Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs) (j) The Manager, Standards Office, Small Airplane Directorate, FAA, ATTN: Doug Rudolph, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4059; facsimile: (816) 329-4090, has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. (k) AMOCs approved for AD 2003-17-05 are approved for this AD. Material Incorporated by Reference (l) You must use Shorts Service Bulletin Number 51-52, Revision No: 4, dated July 16, 2002; or Shorts Service Bulletin Number 51-51, Revision No: 6, dated March 14, 1983; or Shorts Service Bulletin Number 51-51, Revision No: 8, dated July 5, 2006, to do the actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise. (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of Shorts Service Bulletin Number 51-51, Revision No: 8, dated July 5, 2006, under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. (2) The Director of the Federal Register previously approved the incorporation by reference of Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 6, dated: March 14, 1983; and Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-52, Revision No.: 4, dated: July 16, 2002, on September 29, 2003 (68 FR 50689, August 22, 2003). (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact Short Brothers PLC, P.O. Box 241, Airport Road, Belfast BT3 9DZ Northern Ireland; telephone: 011 44 (0) 28 9045 8444; facsimile: 011 44 (0) 28 9073 3396. (4) You may review copies at the FAA, FAA, Central Region, Office of the Regional Counsel, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 8, 2007. Kim Smith, Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. [FR Doc. E7-2505 Filed 2-15-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

This revised AD results from conflicting information of the repetitive inspection requirement between one of the service bulletins and the maintenance program if an operator chooses to extend the life limit. We are issuing this AD to clarify the inspection information to prevent failure of critical structure of the aircraft caused by fatigue.