March 21, 2024
[Sandpoint, ID] – Today the FAA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) which proposes a future Airworthiness Directive (AD) requiring the fleet of Tamarack customers to comply with the contents of a 2023 Tamarack Service Bulletin.
Announced last November, the Service Bulletin (SB) describes updates to the Aircraft Flight Manual Supplement (AFMS) related to preflight checks, and calls for the installation of “Enhanced Visibility Placards” on the pilot’s-side Tamarack Active Camber Surface (TACS).
The literature explains that the new placards are meant to “enhance visibility of the TACS' movement during night operations” and the content of this SB will satisfy what are expected to be future requirements by the FAA.
The recent release of the NPRM is the first of three steps in the FAA issuing the AD. This proposal will be followed by a 45 day public comment period, after which the FAA will publish the final AD in the Federal Register as a Final Rule with any necessary revisions. The new AD becomes enforceable by the FAA at that point, requiring Tamarack customers to comply with the actions, which mirror the 2023 Service Bulletin.
The language states that the placard placement and associated AFMS updates must be instated within 60 flight hours or 6 months, whichever occurs first, from the date of future AD. All Tamarack customers received the SB late last year and were asked to comply within 60 flight hours or 6 months of the date of the SB. Although, as those in the industry know, only the FAA AD can enforce such criteria.
All new Tamarack installations are fully compliant.
“In 2020 we self-reported a safety improvement with the FAA and have collaborated with them since that time. This upcoming AD is Tamarack asking the FAA to mandate this upgrade for the fleet. Ultimately, it’s a small safety improvement,” said Tamarack’s Chief Engineer, Nathan Cropper. “We’re always looking for improvements, and we take a proactive approach when it comes to safety,” explained Cropper.
