Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Model AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, and AS355N Helicopters

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 16, 2010)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 12438-12439]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-5328]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2009-1090; Directorate Identifier 2009-SW-31-AD; 
Amendment 39-16227; AD 2010-06-03]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Model AS355E, AS355F, 
AS355F1, AS355F2, and AS355N Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, 
and AS355N helicopters. This AD results from a mandatory continuing 
airworthiness information (MCAI) AD issued by the European Aviation 
Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member 
States of the European Community. The MCAI AD states that a 
metallurgical non-conformity was discovered on a flange of the forward 
shaft section of the tail rotor drive shaft (drive shaft). The MCAI AD 
also states that stress analysis has shown that this non-conformity can 
significantly reduce the strength of the drive shaft and thereby its 
service life. The AD actions are intended to remove non-conforming 
drive shafts from service and prevent failure of the drive shaft and 
subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

DATES: This AD becomes effective on April 20, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://regulations.gov or in person at the Docket Operations office, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC between 9 a.m. and 
5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    You may get the service information identified in this AD from 
American Eurocopter Corporation, 2701 Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 
75053-4005, telephone (800) 232-0323, fax (972) 641-3710, or at http://www.eurocopter.com.

EXAMINING THE AD DOCKET: The AD docket contains the Notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NPRM), the economic evaluation, any comments received, and 
other information. The street address and operating hours for the 
Docket Operations office (telephone (800) 647-5527) are in the 
ADDRESSES section of this AD. Comments will be available in the AD 
docket shortly after they are received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Uday Garadi, Aviation Safety Engineer, 
FAA, Rotorcraft Directorate, Regulations and Policy Group, 2601 Meacham 
Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137; telephone (817) 222-5123; fax (817) 
222-5961.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

    We issued an NPRM on November 23, 2009 to amend 14 CFR part 39 to 
include an AD that would apply to the Eurocopter Model AS355E, AS355F, 
AS355F1, AS355F2, and AS355N helicopters. That NPRM was published in 
the Federal Register on December 10, 2009 (74 FR 65492). That NPRM 
proposed to remove non-conforming drive shafts from service to prevent 
failure of the drive shaft and subsequent loss of control of the 
helicopter. You may obtain further information by examining the MCAI AD 
and any related service information in the AD docket.

Comments

    By publishing the NPRM, we gave the public an opportunity to 
participate in developing this AD. However, we received no comment on 
the NPRM or on our determination of the cost to the public. Therefore, 
based on our review and evaluation of the available data, we have 
determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting the 
AD as proposed.

Relevant Service Information

    Eurocopter has issued Alert Service Bulletin No. 01.00.51, Revision 
1, dated February 9, 2006. The actions described in the MCAI AD are 
intended to correct the same unsafe condition as that identified in the 
service information.

[[Page 12439]]

Differences Between This AD and the MCAI AD

    This AD differs from the MCAI AD as follows:
    <bullet> We refer to the compliance time as ``hours time-in-
service'' rather than ``flying hours'' and
    <bullet> We do not require returning spares to the manufacturer.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD will affect about 96 helicopters of U.S. 
registry. We also estimate that it will take about 2 work-hours per 
helicopter to complete the compliance actions. The average labor rate 
is $85 per work-hour. Required parts will cost about $8,335 per 
helicopter. Based on these figures, we estimate that the cost of this 
AD on U.S. operators is $816,480, or $8,505 per helicopter assuming 
that the drive shaft is replaced on each helicopter.

Authority for This Rulemaking

    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 product(s) identified in this 
rulemaking action.

Regulatory Findings

    We determined that 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.
    Therefore, I certify this AD:
    1. Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 
12866;
    2. Is not a ``significant rule'' under the DOT Regulatory Policies 
and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979); and
    3. 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.
    We prepared an economic evaluation of the estimated costs to comply 
with this AD and placed it in the AD docket.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

0
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, 
the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows:

PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

0
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.


Sec.  39.13  [Amended]

0
2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new AD:

2010-06-03 EUROCOPTER FRANCE: Amendment 39-16227; Docket No. FAA-
2009-1090; Directorate Identifier 2009-SW-31-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes effective on April 
20, 2010.

Other Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Model AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, 
and AS355N helicopters with tail rotor drive shaft forward shaft 
section, part number 355A 34-1090-00, serial number 858 through 873 
(inclusive) with a prefix ``M,'' certificated in any category. This 
AD does not apply to helicopters manufactured after January 1, 2005.

Reason

    (d) The mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) AD 
states that a metallurgical non-conformity was discovered on a 
flange of the forward shaft section of the tail rotor drive shaft 
(drive shaft). The MCAI AD also states that stress analysis has 
shown that this non-conformity can significantly reduce the strength 
of the drive shaft and thereby its service life. This AD is intended 
to remove non-conforming drive shafts from service and prevent 
failure of the drive shaft and subsequent loss of control of the 
helicopter.

Actions and Compliance

    (e) Unless already accomplished, do the following:
    (1) For any drive shaft that has less than 2,400 hours time-in-
service (TIS), on or before reaching 2,500 hours TIS, remove the 
drive shaft and replace it with an airworthy drive shaft that is not 
included in the applicability of this AD.
    (2) For any drive shaft with 2,400 or more hours TIS, within the 
next 100 hours TIS, remove the drive shaft and replace it with an 
airworthy drive shaft that is not included in the applicability of 
this AD.

Differences Between This AD and the MCAI AD

    (f) This AD differs from the MCAI AD as follows:
    (1) We refer to the compliance time as ``hours time-in-service'' 
rather than ``flying hours'' and
    (2) We do not require returning spares to the manufacturer.

Other Information

    (g) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, 
Safety Management Group, FAA, ATTN: Uday Garadi, Aviation Safety 
Engineer, Regulations and Policy Group, FAA, Rotorcraft Directorate, 
2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137, telephone (817) 222-
5123, fax (817) 222-5961, has the authority to approve AMOCs for 
this AD, if requested, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19.

Related Information

    (h) European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD No. 2006-0100, 
dated April 24, 2006, and Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin No. 
01.00.51, Revision 1, dated February 9, 2006, contain related 
information.

Joint Aircraft System/Component (JASC) Code

    (i) The JASC Code is 6510: Tail rotor drive shaft.

    Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on February 22, 2010.
Lance T. Gant,
Acting Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-5328 Filed 3-15-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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