Airworthiness Directives; Agusta S.p.A. and Bell Helicopter Textron Helicopters

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 13, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 49113-49115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-19434]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2013-0145; Directorate Identifier 2012-SW-059-AD; 
Amendment 39-17554; AD 2013-16-16]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Agusta S.p.A. and Bell Helicopter 
Textron Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Agusta 
S.p.A. (Agusta) Model AB412 and AB412 EP, and Bell Helicopter Textron 
(Bell) Model 412, 412CF, and 412EP helicopters with certain DART 
Aerospace Ltd. (Dart) high gear aft crosstubes (crosstube) installed. 
This AD requires adding a life limit of 10,000 landings to the 
crosstube and removing from service any crosstubes with more than 
10,000 accumulated landings. This AD is prompted by five separate 
reports of crosstube failures. The actions in this AD are intended to 
prevent failure of the crosstube and subsequent collapse of the landing 
gear.

DATES: This AD is effective September 17, 2013.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact Dart 
Aerospace LTD., 1270 Aberdeen St, Hawkesbury, ON, K6A 1K7, Canada; 
telephone: 1 613 632 5200; Fax: 1 613 632 5246; or at www.dartaero.com. 
You may review the referenced service information at the FAA, Office of 
the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Room 663, 
Fort Worth, Texas 76137.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov or in person at the Docket Operations Office 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. The AD docket contains this AD, the foreign authority's AD, 
any incorporated-by-reference service information, the economic 
evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street 
address for the Docket Operations Office (phone: 800-647-5527) is U.S. 
Department of Transportation, Docket Operations Office, M-30, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Zimmer, Airframe Engineer, New 
York Aircraft Certification Office, Engine and Propeller Directorate, 
FAA, 1600 Stewart Ave., Suite 410, Westbury, New York 11590; telephone 
(516) 228-7306; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

    On February 25, 2013, at 78 FR 12646, the Federal Register 
published our notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), which proposed to 
amend 14 CFR part 39 to include an AD that would apply to Agusta Model 
AB412 and AB412 EP, and Bell Model 412, 412CF, and 412EP helicopters 
with certain Dart crosstubes installed. The NPRM proposed to require 
establishing a component history card for each crosstube, P/N D412-664-
203; revising the airworthiness limitations of the maintenance manual 
to establish a life limit of 10,000 landings for each crosstube; and 
removing from service any crosstube with more than 10,000 landings. The 
proposed requirements were intended to prevent failure of the crosstube 
and subsequent collapse of the landing gear.
    The NPRM was prompted by AD No. CF-2012-14R1, dated May 9, 2012, 
issued by Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), which is the aviation 
authority for Canada. TCCA issued AD No. CF-2012-14R1 to correct an 
unsafe condition for the Dart high gear aft crosstube assembly, part 
number (P/N) D412-664-203, approved under TCCA Supplemental Type 
Certificate (STC) SH01-9, FAA STC No. SR01298NY, and European Aviation 
Safety Agency STC IM.R.S.01304, and installed on Agusta Model AB412 and 
AB412 EP and Bell Model 412, 412EP, and 412CF helicopters. TCCA advises 
that they have received five reports of these crosstubes failing. 
According to TCCA, based on these reports, the affected crosstube 
requires a life limitation of 10,000 landings. As a result, TCCA issued 
AD No. CF-2012-14R1, which

[[Page 49114]]

requires amending the instructions for continued airworthiness (ICA) to 
establish the new life limitation, and removing from service all 
crosstubes with more than 10,000 landings.

Comments

    We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing 
this AD, but we did not receive any comments on the NPRM (78 FR 12646, 
February 25, 2013).

FAA's Determination

    These helicopters have been approved by the aviation authority of 
Canada and are approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to 
our bilateral agreement with Canada, TCCA, its technical 
representative, has notified us of the unsafe condition described in 
the TCCA AD. We are issuing this AD because we evaluated all 
information provided by TCCA and determined the unsafe condition exists 
and is likely to exist or develop on other helicopters of these same 
type designs and that air safety and the public interest require 
adopting the AD requirements as proposed.

Related Service Information

    We reviewed Dart ICA No. ICA-D212-664, Revision 8, dated October 
20, 2011, which contains the airworthiness limitations, inspection 
requirements, proper placards and markings, and maintenance procedures 
for crosstube P/N D212-664 and D412-664. Revision 8 establishes a life 
limit of 10,000 landings for crosstube P/N D412-664-203.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD will affect 76 helicopters of U.S. 
Registry. Based on an average labor cost of $85 per hour, we estimate 
that operators may incur the following costs in order to comply with 
this AD. Creating a component history card and amending the ICA 
requires about 1 work-hour, for a cost per helicopter of $85 and a 
total cost to U.S. operators of $6,460. Replacing a crosstube that has 
exceeded its life-limit requires about 6 work-hours and required parts 
will cost about $10,351, for a total cost per helicopter of $10,861.

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 helicopters identified in this 
rulemaking action.

Regulatory Findings

    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 to the extent 
that it justifies making a regulatory distinction; 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.
    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, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

    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 airworthiness 
directive (AD):

2013-16-16 Agusta S.p.A. and Bell Helicopter Textron Helicopters: 
Amendment 39-17554; Docket No. FAA-2013-0145; Directorate Identifier 
2013-SW-059-AD.

(a) Applicability

    This AD applies to Agusta S.p.A. Model AB412 and AB412 EP 
helicopters and Bell Helicopter Textron Model 412, 412CF, and 412EP 
helicopters with a DART Aerospace Ltd. high gear aft crosstube 
(crosstube), part-number (P/N) D412-664-203 installed under 
Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) No. SR01298NY, certificated in 
any category.

(b) Unsafe Condition

    This AD defines the unsafe condition as failure of a crosstube, 
which could result in collapse of the landing gear.

(c) Effective Date

    This AD becomes effective September 17, 2013.

(d) Compliance

    You are responsible for performing each action required by this 
AD within the specified compliance time unless it has already been 
accomplished prior to that time.

(e) Required Actions

    Within 30 days:
    (1) Create a component history card or equivalent record for 
each crosstube. Determine the number of landings on each crosstube 
and enter it on the component history card or equivalent record. If 
the number of landings is unknown, calculate 10 landings per flight 
hour.
    (2) Revise the Airworthiness Limitations section of the 
maintenance manual to reflect that crosstube, P/N D412-664-203, has 
a retirement life of 10,000 landings.
    (3) Remove from service any crosstube with a number of landings 
equal to or greater than 10,000.

(f) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, New York Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, 
may approve AMOCs for this AD. Send your proposal to: ATTN: Program 
Manager, Continuing Operational Safety, FAA, New York ACO, 1600 
Stewart Ave., Suite 410, Westbury, New York 11590; telephone (516) 
228-7300; fax (516) 794-5531.
    (2) For operations conducted under a 14 CFR part 119 operating 
certificate or under 14 CFR part 91, subpart K, we suggest that you 
notify your principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, 
the manager of the local flight standards district office or 
certificate holding district office, before operating any aircraft 
complying with this AD through an AMOC.

(g) Additional Information

    (1) Dart Instructions for Continued Airworthiness No. ICA-D212-
664, Revision 8, dated October 20, 2011, which is not incorporated 
by reference, contains additional information about the subject of 
this AD. For service information identified in this AD, contact Dart 
Aerospace LTD., 1270 Aberdeen St, Hawkesbury, ON, K6A 1K7, Canada; 
telephone: 1 613 632 5200; Fax: 1 613 632 5246; or at 
www.dartaero.com. You

[[Page 49115]]

may review a copy of the service information at the FAA, Office of 
the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Room 
663, Fort Worth, Texas 76137.
    (2) The subject of this AD is addressed in Transport Canada 
Civil Aviation (TCCA) AD No. CF-2012-14R1, dated May 9, 2012. You 
may view a copy of the TCCA AD and a copy of STC No. SR01298NY in 
the AD Docket on the Internet at http:/www.regulations.gov.

(h) Subject

    Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) Code: 3213: Main Landing 
Gear Strut/Axle/Truck.

    Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on August 2, 2013.
Lance T. Gant,
Acting Directorate Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-19434 Filed 8-12-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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