Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters (Previously Eurocopter France)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 251 (Thursday, December 31, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 81742-81744]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32258]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2015-1480; Directorate Identifier 2014-SW-071-AD; 
Amendment 39-18352; AD 2015-26-04]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters (Previously 
Eurocopter France)

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are superseding airworthiness directive (AD) 2002-13-11 for 
Eurocopter France (now Airbus Helicopters) Model EC120B helicopters. AD 
2002-13-11 required installing front and side covers on the cabin floor 
to protect the yaw control at both the pilot and co-pilot stations. 
Since we issued AD 2002-13-11, we have determined that the required 
actions should apply only to the cabin's right-hand pilot station. This 
AD retains the requirements of AD 2002-13-11 but for only the pilot 
station. These actions are intended to prevent an object from sliding 
between the canopy and the cabin floor, loss of yaw control, and 
subsequent loss of helicopter control.

DATES: This AD is effective February 4, 2016.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of February 4, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this final rule, 
contact Airbus Helicopters, Inc., 2701 N. Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, 
TX 75052; telephone (972) 641-0000 or (800) 232-0323; fax (972) 641-
3775; or at http://www.airbushelicopters.com/techpub. You may review 
the referenced service information at the FAA, Office of the Regional 
Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy, Room 6N-321, Fort 
Worth, TX 76177.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2015-
1480 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 Direction Generale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC) 
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: Robert Grant, Aviation Safety 
Engineer, Safety Management Group, Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, 10101 
Hillwood Pkwy, Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone (817) 222-5110; email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

    We issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 
part 39 to remove AD 2002-13-11, Amendment 39-12799 (67 FR 45295, July 
9, 2002) and add a new AD. AD 2002-13-11 applied to Airbus Model EC120B 
helicopters, serial numbers 1001 through 1278, and required installing 
front and side covers to protect the yaw control at the pilot and co-
pilot flight control stations. AD 2002-13-11 was prompted by AD No. 
2001-386-007(A), dated September 5, 2001, issued by the DGAC, the 
airworthiness authority for France, to correct an unsafe condition for 
the Model EC120B helicopter. The DGAC advises of a yaw-control jamming 
caused by an object that slid between the canopy and the cabin floor.
    After we issued AD 2002-13-11 (67 FR 45295, July 9, 2002), we 
determined that the front and side protections are required only at the 
pilot station. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on May 14, 
2015 (80 FR 27605), and proposed to supersede AD 2002-13-11 to require 
installing the front and side covers only at the pilot station. It also 
reflected that Eurocopter France had changed its name to Airbus 
Helicopters.
    Since we issued the NPRM, we discovered it contains a typographical 
error in the date of the service information. Also, the FAA Southwest 
Regional Office has relocated and a group email address has been 
established for requesting an FAA Alternate Method of Compliance for a 
helicopter of foreign design. We have

[[Page 81743]]

corrected the error in the service information date and revised the 
contact information throughout this Final Rule.

Comments

    We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing 
this AD, but we received no comments on the NPRM (80 FR 27605, May 14, 
2015).

FAA's Determination

    These helicopters have been approved by the aviation authority of 
France and are approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to 
our bilateral agreement with France, the DGAC, its technical 
representative, has notified us of the unsafe condition described in 
the DGAC AD. We are issuing this AD because we evaluated all 
information provided by the DGAC 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, except for the minor 
editorial changes described previously. These changes are consistent 
with the intent of the proposals in the NPRM (80 FR 27605, May 14, 
2015) and will not increase the economic burden on any operator nor 
increase the scope of this AD.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    We reviewed Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin No. 67A005, Revision 
0, dated August 1, 2001 (ASB), which specifies installing a front and 
side protection on the cabin floor to protect the yaw control. The DGAC 
classified this ASB as mandatory and issued AD No. 2001-386-007(A), 
dated September 5, 2001, and AD 2001-386-007(A)R1, dated February 6, 
2002, to ensure the continued airworthiness of these helicopters in 
France.
    This service information is reasonably available because the 
interested parties have access to it through their normal course of 
business or by the means identified in the ADDRESSES section.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD affects 37 helicopters of U.S. Registry 
and that labor costs average $85 a work-hour. Required parts cost about 
$584 and it takes about 2 work-hours to accomplish the required 
actions. Based on these figures, we estimate that the total cost of 
this AD is $754 per helicopter and $27,898 for the U.S. fleet.

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 removing airworthiness directive (AD) 
2002-13-11, Amendment 39 12799 (67 FR 45295, July 9, 2002), and adding 
the following new AD:

2015-26-04 Airbus Helicopters (Previously Eurocopter France): 
Amendment 39-18352; Docket No. FAA-2015-1480; Directorate Identifier 
2014-SW-071-AD.

(a) Applicability

    This AD applies to Model EC120B helicopters, serial numbers 1001 
through 1278, inclusive, certificated in any category.

(b) Unsafe Condition

    This AD defines the unsafe condition as an object sliding 
between the canopy and the cabin floor. This condition could result 
in loss of yaw control and subsequent loss of control of the 
helicopter.

(c) Affected ADs

    This AD supersedes AD 2002-13-11, Amendment 39-12799 (67 FR 
45295, July 9, 2002).

(d) Effective Date

    This AD becomes effective February 4, 2016.

(e) 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.

(f) Required Actions

    Within 90 days, install front and side covers (protections) to 
protect the yaw control in accordance with the Accomplishment 
Instructions, paragraph 2.B., of Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin 
No. 67A005, Revision 0, dated August 1, 2001, except the correct 
reference to the Aircraft Maintenance Manual in subparagraph 2.B.2 
of the ASB is 20-10-00, 3-8.

(g) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, Safety Management Group, FAA, may approve AMOCs 
for this AD. Send your proposal to: Robert Grant, Aviation Safety 
Engineer, Safety Management Group, Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, 
10101 Hillwood Pkwy, Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone (817) 222-5110; 
email [email protected].
    (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.

(h) Additional Information

    The subject of this AD is addressed in the Direction General De 
L'Aviation Civile (DGAC) AD No. 67A005, Revision 1, dated February 
6, 2002. You may view the DGAC AD on the Internet at http://

[[Page 81744]]

www.regulations.gov in Docket No. FAA-2015-1480.

 (i) Subject

    Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) Code: 2500, Cabin 
Equipment/Furnishings.

(j) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference of the service information listed in this 
paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) You must use this service information as applicable to do 
the actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
    (i) Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin No. 67A005, Revision 0, 
dated August 1, 2001.
    (ii) Reserved.
    (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Airbus Helicopters, Inc., 2701 N. Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 
75052; telephone (972) 641-0000 or (800) 232-0323; fax (972) 641-
3775; or at http://www.airbushelicopters.com/techpub.
    (4) You may view this service information at FAA, Office of the 
Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy, Room 6N-
321, Fort Worth, TX 76177. For information on the availability of 
this material at the FAA, call (817) 222-5110.
    (5) You may view this service information that is incorporated 
by reference 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/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

    Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on December 15, 2015.
Lance T. Gant,
Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-32258 Filed 12-30-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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