Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 234 (Thursday, December 5, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 96517-96520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-28554]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2024-2545; Project Identifier MCAI-2024-00672-R; 
Amendment 39-22901; AD 2024-24-51]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all 
Airbus Helicopters Model EC225LP helicopters. The FAA previously sent 
this AD as an emergency AD to all known U.S. owners and operators of 
these helicopters. This AD was prompted by a report of a cracked main 
rotor hub (MRH) sleeve. This AD requires repetitively inspecting 
certain MRH sleeves and prohibits installing those MRH sleeves unless 
the inspection is done, as specified in a European Union Aviation 
Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is 
issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective December 20, 2024. Emergency AD 2024-24-51, 
issued on November 20, 2024, which contains the requirements of this 
amendment, was effective with actual notice.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication identified in this AD as of December 
20, 2024.
    The FAA must receive comments on this AD by January 21, 2025.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments.
    <bullet> Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    <bullet> Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
    <bullet> Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FAA-2024-2545; or in person at Docket Operations between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD 
docket contains this final rule, the mandatory continuing airworthiness 
information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The 
street address for Docket Operations is listed above.
    Material Incorporated by Reference:
    <bullet> For EASA material identified in this AD, contact EASA, 
Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; phone: +49 221 8999 
000; email: [email protected]; website: easa.europa.eu. You may find 
the EASA material on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.
    <bullet> You may view this material at the FAA, Office of the 
Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Room 6N 
321, Fort Worth, TX 76177. For information on the availability of this 
material at the FAA, call (817) 222-5110. It is also available at 
regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2024-2545.

[[Page 96518]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan McCully, Aviation Safety Engineer, 
FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: (404) 
474-5548; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites you to send any written data, views, or arguments 
about this final rule. Send your comments to an address listed under 
the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2024-2545; Project 
Identifier MCAI-2024-00672-R'' at the beginning of your comments. The 
most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the final rule, 
explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting 
data. The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date 
and may amend this final rule because of those comments.
    Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in 
the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR 
11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to 
regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. The 
agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal 
contact received about this final rule.

Confidential Business Information

    CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily 
and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public 
disclosure. If your comments responsive to this AD contain commercial 
or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that 
you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to 
this AD, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted 
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing 
CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked submissions as 
confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public 
docket of this AD. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Dan 
McCully, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, 
Westbury, NY 11590; phone: (404) 474-5548; email: 
[email protected]. Any commentary that the FAA receives which is 
not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket 
for this rulemaking.

Background

    The FAA issued Emergency AD 2024-24-51, dated November 20, 2024 
(the emergency AD), to address an unsafe condition on all Airbus 
Helicopters Model EC225LP helicopters. The FAA sent the emergency AD to 
all known U.S. owners and operators of these helicopters. The emergency 
AD requires repetitively inspecting MRH sleeves having P/N 332A31-3071-
00 and, depending on the results, replacing the MRH sleeve and its two 
blade pins. The emergency AD also prohibits installing this part-
numbered MRH sleeve on any helicopter unless its requirements are met.
    The emergency AD was prompted by Emergency AD 2024-0215-E, dated 
November 14, 2024, issued by EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the 
Member States of the European Union (EASA Emergency AD 2024-0215-E) 
(also referred to as the MCAI), to correct an unsafe condition on 
Airbus Helicopters EC 225 LP helicopters. This reported crack is the 
second crack in the same area of this part-numbered MRH sleeve. The FAA 
issued Emergency AD 2022-14-51, issued on July 1, 2022, which published 
as a Final rule; request for comments in the Federal Register on July 
19, 2022 (87 FR 42951), following EASA Emergency AD 2022-0130-E, dated 
June 30, 2022 (EASA Emergency AD 2022-0130-E), to address the unsafe 
condition of the first crack. The MCAI states that investigation of the 
second cracked MRH sleeve determined that its crack initiation could 
not be attributed to the root cause of cracking in the same part-
numbered MRH sleeve addressed by EASA Emergency AD 2022-0130-E. EASA 
considers the MCAI an interim action.
    The FAA is issuing this AD to detect cracking in an MRH sleeve. 
This condition, if not addressed, could result in structural failure of 
an MRH sleeve, loss of a main rotor blade, and subsequent loss of 
control of the helicopter.
    You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FAA-2024-2545.

Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51

    The FAA reviewed EASA Emergency AD 2024-0215-E, which requires 
repetitively inspecting MRH sleeves having P/N 332A31-3071-00 and, 
depending on the results, replacing the MRH sleeve and its two blade 
pins. EASA Emergency AD 2024-0215-E also prohibits installing this 
part-numbered MRH sleeve on any helicopter unless its requirements are 
met.
    This material 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.

FAA's Determination

    These products have been approved by the aviation authority of 
another country and are approved for operation in the United States. 
Pursuant to the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design 
Authority, it has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition described in 
the MCAI referenced above. The FAA is issuing this AD after determining 
that the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or 
develop on other products of the same type design.

AD Requirements

    This AD requires accomplishing the actions specified in EASA 
Emergency AD 2024-0215-E, described previously, as incorporated by 
reference, except for any differences identified as exceptions in the 
regulatory text of this AD.

Explanation of Required Compliance Information

    In the FAA's ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of the AD 
process, the FAA developed a process to use some civil aviation 
authority (CAA) ADs as the primary source of information for compliance 
with requirements for corresponding FAA ADs. The FAA has been 
coordinating this process with manufacturers and CAAs. As a result, 
EASA Emergency AD 2024-0215-E is incorporated by reference in this AD. 
This AD requires compliance with EASA Emergency AD 2024-0215-E in its 
entirety through that incorporation, except for any differences 
identified as exceptions in the regulatory text of this AD. Using 
common terms that are the same as the heading of a particular section 
in EASA Emergency AD 2024-0215-E does not mean that operators need 
comply only with that section. For example, where the AD requirement 
refers to ``all required actions and compliance times,'' compliance 
with this AD requirement is not limited to the section titled 
``Required Action(s) and Compliance Time(s)'' in EASA Emergency AD 
2024-0215-E. Material required by EASA Emergency AD 2024-0215-E for 
compliance will be available at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-
2024-2545 after this AD is published.

Interim Action

    The FAA considers that this AD is an interim action. If final 
action is later identified, the FAA might consider further rulemaking 
then.

Justification for Immediate Adoption and Determination of the Effective 
Date

    Section 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 
551 et

[[Page 96519]]

seq.) authorizes agencies to dispense with notice and comment 
procedures for rules when the agency, for ``good cause,'' finds that 
those procedures are ``impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the 
public interest.'' Under this section, an agency, upon finding good 
cause, may issue a final rule without providing notice and seeking 
comment prior to issuance. Further, section 553(d) of the APA 
authorizes agencies to make rules effective in less than thirty days, 
upon a finding of good cause.
    An unsafe condition exists that required the immediate adoption of 
Emergency AD # 2024-24-51, issued on November 20, 2024, to all known 
U.S. owners and operators of these helicopters. The FAA found that the 
risk to the flying public justified waiving notice and comment prior to 
adoption of this rule because an MRH sleeve is part of an assembly that 
is critical to flight of a helicopter. In addition, cracking of the MRH 
sleeve may lead to catastrophic destruction of the main rotor head and 
loss of the helicopter. Since a second crack has occurred in the same 
area of the affected MRH sleeve, and as the FAA has no information 
pertaining to the extent of cracking of MRH sleeves that may currently 
exist in helicopters, the initial actions required by this AD must be 
accomplished before the first flight of the day. These conditions still 
exist, therefore, notice and opportunity for prior public comment are 
impracticable and contrary to the public interest pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 
553(b).
    In addition, the FAA finds that good cause exists pursuant to 5 
U.S.C. 553(d) for making this amendment effective in less than 30 days, 
for the same reasons the FAA found good cause to forego notice and 
comment.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) do not 
apply when an agency finds good cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 to adopt 
a rule without prior notice and comment. Because FAA has determined 
that it has good cause to adopt this rule without prior notice and 
comment, RFA analysis is not required.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this AD affects 29 helicopters of U.S. 
registry. Labor rates are estimated at $85 per work-hour. Based on 
these numbers, the FAA estimates the following costs to comply with 
this AD.
    Inspecting the MRH sleeves (up to 5 affected MRH sleeves per 
helicopter) will take 1 work-hour for an estimated cost of up to $85 
per helicopter and $2,465 for the U.S. fleet, per inspection cycle. If 
required, replacing an MRH sleeve and its two blade pins will take 6 
work-hours and parts will cost $115,000 for an estimated cost of 
$115,510 per replacement.

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.
    The FAA is 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 products 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, and
    (2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

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:

2024-24-51 Airbus Helicopters: Amendment 39-22901; Docket No. FAA-
2024-2545; Project Identifier MCAI-2024-00672-R.

(a) Effective Date

    The FAA issued Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2024-24-51 
on November 20, 2024, directly to affected owners and operators. As 
a result of such actual notice, the emergency AD was effective for 
those owners and operators on the date it was provided. This AD 
contains the same requirements as the emergency AD and, for those 
who did not receive actual notice, is effective on December 20, 
2024.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Airbus Helicopters Model EC225LP helicopters, 
certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) Code: 6220, Main Rotor 
Head.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by a report of a cracked main rotor hub 
(MRH) sleeve. The FAA is issuing this AD to detect cracking in an 
MRH sleeve. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in 
structural failure of an MRH sleeve, loss of a main rotor blade, and 
subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

(f) Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, 
unless already done.

(g) Requirements

    Except as specified in paragraphs (h) and (i) of this AD: Comply 
with all required actions and compliance times specified in, and in 
accordance with, European Union Aviation Safety Agency Emergency AD 
2024-0215-E, dated November 14, 2024 (EASA Emergency AD 2024-0215-
E).

(h) Exceptions to EASA Emergency AD 2024-0215-E

    (1) Where EASA Emergency AD 2024-0215-E requires compliance in 
terms of flight hours, this AD requires using hours time-in-service.
    (2) Where EASA Emergency AD 2024-0215-E refers to its effective 
date, this AD requires using the effective date of this AD.
    (3) Where EASA Emergency AD 2024-0215-E specifies ``eligible for 
installation in accordance with AH instructions,'' this AD requires 
replacing that text with ``eligible for installation.''
    (4) This AD does not adopt Note 1 of EASA Emergency AD 2024-
0215-E.
    (5) Where the material referenced in EASA Emergency AD 2024-
0215-E specifies

[[Page 96520]]

sending the MRH sleeve to the manufacturer, this AD does not require 
that action.
    (6) This AD does not adopt the ``Remarks'' section of EASA 
Emergency AD 2024-0215-E.

(i) No Reporting Requirement

    Although the material referenced in EASA Emergency AD 2024-0215-
E specifies to submit certain information to the manufacturer, this 
AD does not require that action.

(j) Special Flight Permits

    Special flight permits are prohibited.

(k) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, International Validation Branch, FAA, has the 
authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the 
procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, 
send your request to your principal inspector or local Flight 
Standards District Office, as appropriate. If sending information 
directly to the manager of the International Validation Branch, send 
it to the attention of the person identified in paragraph (l) of 
this AD and email to: [email protected].
    (2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate 
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager 
of the local flight standards district office/certificate holding 
district office.

(l) Additional Information

    For more information about this AD, contact Dan McCully, 
Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, 
Westbury, NY 11590; phone: (404) 474-5548; email: 
[email protected].

(m) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference of the material listed in this paragraph 
under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) You must use this material as applicable to do the actions 
required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
    (i) European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Emergency AD 
2024-0215-E, dated November 14, 2024.
    (ii) [Reserved]
    (3) For EASA material identified in this AD, contact EASA, 
Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; phone: +49 221 8999 
000; email: [email protected]; website: easa.europa.eu. You may 
find the EASA material on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.
    (4) You may view this material at FAA, Office of the Regional 
Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, 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 material at the National Archives and 
Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability 
of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations or email [email protected].

    Issued on November 26, 2024.
Steven W. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-28554 Filed 12-3-24; 11:15 am]
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