This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains regulatory documents having general

applicability and legal effect, most of which

are keyed to and codified in the Code of

Federal Regulations, which is published under

50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.

The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by

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new books are listed in the first FEDERAL

REGISTER issue of each week.

Rules and Regulations Federal Register

68297 

Vol. 76, No. 214 

Friday, November 4, 2011 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2011–1036; Directorate 

Identifier 2010–SW–088–AD; Amendment 

39–16819; AD 2011–20–08] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Agusta 

S.p.A. (Agusta) Model AB139 and 

AW139 Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration, DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a 

new airworthiness directive (AD) for the 

specified Agusta model helicopters. 

This action requires inspecting certain 

modules and related connectors for 

corrosion. If there is corrosion on the 

connectors, this AD requires cleaning 

the connectors before further flight. If 

there is corrosion on a module, before 

further flight, this AD requires replacing 

the module with an airworthy module. 

This AD also requires modifying the 

Number 2 Modular Avionic Unit (MAU) 

ventilation duct. This amendment is 

prompted by some in-flight emergencies 

due to internal corrosion of the MAU 

circuit card assemblies. The actions 

specified in this AD are intended to 

detect corrosion of certain modules to 

prevent the display of misleading data 

to the flight crew, disengagement of the 

flight director modes of the autopilot or 

other alert system, increased workload 

of the flight crew, and subsequent loss 

of control of the helicopter. 

DATES: Effective November 21, 2011. 

The incorporation by reference of 

certain publications listed in the 

regulations is approved by the Director 

of the Federal Register as of November 

21, 2011. 

Comments for inclusion in the Rules 

Docket must be received on or before 

January 3, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following 

addresses to submit comments on this 

AD: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: (202) 493–2251. 

• 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. 

• Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, 

M–30, West Building Ground Floor, 

Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, 

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 Agusta, Via 

Giovanni Agusta, 520 21017 Cascina 

Costa di Samarate (VA), Italy, telephone 

39 0331–229111, fax 39 0331–229605/ 

222595, or at http:// 

customersupport.agusta.com/ 

technical_advice.php. 

Examining the Docket: You may 

examine the docket that contains the 

AD, any comments, and other 

information 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 Docket 

Operations office (telephone (800) 647– 

5527) is located in Room W12–140 on 

the ground floor of the West Building at 

the street address stated in the 

ADDRESSES section. Comments will be 

available in the AD docket shortly after 

receipt. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

George Schwab, Aviation Safety 

Engineer, FAA, Rotorcraft Directorate, 

Safety Management Group, 2601 

Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 

76137, telephone (817) 222–5114, fax 

(817) 222–5961. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

The European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA), which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Union, has issued EASA AD No. 2010– 

0189, dated September 23, 2010, to 

correct an unsafe condition for the 

Agusta Model AB139 and AW139 

helicopters. EASA advises of some inflight emergencies resulting from 

internal corrosion of the MAU2 circuit 

card assemblies. Analysis of the in-flight 

emergencies identified salt water and 

extreme moisture as contributory 

factors. The corrosion resulted from the 

MAU2 being exposed to external 

moisture as a result of the ventilation 

duct installation that routes external air 

directly on the MAU2 modules. When 

exposed to high levels of moisture, 

EASA states the MAU can cause the 

system to provide false indications or 

misleading data to be displayed to the 

flight crew. Also, misleading data may 

cause disengagement of the flight 

director modes of the autopilot or other 

alerting system anomalies. They also 

state that these failures and anomalies 

would significantly increase the 

workload of the flight crew and could 

ultimately lead to loss of control of the 

helicopter. 

Related Service Information 

Agusta has issued Bollettino Tecnico 

No. 139–166, dated April 6, 2009 (BT), 

which specifies inspecting the MAU2 

cards to ensure they are corrosion free. 

Also, the BT specifies procedures for 

modifying to reroute the direct flow of 

air coming from the ventilation duct 

outlet MAU2 ventilation away from the 

MAU2 cabinet and modules. EASA 

classified this service information as 

mandatory and issued AD No. 2010– 

0189, dated September 23, 2010, to 

ensure the continued airworthiness of 

these helicopters. 

FAA’s Evaluation and Unsafe Condition 

Determination 

These helicopters have been approved 

by the aviation authority of Italy and are 

approved for operation in the United 

States. Pursuant to our bilateral 

agreement with Italy, EASA, their 

technical representative, has notified us 

of the unsafe condition described in the 

EASA AD. We are issuing this AD 

because we evaluated all information 

provided by EASA and determined the 

unsafe condition exists and is likely to 

exist or develop on other helicopters of 

these same type designs. 

Differences Between This AD and the 

EASA AD 

We do not require reporting 

inspection results nor coordinating with 

the manufacturer in returning modules 

as indicated in the BT that EASA 


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68298 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 214 / Friday, November 4, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 

references. Also, we have used a 

different compliance time for the action. 

FAA’s Determination and Requirements 

of This AD 

This unsafe condition is likely to exist 

or develop on other helicopters of the 

same type design. Therefore, this AD is 

being issued to detect corrosion of 

certain modules, to prevent the display 

of misleading data, disengagement of 

the flight director modes of the autopilot 

or other alert system anomalies, 

increased workload of the flight crew, 

and subsequent loss of control of the 

helicopter. This AD requires, at a 

specified interval, inspecting certain 

modules and related connectors for 

corrosion. If there is corrosion on the 

connectors, this AD requires cleaning 

the connectors before further flight. If 

there is corrosion on a module, this AD 

requires replacing the module with an 

airworthy module. This AD also 

requires modifying the MAU2 

ventilation duct. 

The short compliance time involved 

is required because the previously 

described critical unsafe condition can 

adversely affect the controllability of the 

helicopter. Therefore, inspecting, 

replacing, or modifying certain modules 

is required within a very short 

compliance time, 30 hours time-inservice or 1 month, whichever occurs 

first, so this AD must be issued 

immediately. 

Since a situation exists that requires 

the immediate adoption of this 

regulation, it is found that notice and 

opportunity for prior public comment 

hereon are impracticable, and that good 

cause exists for making this amendment 

effective in less than 30 days. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD will affect 

about 26 helicopters of U.S. registry. We 

also estimate that it will take 6 work 

hours to remove, inspect the modules 

for corrosion, and replace the corroded 

modules, and 2 work hours to reroute 

the ventilation tube. The average labor 

rate is $85 per work-hour. Required 

parts will cost about $360,738 per 

helicopter to replace corroded modules 

and $440 for parts to modify the 

ventilation tube. Based on these figures, 

we estimate the cost of this AD on U.S. 

operators is $361,858 per helicopter or 

$9,408,308 for the U.S. fleet, assuming 

the modules would be replaced on the 

entire fleet. 

Comments Invited 

This AD is a final rule that involves 

requirements that affect flight safety and 

was not preceded by notice and an 

opportunity for public comment; 

however, we invite you to submit any 

written data, views, or arguments 

regarding this AD. Send your comments 

to an address listed under ADDRESSES. 

Include ‘‘Docket No. FAA–2011–1036; 

Directorate Identifier 2010–SW–088– 

AD’’ at the beginning of your comments. 

We specifically invite comments on the 

overall regulatory, economic, 

environmental, and energy aspects of 

the AD. We will consider all comments 

received by the closing date and may 

amend the AD in light of those 

comments. 

We will post all comments we 

receive, without change, to http:// 

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information you provide. We 

will also post a report summarizing each 

substantive verbal contact with FAA 

personnel concerning this AD. Using the 

search function of the docket Web site, 

you can find and read the comments to 

any of our dockets, including the name 

of the individual who sent the 

comment. You may review the DOT’s 

complete Privacy Act Statement in the 

Federal Register published on April 11, 

2000 (65 FR 19477–78). 

Regulatory Findings 

We have 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. 

For the reasons discussed above, I 

certify that the regulation: 

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. See the AD docket to examine 

the economic evaluation. 

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 

products identified in this rulemaking 

action. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, Incorporation by reference, 

Safety. 

Adoption of the Amendment 

Accordingly, pursuant to the 

authority delegated to me by the 

Administrator, the Federal Aviation 

Administration amends part 39 of the 

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 

part 39) as follows: 

PART 39—AIRWORTHINESS 

DIRECTIVES 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 39 

continues to read as follows: 

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

§ 39.13 [Amended] 

■ 2. Section 39.13 is amended by adding 

a new airworthiness directive to read as 

follows: 

2011–20–08 AGUSTA S.p.A.: Amendment 

39–16819; Docket No. FAA–2011–1036; 

Directorate Identifier 2010–SW–088–AD. 

Applicability: Models AB139 and AW139 

helicopters, serial number (S/N) 31005 

through S/N 31157 (except S/Ns 31007, 

31094 and 31149) and S/N 41001 through S/ 

N 41023, certificated in any category. 

Compliance: Within 30 hours time-inservice (TIS) or 30 days, whichever occurs 

earlier, unless done previously: 

To detect corrosion of certain modules, to 

prevent the display of misleading data to the 

flight crew, disengagement of the flight 

director modes of the autopilot or other alert 

system, increased workload of the flight 

crew, and subsequent loss of control of the 

helicopter, do the following: 

(a)(1) Remove the following items related 

to the Numbers 1 and 2 Modular Avionics 

Unit (MAU): 

(i) Power supply (PS) module, part number 

(P/N) 7024440–1901; 

(ii) Custom Input/Output (CSIO) module, 

P/N 7025410–1901; 

(iii) Control Input/Output (CIO) module, 

P/N 7026534–1902; 

(iv) MAU cabinet; and 

(2) Inspect the PS, CSIO, CIO, and MAU 

cabinet and all related connectors for 

corrosion. 

(i) If there is corrosion on a connector, 

before further flight, clean the connector. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 214 / Friday, November 4, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 68299 

(ii) If there is corrosion on a module, before 

further flight, replace the module with an 

airworthy module. 

(b) Modify the Number 2 MAU ventilation 

duct by following the Compliance 

Instructions, paragraphs 6 through 11, of 

Agusta Bollettino Tecnico No. 139–166, 

dated April 6, 2009 (BT). 

(c) Install and operationally test the 

Number 1 and Number 2 MAUs and the 

related PS module, CSIO module, CIO 

module, MAU cabinet, and all related 

connectors. 

(d) Reinstall the AFT right float assembly 

or the lower panel, P/N 3P5340A01631, 

whichever was removed during the 

modification process required by paragraph 

(b) of this AD. 

(e) To request a different method of 

compliance or a different compliance time 

for this AD, follow the procedures in 14 CFR 

39.19. Contact the Manager, Safety 

Management Group, ATTN: George Schwab, 

Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, Rotorcraft 

Directorate, Safety Management Group, 2601 

Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137, 

telephone (817) 222–5114, fax (817) 222– 

5961. 

(f) The Joint Aircraft System/Component 

(JASC) Code is 3425: Navigation, Integrated 

Flight Director System. 

(g) Modifying the ventilation duct shall be 

done by following specified portions of 

Agusta Bollettino Tecnico No. 139–166, 

dated April 6, 2009. The Director of the 

Federal Register approved this incorporation 

by reference in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 

552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Copies may be 

obtained from Agusta, Via Giovanni Agusta, 

520 21017 Cascina Costa di Samarate (VA), 

Italy, telephone 39 0331–229111, fax 39 

0331–229605/222595, or at http:// 

customersupport.agusta.com/ 

technical_advice.php. Copies may be 

inspected at the FAA, Office of the Regional 

Counsel, Southwest Region, 2601 Meacham 

Blvd., Room 663, Fort Worth, Texas, or 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/code_of_

federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. 

(h) This amendment becomes effective on 

November 21, 2011. 

Note: The subject of this AD is addressed 

in the European Aviation Safety Agency 

(Italy) AD No. 2010–0189, dated September 

23, 2010. 

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on August 29, 

2011. 

Kim Smith, 

Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, Aircraft 

Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–27772 Filed 11–3–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2011–1075; Directorate 

Identifier 2011–SW–011–AD; Amendment 

39–16836; AD 2011–21–13] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter 

Deutschland GmbH (ECD) Model MBB– 

BK 117 C–2 Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration, DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a 

new airworthiness directive (AD) for 

ECD Model MBB–BK 117 C–2 

helicopters. This action requires 

revising the Rotorcraft Flight Manual 

(RFM) by inserting certain temporary 

pages into the Emergency and 

Performance Data sections of the RFM to 

alert the operators to monitor the power 

display when a generator is deactivated 

and provides appropriate actions. This 

amendment is prompted by reports of 

too high a current flow when one 

generator is deactivated. The actions 

specified in this AD are intended to 

prevent failure of the remaining 

generator when one generator is 

deactivated, loss of electrical power, 

loss of systems necessary for flight 

safety, and subsequent loss of control of 

the helicopter. 

DATES: Effective November 21, 2011. 

The incorporation by reference of 

certain publications listed in the 

regulations is approved by the Director 

of the Federal Register as of November 

21, 2011. 

Comments for inclusion in the Rules 

Docket must be received on or before 

January 3, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following 

addresses to submit comments on this 

AD: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: (202) 493–2251. 

• 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. 

• Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, 

M–30, West Building Ground Floor, 

Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, 

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 Docket: You may 

examine the docket that contains the 

AD, any comments, and other 

information 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 Docket 

Operations office (telephone (800) 647– 

5527) is located in Room W12–140 on 

the ground floor of the West Building at 

the street address stated in the 

ADDRESSES section. Comments will be 

available in the AD docket shortly after 

receipt. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

George Schwab, Aviation Safety 

Engineer, FAA, Rotorcraft Directorate, 

Safety Management Group, 2601 

Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 

76137, telephone (817) 222–5114, fax 

(817) 222–5961. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

The European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA), which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Union, has issued EASA AD No. 2010– 

0268–E, dated December 21, 2010, to 

correct an unsafe condition for the ECD 

Model MBB–BK 117 C–2 helicopters. 

EASA advises of reports that on some 

helicopters a too high current flow was 

detected when one generator was 

deactivated (for example, during the 

ENGINE POWER CHECK). EASA also 

advises that this situation, if not 

detected and corrected, could lead to 

failure of the generator, likely resulting 

in loss of electrical power and inducing 

loss of systems that are necessary for 

safe flight. Therefore, the EASA AD 

requires additional RFM procedures to 

include visual monitoring of the 

electrical power display during 

switching of a generator. Also, EASA 

advises that their AD is an interim 

measure pending the development of a 

final solution that will prevent this 

particular mode of generator failure. 

Related Service Information 

ECD has issued Alert Service Bulletin 

ASB MBB BK117 C–2–24A–008, dated 

December 20, 2010 (ASB). The ASB 

specifies inserting certain pages from 

the ASB into the RFM to alert operators 

to visually monitor the power display 

generator amperes (GEN AMPS) on the 

Vehicle and Engine Multifunction 


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