25694 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 3, 2000 / Proposed Rules

number (P/N) 109–0103–01–(all dash

numbers except P/N 109–0103–01–115),

installed, certificated in any category.

Note 1: This AD applies to each helicopter

identified in the preceding applicability

provision, regardless of whether it has been

otherwise modified, altered, or repaired in

the area subject to the requirements of this

AD. For helicopters that have been modified,

altered, or repaired so that the performance

of the requirements of this AD is affected, the

owner/operator must request approval for an

alternative method of compliance in

accordance with paragraph (d) of this AD.

The request should include an assessment of

the effect of the modification, alteration, or

repair on the unsafe condition addressed by

this AD; and if the unsafe condition has not

been eliminated, the request should include

specific proposed actions to address it.

Compliance: Required as indicated, unless

accomplished previously.

To prevent failure of a main rotor blade

due to corrosion on the internal surface of the

spar and subsequent loss of control of the

helicopter, accomplish the following:

(a) Within 25 hours time-in-service (TIS),

perform a radiographic inspection of the

upper and lower surfaces of each main rotor

blade for internal corrosion on the spar in

accordance with (IAW) Part I, paragraph 4, of

Agusta Service Bulletin No. 109–111, dated

October 14, 1999 (ASB).

(1) If no corrosion is detected, re-identify

the blade by vibro-etching the letter ‘‘R’’ after

the serial number on the nameplate.

(2) If corrosion is detected at the STA 1354

centered inspection, remove the affected

blade from service before further flight.

(3) If corrosion is detected at the STA 2825

centered inspection, re-identify the blade by

vibro-etching the letters ‘‘RC’’ after the serial

number on the nameplate.

(b) After re-identifying a blade with the

letter ‘‘R’’ after the serial number on the

nameplate in accordance with paragraph

(a)(1) of this AD, at intervals not to exceed

24 months, repeat the radiographic

inspection IAW Part I, paragraph 4, of the

ASB.

(1) If corrosion is detected at the STA 1354

centered inspection, remove the affected

blade from service before further flight.

(2) If corrosion is detected at the STA 2825

centered inspection, re-identify the blade by

vibro-etching the letter ‘‘C’’ after the letter

‘‘R’’ previously vibro-etched on the

nameplate after the serial number.

(c) After re-identifying a blade with the

letters ‘‘RC’’ after the serial number on the

nameplate IAW paragraph (a)(3) or (b)(2) of

this AD,

(1) At intervals not to exceed 24 months,

repeat the STA 1354 centered radiographic

inspection IAW Part I, paragraph 4.3 of the

ASB, and

(2) Perform either:

(i) An eddy current inspection and,

thereafter, at intervals not to exceed 25 hours

TIS, repeat the eddy current inspection

centered at STA 2825 in accordance with

Part II, paragraph 1, of the ASB, or

(ii) A dye penetrant inspection and,

thereafter, at intervals not to exceed 10 hours

TIS, repeat the dye-penetrant inspection

centered at STA 2825 IAW with Part II,

paragraph 2, of the ASB.

(3) If corrosion is detected at the STA 1354

centered radiographic inspection or if a crack

is detected at the STA 2825 centered eddy

currant or dye penetrant inspection, remove

the affected blade from service before further

flight.

(d) An alternative method of compliance or

adjustment of the compliance time that

provides an acceptable level of safety may be

used if approved by the Manager, Regulations

Group, Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA.

Operators shall submit their requests through

an FAA Principal Maintenance Inspector,

who may concur or comment and then send

it to the Manager, Regulations Group.

Note 2: Information concerning the

existence of approved alternative methods of

compliance with this AD, if any, may be

obtained from the Regulations Group.

(e) Special flight permits may be issued in

accordance with sections 21.197 and 21.199

of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR

21.197 and 21.199) to operate the helicopter

to a location where the requirements of this

AD can be accomplished.

Note 3: The subject of this AD is addressed

in Registro Aeronautico Italiano (Italy) AD

No. 99–413, dated October 19, 1999.

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 18,

2000.

Mark R. Schilling,

Acting Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate,

Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 00–11062 Filed 5–2–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 99–SW–84–AD]

Airworthiness Directives; Bell

Helicopter Textron Canada Model 430

Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking

(NPRM).

SUMMARY: This document proposes the

adoption of a new airworthiness

directive (AD) that is applicable to Bell

Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC)

Model 430 helicopters. This proposal

would require replacing arm clamp

screws (screws) in the yaw, roll, pitch,

and collective syncro resolvers, and

installing a guard bracket on the yaw,

roll, pitch, and collective syncro

resolvers. This proposal is prompted by

an operator’s report that a yaw control

channel jammed during freedom-ofcontrol checks following maintenance.

The actions specified by the proposed

AD are intended to prevent a jammed

flight control and subsequent loss of

control of the helicopter.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before July 3, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in

triplicate to the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), Office of the

Regional Counsel, Southwest Region,

Attention: Rules Docket No. 99–SW–84–

AD, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Room 663,

Fort Worth, Texas 76137. You may also

send comments electronically to the

Rules Docket at the following address:

9-asw-adcomments@faa.gov. Comments

may be inspected at the Office of the

Regional Counsel between 9:00 a.m. and

3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday,

except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sharon Miles, Aviation Safety Engineer,

FAA, Rotorcraft Directorate, Regulations

Group, Fort Worth, Texas 76193–0111,

telephone (817) 222–5122, fax (817)

222–5961.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

Interested persons are invited to

participate in the making of the

proposed rule by submitting such

written data, views, or arguments as

they may desire. Communications

should identify the Rules Docket

number and be submitted in triplicate to

the address specified above. All

communications received on or before

the closing date for comments, specified

above, will be considered before taking

action on the proposed rule. The

proposals contained in this notice may

be changed in light of the comments

received.

Comments are specifically invited on

the overall regulatory, economic,

environmental, and energy aspects of

the proposed rule. All comments

submitted will be available, both before

and after the closing date for comments,

in the Rules Docket for examination by

interested persons. A report

summarizing each FAA-public contact

concerned with the substance of this

proposal will be filed in the Rules

Docket.

Commenters wishing the FAA to

acknowledge receipt of their comments

submitted in response to this notice

must submit a self-addressed, stamped

postcard on which the following

statement is made: ‘‘Comments to

Docket No. 99–SW–84–AD.’’ The

postcard will be date stamped and

returned to the commenter.

Availability of NPRMs

Any person may obtain a copy of this

NPRM by submitting a request to the

FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel,

Southwest Region, Attention: Rules

Docket No. 99–SW–84–AD, 2601

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 3, 2000 / Proposed Rules 25695

Meacham Blvd., Room 663, Fort Worth,

Texas 76137.

Discussion

Transport Canada, which is the

airworthiness authority for Canada,

recently notified the FAA that an unsafe

condition may exist on certain BHTC

Model 430 helicopters. Transport

Canada advises that a yaw control

channel malfunctioned during a check

for freedom-of-controls following

maintenance because a screw that

clamps the control arm to the yaw

synchro resolver shaft was loose. This

allowed the control arm to separate from

the shaft and jam against an airframe

stringer. To secure the installation of the

four resolver control arms, the screws

must be removed and replaced with

airworthy screws and guard brackets

must be installed.

BHTC has issued Bell Helicopter

Textron Alert Service Bulletin No. 430–

99–11, dated May 7, 1999, which

introduces a higher torque alloy steel

screw to replace the screws for the yaw,

roll, pitch, and collective syncro

resolvers. This service bulletin also

specifies installing a guard bracket on

the yaw, roll, pitch, and collective

syncro resolvers to prevent the control

arm from separating in case of a loss of

torque of the clamping screw. Transport

Canada classified this service bulletin as

mandatory and issued AD No. CF–99–

26, dated September 28, 1999, in order

to assure the continued airworthiness of

these helicopters in Canada.

This helicopter model is

manufactured in Canada and is type

certificated for operation in the United

States under the provisions of section

21.29 of the Federal Aviation

Regulations (14 CFR 21.29) and the

applicable bilateral airworthiness

agreement. Pursuant to this bilateral

airworthiness agreement, Transport

Canada has kept the FAA informed of

the situation described above. The FAA

has examined the findings of the

Transport Canada, reviewed all

available information, and determined

that AD action is necessary for products

of this type design that are certificated

for operation in the United States.

Since an unsafe condition has been

identified that is likely to exist or

develop on other BHTC Model 430

helicopters of the same type design

registered in the United States, the

proposed AD would require replacing

screws in the yaw, roll, pitch, and

collective syncro resolvers, and

installing a guard bracket on the yaw,

roll, pitch, and collective syncro

resolvers. The actions would be

required to be accomplished in

accordance with the service bulletins

described previously.

The FAA estimates that 33 helicopters

of U.S. registry would be affected by this

proposed AD, that it would take

approximately 6.0 work hours per

helicopter to accomplish the proposed

actions, and that the average labor rate

is $60 per work hour. Required parts

would cost approximately $548. Based

on these figures, the total cost impact of

the proposed AD on U.S. operators is

estimated to be $29,964.

The regulations proposed herein

would 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,

it is determined that this proposal

would not have federalism implications

under Executive Order 13132.

For the reasons discussed above, I

certify that this proposed 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) if

promulgated, 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. A copy of the draft

regulatory evaluation prepared for this

action is contained in the Rules Docket.

A copy of it may be obtained by

contacting the Rules Docket at the

location provided under the caption

ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation

safety, Safety.

The Proposed Amendment

Accordingly, pursuant to the

authority delegated to me by the

Administrator, the Federal Aviation

Administration proposes to amend 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:

Bell Helicopter Textron Canada: Docket No.

99–SW–84–AD.

Applicability: Model 430, serial numbers

49001 through 49018, 49020 through 49043,

and 49045 through 49051, certificated in any

category.

Note 1: This AD applies to each helicopter

identified in the preceding applicability

provision, regardless of whether it has been

otherwise modified, altered, or repaired in

the area subject to the requirements of this

AD. For helicopters that have been modified,

altered, or repaired so that the performance

of the requirements of this AD is affected, the

owner/operator must request approval for an

alternative method of compliance in

accordance with paragraph (c) of this AD.

The request should include an assessment of

the effect of the modification, alteration, or

repair on the unsafe condition addressed by

this AD; and if the unsafe condition has not

been eliminated, the request should include

specific proposed actions to address it.

Compliance: Required within 150 hours

time-in-service after the effective date of this

AD, unless accomplished previously.

To prevent a jammed flight control and

subsequent loss of control of the helicopter,

accomplish the following:

(a) Remove the arm clamp screws (screws)

in the yaw, roll, pitch, and collective syncro

resolvers and replace them with airworthy

screws in accordance with the

Accomplishment Instructions in Alert

Service Bulletin 430–99–11, dated May 7,

1999 (ASB).

(b) Install a guard bracket on the yaw, roll,

pitch, and collective syncro resolvers in

accordance with the Accomplishment

Instructions in the ASB.

(c) An alternative method of compliance or

adjustment of the compliance time that

provides an acceptable level of safety may be

used if approved by the Manager, Regulations

Group, Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA.

Operators shall submit their requests through

an FAA Principal Maintenance Inspector,

who may concur or comment and then send

it to the Manager, Regulations Group.

Note 2: Information concerning the

existence of approved alternative methods of

compliance with this AD, if any, may be

obtained from the Regulations Group.

(d) Special flight permits may be issued in

accordance with sections 21.197 and 21.199

of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR

21.197 and 21.199) to operate the helicopter

to a location where the requirements of this

AD can be accomplished.

Note 3: The subject of this AD is addressed

in Transport Canada (Canada) AD No. CF–

99–26, dated September 28, 1999.

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 20,

2000.

Eric Bries,

Acting Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate,

Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 00–11063 Filed 5–2–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–U