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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 21, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9874-9875]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3860]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2012-0057; Directorate Identifier 2012-NE-04-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Turbomeca S.A. Turboshaft Engines

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
Turbomeca S.A. Arriel 2C1, 2C2, and 2S2 turboshaft engines. This 
proposed AD was prompted by a report of a helicopter experiencing a 
digital engine control unit (DECU) malfunction during flight. We are 
proposing this AD to prevent loss of automatic control on one or both 
engines installed on the same helicopter, which could result in an 
uncommanded in-flight engine shutdown, forced autorotation landing, or 
accident.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by April 23, 2012.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your 
comments electronically.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
    For service information identified in this proposed AD, contact 
Turbomeca, 40220 Tarnos, France; phone: 33 05 59 74 40 00; fax: 33 05 
59 74 45 15. You may review copies of the referenced service 
information at the FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 New England 
Executive Park, Burlington, MA. For information on the availability of 
this material at the FAA, call 781-238-7125.

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 proposed AD, the regulatory 
evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street 
address for the Docket Operations office (phone: 800-647-5527) is the 
same as the Mail address provided in the ADDRESSES section. Comments 
will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rose Len, Aerospace Engineer, Engine 
Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 New 
England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; phone: 781-238-7772; fax: 
781-238-7199; email: rose.len@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited

    We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this proposed AD. Send your comments to an address 
listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2012-0057; 
Directorate Identifier 2012-NE-04-AD'' at the beginning of your 
comments. We specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, 
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this proposed AD. We 
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend 
this proposed AD based on 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 proposed AD. Using the search 
function of the Web site, anyone can find and read the comments in any 
of our dockets, including, if provided, the name of the individual who 
sent the comment (or signed the comment on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). You may review the DOT's complete Privacy 
Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 
FR 19477-78).

Discussion

    The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical 
Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has issued EASA 
Airworthiness Directive 2011-0249, dated December 22, 2011 (referred to 
after this as ``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for the 
specified products. The MCAI states:

    An incident has been reported of a helicopter which experienced 
a Digital Engine Control Unit (DECU) malfunction in flight from one 
of its Arriel 2C1 engines. The indicating system of the helicopter 
displayed a ``FADEC FAIL'' message, with a concurrent loss of 
automatic control of the engine. The mission was aborted and the 
helicopter returned to its base without any further incident.
    The subsequent technical investigations carried out by Turbomeca 
revealed that a Digital Engine Control Unit (DECU) assembly non-
conformity was at the origin of this event. Further investigations 
performed with the supplier of the DECU led to the conclusion that 
only a limited number of DECU are potentially affected by the non-
conformity.

    You may obtain further information by examining the MCAI in the AD 
docket.

Relevant Service Information

    Turbomeca S.A. has issued Alert Mandatory Service Bulletin No. A292 
73 2845, Version A, dated December 19, 2011. The actions described in 
this service information are intended to correct the unsafe condition 
identified in the MCAI.

FAA's Determination of This Proposed AD

    This product has been approved by the aviation authority of France, 
and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to our 
bilateral agreement with EASA, EASA has notified us of the unsafe 
condition described in the MCAI and service information referenced 
above. We are proposing this AD because we evaluated all information 
provided by EASA and determined the unsafe condition exists

[[Page 9875]]

and is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type 
design.

Costs of Compliance

    Based on the service information, we estimate that this proposed AD 
would affect about two engines installed on helicopters of U.S. 
registry. We also estimate that it would take about one work-hour per 
engine to comply with this proposed AD. The average labor rate is $85 
per work-hour. Required parts would cost about $12,551 per engine. 
Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of the proposed AD on U.S. 
operators to be $25,272. Our cost estimate is exclusive of possible 
warranty coverage.

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.

Regulatory Findings

    We determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism 
implications under Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD 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.
    For the reasons discussed above, I certify 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. 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 a regulatory evaluation of the estimated costs to 
comply with this proposed 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.

The Proposed Amendment

    Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the FAA proposes to amend 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.

Sec.  39.13  [Amended]

    2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new AD:

Turbomeca S.A.: Docket No. FAA-2012-0057; Directorate Identifier 
2012-NE-04-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    We must receive comments by April 23, 2012.

(b) Affected Airworthiness Directives (ADs)

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Turbomeca S.A. Arriel 2C1, 2C2, and 2S2 
turboshaft engines with any of the digital engine control units 
(DECUs) listed in Table 1 of this AD installed.

                Table 1--Serial Numbers of Affected DECU
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
         529                558               560               655
         696                869               878               939
         983               1039              1050              1052
        1150               1195              1208              1236
        1302               1304              1329              1330
        1350               1384              1408              1412
        1416               1429              1430              1440
        1464               1468              1472              1499
        1508               1528              1557              1558
        1560               1567              1578              1615
        1616               1656              1689               N/A
------------------------------------------------------------------------

(d) Reason

    This AD was prompted by a report of a helicopter experiencing a 
DECU malfunction during flight. We are issuing this AD to prevent 
loss of automatic control on one or both engines installed on the 
same helicopter, which could result in an uncommanded in-flight 
engine shutdown, forced autorotation landing, or accident.

(e) Actions and Compliance

    Unless already done, do the following actions.
    (1) For any helicopter fitted with two DECUs listed in Table 1 
of this AD:
    (i) Within 50 engine hours after the effective date of this AD, 
replace one of the two DECUs with a DECU that is not listed in Table 
1 of this AD.
    (ii) Within 1,000 engine hours or 12 months after the effective 
date of this AD, whichever occurs first, replace the other DECU with 
a DECU that is not listed in Table 1 of this AD.
    (2) For any helicopter fitted with one DECU listed in Table 1 of 
this AD, within 1,000 engine hours or 12 months after the effective 
date of this AD, whichever occurs first, replace the DECU with a 
DECU that is not listed in Table 1 of this AD.

(f) Installation Prohibition

    From the effective date of this AD, do not install a DECU listed 
in Table 1 of this AD onto any engine, and do not install any engine 
having a DECU listed in Table 1 of this AD, onto a helicopter.

(g) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    The Manager, Engine Certification Office, may approve AMOCs for 
this AD. Use the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19 to make your 
request.

(h) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Rose Len, 
Aerospace Engineer, Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & 
Propeller Directorate, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 
01803; phone: 781-238-7772; fax: 781-238-7199; email: 
rose.len@faa.gov.
    (2) Refer to European Aviation Safety Agency AD 2011-0249, dated 
December 22, 2011, and Turbomeca Alert Mandatory Service Bulletin 
No. A292 73 2845, Version A, dated December 19, 2011, for related 
information.
    (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Turbomeca, 40220 Tarnos, France; phone: 33 05 59 74 40 00; fax: 33 
05 59 74 45 15. You may review copies of the referenced service 
information at the FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 New 
England Executive Park, Burlington, MA. For information on the 
availability of this material at the FAA, call 781-238-7125.

    Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on February 10, 2012.
Peter A. White,
Manager, Engine & Propeller Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-3860 Filed 2-17-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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