Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 211 / Thursday, October 31, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 65169 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on October 

15, 2013. 

Jeffrey E. Duven, 

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–25307 Filed 10–30–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0446; Directorate 

Identifier 2010–SW–007–AD; Amendment 

39–17629; AD 2013–21–05] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter 

Deutschland GmbH Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for 

Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH 

(Eurocopter) Model EC135 P1, P2, P2+, 

T1, T2, and T2+ helicopters. This AD 

requires inspecting each linear 

transducer bearing (bearing) for freedom 

of movement and replacing the bearing 

if there is binding or rough turning or 

if there is chafing or damage on the 

lower side of the floor. Also, this AD 

requires modifying and re-identifying a 

certain rod. This AD was prompted by 

an incident involving limited control of 

a tail rotor because of the binding of a 

bearing. The actions of this AD are 

intended to detect and replace each 

bearing subject to binding, which could 

lead to subsequent loss of control of the 

helicopter. 

DATES: This AD is effective December 5, 

2013. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain document listed in this AD 

as of December 5, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: For service information 

identified in this AD, contact American 

Eurocopter Corporation, 2701 N. Forum 

Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75052, 

telephone (972) 641–0000 or (800) 232– 

0323, fax (972) 641–3775, or at http://

www.eurocopter.com/techpub. You may 

review the referenced service 

information at the FAA, Office of the 

Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 

2601 Meacham Blvd., Room 663, Fort 

Worth, Texas 76137. 

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 AD, the foreign 

authority’s AD, any incorporated-byreference 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: Matt 

Fuller, Senior Aviation Safety Engineer, 

Safety Management Group, Rotorcraft 

Directorate, FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., 

Fort Worth, Texas 76137; telephone 

(817) 222–5110; email matthew.fuller@

faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

On May 23, 2013, at 78 FR 30793, the 

Federal Register published our notice of 

proposed rulemaking (NPRM), which 

proposed to amend 14 CFR part 39 by 

adding an AD that would apply to 

Model EC135 P1, P2, P2+, T1, T2, and 

T2+ helicopters, with bearing, part 

number (P/N) LN9367GE6N2; rod, P/N 

L671M5040205; lever, P/N 

L671M5040101; and floor, P/N 

L533M1014101, L533M1014102, 

L533M1014103, L533M1014104, 

L533M1014105 or L533M1014106, 

installed. The NPRM proposed to 

require, at specified intervals, 

inspecting each bearing for freedom of 

movement. The NPRM also proposed, 

before further flight, if there is binding 

or rough turning, replacing the bearing 

or if there is chafing or damage on the 

lower side of the floor, replacing the 

bearing and repairing the floor, and, 

thereafter, installing a Teflon strip. The 

NPRM also proposed modifying the rod 

and re-identifying the rod and lever 

with a new part number. The 

requirements were intended to detect 

and replace each bearing subject to 

binding, which could lead to 

subsequent loss of control of the 

helicopter. 

The NPRM was prompted by AD No. 

2006–0318 R1, dated October 27, 2006, 

issued by the European Aviation Safety 

Agency (EASA), which is the Technical 

Agent for the Member States of the 

European Union, to correct an unsafe 

condition for all Eurocopter Model EC 

135 helicopters. EASA advises of an 

incident in which impaired control of 

an EC 135 tail rotor was detected. EASA 

states that according to examinations, 

the bearing of the linear transducer was 

subject to binding, which limited the 

control range. 

FAA’s Determination 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD, but 

we did not receive any comments on the 

NPRM (78 FR 30793, May 23, 2013). 

FAA’s Determination 

These helicopters have been approved 

by the aviation authority of Germany 

and are approved for operation in the 

United States. Pursuant to our bilateral 

agreement with Germany, EASA, its 

technical representative, has notified us 

of the unsafe condition described in its 

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 and that air safety 

and the public interest require adopting 

the AD requirements as proposed. 

Differences Between This AD and the 

EASA AD 

This AD does not refer to the 

compliance date of October 31, 2006, 

because that date has passed; instead we 

require compliance within 100 hours 

time-service (TIS). This AD does not 

require contacting Eurocopter customer 

support. This AD requires modifying 

each rod within 100 hours TIS, rather 

than within 800 hours TIS as specified 

in the EASA AD. 

Related Service Information 

Eurocopter has issued Alert Service 

Bulletin EC135–67A–012, Revision 1, 

dated October 18, 2006 (ASB), which 

specifies inspecting the bearing of the 

linear transducer for freedom of 

movement and the lower side of the 

floor for chafing or damage. If there is 

binding, the ASB specifies replacing the 

bearing. If there is chafing or damage on 

the floor, the ASB specifies replacing 

the bearing and repairing the floor. The 

ASB also specifies modifying and 

reidentifying a certain rod. EASA 

classified this ASB as mandatory and 

issued EASA AD 2006–0318 R1, dated 

October 27, 2006, to ensure the 

continued airworthiness of these 

helicopters. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD will affect 

214 helicopters of U.S. Registry. We 

estimate that operators may incur the 

following costs in order to comply with 

this AD: It will take about 10 workhours to inspect the bearing for freedom 

of movement at an average labor rate of 


wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with RULES
65170 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 211 / Thursday, October 31, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 

$85 per work hour. No parts or materials 

are required for the inspection. Based on 

these estimates, the cost will be $850 

per helicopter or $181,900 for the fleet 

of all U.S.-registered helicopters. If 

necessary, replacing the bearing will 

require 3 additional work-hours, and 

parts will cost $50. Repairing the floor 

will require 3 additional work hours 

and minimal cost for materials. 

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 

■ 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. The FAA amends § 39.13 by adding 

the following new airworthiness 

directive (AD): 

2013–21–05 Eurocopter Deutschland 

GmbH: Amendment 39–17629; Docket 

No. FAA–2013–0446; Directorate 

Identifier 2010–SW–007–AD. 

(a) Applicability 

This AD applies to Model EC135 P1, P2, 

P2+, T1, T2, and T2+ helicopters, with 

bearing, part number (P/N) LN9367GE6N2; 

rod, P/N L671M5040205; lever, P/N 

L671M5040101; and floor, P/N 

L533M1014101, L533M1014102, 

L533M1014103, L533M1014104, 

L533M1014105 or L533M1014106, installed, 

certificated in any category. 

(b) Unsafe Condition 

This AD defines the unsafe condition as 

limited control of a tail rotor because of the 

binding of a bearing. This condition could 

result in subsequent loss of control of the 

helicopter. 

(c) Effective Date 

This AD becomes effective December 5, 

2013. 

(d) 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. 

(e) Required Actions 

(1) Within 100 hours time-in-service (TIS) 

and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 800 

hours TIS, inspect each bearing for freedom 

of movement by turning and tilting the 

bearing as depicted in Figure 2 of Eurocopter 

Alert Service Bulletin No. EC135–67A–012, 

Revision 1, dated October 18, 2006 (ASB). 

During any inspection: 

(i) If there is binding or rough turning, 

before further flight, replace the bearing with 

an airworthy bearing. 

(ii) If there is chafing on the lower side of 

the floor that does not extend through the 

panel outer layer, before further flight, 

replace the bearing with an airworthy 

bearing. 

(iii) If there is damage on the lower side 

of the floor in the area of the assembly 

opening that extends through the panel outer 

layer (revealing an open honeycomb cell or 

layer), before further flight, replace the 

bearing with an airworthy bearing and repair 

the floor. 

(2) After performing the actions in (e)(1)(i) 

through (iii) of this AD, before further flight, 

install a Teflon strip and identify the floor by 

following the Accomplishment Instructions, 

paragraphs 3.E.(1) through 3.E.(4), of the 

ASB. 

(3) Within 100 hours TIS, modify and reidentify the rod as depicted in Figure 1 of the 

ASB and by following the Accomplishment 

Instructions, paragraphs 3.H.(1) through 

3.H.(3)(f), of the ASB. 

(f) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, Safety Management 

Group, FAA, may approve AMOCs for this 

AD. Send your proposal to: Matt Fuller, 

Senior Aviation Safety Engineer, Safety 

Management Group, Rotorcraft Directorate, 

FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, 

Texas 76137; telephone (817) 222–5110; 

email matthew.fuller@faa.gov. 

(2) For operations conducted under 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. 

(g) Additional Information 

The subject of this AD is addressed in 

European Aviation Safety Agency AD No. 

2006–0318 R1, dated October 27, 2006, 

which you may view on the internet at http:// 

www.regulations.gov in the AD docket. 

(h) Subject 

The Joint Aircraft System/Component 

(JASC) Code is 6720: Tail Rotor Control 

System. 

(i) Material Incorporated by Reference 

(1) The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

(IBR) 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. 

EC135–67A–012, Revision 1, dated October 

18, 2006. 

(ii) Reserved. 

(3) For Eurocopter service information 

identified in this AD, contact American 

Eurocopter Corporation, 2701 N. Forum 

Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75052, telephone 

(972) 641–0000 or (800) 232–0323, fax (972) 

641–3775, or at http://www.eurocopter.com/ 

techpub. 

(4) You may view this service information 

at FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, 

Southwest Region, 2601 Meacham Blvd., 

Room 663, Fort Worth, Texas 76137. 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://


wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 211 / Thursday, October 31, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 65171 

www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibrlocations.html. 

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on September 

27, 2013. 

Lance T. Gant, 

Acting Directorate Manager, Rotorcraft 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–25312 Filed 10–30–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0667; Directorate 

Identifier 2013–NM–062–AD; Amendment 

39–17639; AD 2013–22–07] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing 

Company Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 

The Boeing Company Model 747–400 

series airplanes. This AD was prompted 

by reports of fasteners missing on an 

airplane undergoing a passenger-tofreighter conversion. This AD requires 

doing a general visual inspection of the 

station 1920 splice clip for correct 

fastener installation, and related 

investigative and corrective actions if 

necessary. We are issuing this AD to 

detect and correct missing or incorrect 

fasteners, which can lead to cracking 

and loss of load carrying capacity, 

resulting in a possible decompression 

event. 

DATES: This AD is effective December 5, 

2013. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain publication listed in this AD 

as of December 5, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: For service information 

identified in this AD, contact Boeing 

Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Data 

& Services Management, P.O. Box 3707, 

MC 2H–65, Seattle, WA 98124–2207; 

telephone 206–544–5000, extension 1; 

fax 206–766–5680; Internet https://

www.myboeingfleet.com. You may view 

this referenced service information at 

the FAA, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., 

Renton, WA. For information on the 

availability of this material at the FAA, 

call 425–227–1221. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket on 

the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov; or in person at the 

Docket Management Facility between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD 

docket contains this AD, the regulatory 

evaluation, any comments received, and 

other information. The address for the 

Docket Office (phone: 800–647–5527) is 

Document Management Facility, U.S. 

Department of Transportation, Docket 

Operations, M–30, West Building 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 

DC 20590. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill 

Ashforth, Aerospace Engineer, Airframe 

Branch, ANM–120S, FAA, Seattle 

Aircraft Certification Office, 1601 Lind 

Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057–3356; 

phone: 425–917–6432; fax: 425–917– 

6590; email: bill.ashforth@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

We issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 by adding an AD that would 

apply to the specified products. The 

NPRM published in the Federal 

Register on August 1, 2013 (78 FR 

46540). The NPRM proposed to require 

doing a general visual inspection of the 

station 1920 splice clip for correct 

fastener installation, and related 

investigative and corrective actions if 

necessary. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD. We 

have considered the comment received. 

The Boeing Company supports the 

NPRM (78 FR 46540, August 1, 2013). 

Conclusion 

We reviewed the relevant data, 

considered the comment received, and 

determined that air safety and the 

public interest require adopting this AD 

as proposed—except for minor editorial 

changes. We have determined that these 

minor changes: 

• Are consistent with the intent that 

was proposed in the NPRM (78 FR 

46540, August 1, 2013) for correcting 

the unsafe condition; and 

• Do not add any additional burden 

upon the public than was already 

proposed in the NPRM (78 FR 46540, 

August 1, 2013). 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD affects 3 

airplanes of U.S. registry. 

We estimate the following costs to 

comply with this AD: 

ESTIMATED COSTS

Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per 

product 

Cost on U.S. 

operators 

Inspection for correct fastener installation ...... 2 work-hours × $85 per hour = $170 ............. $0 $170 $510 

We estimate the following costs to do 

any necessary repairs that would be 

required based on the results of the 

inspection. We have no way of 

determining the number of aircraft that 

might need these repairs: 

ON-CONDITION COSTS

Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per 

product 

Inspections for cracking ................................................ 3 work-hours × $85 per hour = $255 ........................... $0 $255 

Fastener installation ..................................................... 2 work-hours × $85 per hour = $170 ........................... 0 170 

Repair ........................................................................... 2 work-hours × $85 per hour = $170 ........................... 0 170 

According to the manufacturer, some 

of the costs of this AD may be covered 

under warranty, thereby reducing the 

cost impact on affected individuals. We 

do not control warranty coverage for 

affected individuals. As a result, we 


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