60182 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 1, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 

Columbus and Muscogee County in 

1971. 

The interim rule had a 30-day 

comment period, during which OPM 

received no comments. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act 

I certify that these regulations will not 

have a significant economic impact on 

a substantial number of small entities 

because they will affect only Federal 

agencies and employees. 

List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 532 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Freedom of information, 

Government employees, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements, Wages. 

U.S. Office of Personnel Management. 

Elaine Kaplan, 

Acting Director. 

Accordingly, under the authority of 5 

U.S.C. 5343, the interim rule published 

on May 21, 2013 (78 FR 29611), 

amending 5 CFR part 532, is adopted as 

final without change. 

[FR Doc. 2013–23866 Filed 9–30–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6325–39–P 

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL 

MANAGEMENT 

5 CFR Part 532 

RIN 3206–AM83 

Prevailing Rate Systems; Definition of 

Broward County, Florida, to a 

Nonappropriated Fund Federal Wage 

System Wage Area 

AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel 

Management. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of Personnel 

Management (OPM) is issuing a final 

rule to define Broward County, FL, as an 

area of application county to the MiamiDade, FL, nonappropriated fund (NAF) 

Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area. 

This change is necessary because there 

are three NAF FWS employees working 

in Broward County, and the county is 

not currently defined to a NAF wage 

area. 

DATES: Effective date: This regulation is 

effective on October 1, 2013. 

Applicability date: This change applies 

on the first day of the first applicable 

pay period beginning on or after October 

31, 2013. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Madeline Gonzalez, by telephone at 

(202) 606–2838 or by email at pay-leavepolicy@opm.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 

21, 2013, OPM issued a proposed rule 

(78 FR 29658) to define Broward 

County, FL, as an area of application 

county to the Miami-Dade, FL, NAF 

FWS wage area. The Federal Prevailing 

Rate Advisory Committee, the national 

labor-management committee 

responsible for advising OPM on 

matters concerning the pay of FWS 

employees, reviewed and recommended 

this change by consensus. The proposed 

rule had a 30-day comment period, 

during which OPM received no 

comments. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act 

I certify that these regulations will not 

have a significant economic impact on 

a substantial number of small entities 

because they will affect only Federal 

agencies and employees. 

List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 532 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Freedom of information, 

Government employees, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements, Wages. 

U.S. Office of Personnel Management. 

Elaine Kaplan, 

Acting Director. 

Accordingly, the U.S. Office of 

Personnel Management amends 5 CFR 

part 532 as follows: 

PART 532—PREVAILING RATE 

SYSTEMS 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 532 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5343, 5346; § 532.707 

also issued under 5 U.S.C. 552. 

■ 2. Appendix D to subpart B is 

amended by revising the wage area 

listing for the Miami-Dade, FL, NAF 

wage areas to read as follows: 

Appendix D to Subpart B of Part 532— 

Nonappropriated Fund Wage and 

Survey Areas 

* * * * * 

FLORIDA 

* * * * * 

Miami-Dade 

Survey Area 

Florida: 

Miami-Dade 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Florida: 

Broward 

Palm Beach 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2013–23867 Filed 9–30–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6325–39–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2008–0288; Directorate 

Identifier 2006–SW–25–AD; Amendment 39– 

17587; AD 2013–19–05] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Bell 

Helicopter Textron, Inc., Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for Bell 

Helicopter Textron, Inc. (Bell), Model 

214B, 214B–1, and 214ST helicopters. 

This AD requires creating a component 

history card or equivalent record for 

certain pylon support spindle 

assemblies (spindles), establishes a new 

retirement life for spindles installed on 

Model 214B and 214B–1 helicopters, 

reduces the retirement life for spindles 

installed on Model 214ST helicopters, 

and requires replacing any spindle that 

has reached its airworthiness retirement 

life. This AD was prompted by three inflight failures of the spindle that 

resulted in forced landings. The actions 

of this AD are intended to prevent 

failure of a spindle and subsequent loss 

of control of the helicopter. 

DATES: This AD is effective November 5, 

2013. 

ADDRESSES: For service information 

identified in this AD, contact Bell 

Helicopter Textron, Inc., P.O. Box 482, 

Fort Worth, Texas 76101; telephone 

(817) 280–3391; fax (817) 280–6466; or 

at http://www.bellcustomer.com/files/. 

You may review a copy of 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 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. 


wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 1, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 60183 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Martin Crane, Aviation Safety Engineer, 

Rotorcraft Certification Office, 

Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, 2601 

Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 

76137; telephone (817) 222–5056; email 

7-AVS-ASW-170@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

On March 13, 2008, at 73 FR 13513, 

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 Bell Model 214B and 214B–1 

helicopters with a certain spindle 

installed. The NPRM proposed to 

require creating a component history 

card or equivalent record for each 

spindle, inspecting the spindles for any 

corrosion, or a nick, scratch, dent, or 

crack, and repairing or replacing any 

unairworthy spindle before further 

flight. The actions proposed in the 

NPRM were intended to be interim 

actions until a retirement life for the 

affected spindles could be developed 

and new replacement spindles became 

available. The NPRM was prompted by 

three in-flight failures of spindles which 

resulted in forced landings and one 

serious injury. 

On May 28, 2013, at 78 FR 31860, the 

Federal Register published our 

supplemental notice of proposed 

rulemaking (SNPRM), which revised 

some of the actions of the NPRM. The 

SNPRM added Bell Model 214ST to the 

proposed applicability, revised the 

proposed recording requirements, 

removed the proposed inspection 

requirements, established a new 

proposed retirement life for spindle part 

number (P/N) 214–030–606–005, 

reduced the proposed retirement life for 

spindle P/N 214–030–606–103, and 

added a proposed requirement to 

replace any spindle that has exceeded 

its retirement life. The Model 214ST 

was added after a crack was reported in 

a Model 214ST spindle, P/N 214–030– 

606–103. Bell determined it necessary to 

establish a retirement life for the 

spindles because the speed at which a 

crack can propagate is such that a more 

frequent inspection interval would not 

be practical. In addition, the cost of 

compliance information was updated in 

the SNPRM by correcting the estimated 

number of work-hours to replace both 

spindles, by updating the estimated 

labor cost per work-hour from $80 to 

$85, and by updating the cost of 

required parts to current replacement 

parts cost. 

The proposed actions in the SNPRM 

were intended to prevent failure of a 

spindle and subsequent loss of control 

of the helicopter. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

comment on the NPRM (73 FR 13513, 

March 13, 2008) and the SNPRM (78 FR 

31860, May 28, 2013). We received 

comments to the NPRM which we 

addressed in the SNPRM. The following 

presents those comments and the FAA’s 

response to each comment. 

Request 

Bell stated that results from analysis 

and review of the pylon spindle 

assembly, P/N 214–030–606–005, 

identified the requirement to assign an 

airworthiness retirement life to that 

assembly. They also stated that alert 

service bulletins would detail the 

retirement life of the spindle. We agreed 

and revised the SNPRM (78 FR 31860, 

May 28, 2013) accordingly. 

Bell commented that the NPRM (73 

FR 13513, March 13, 2008) did not 

address conversion of torque events to 

retirement index number (RIN). We 

agreed and revised the SNPRM 

accordingly. 

Bell also stated that the NPRM misidentified the visual inspection 

requirements of using a magnifying 

glass on each outer radius of the 

spindle; that this visual inspection 

requirement is for the main rotor hub 

spindle, not the transmission spindle. 

They also stated that once cracks start, 

they progress very rapidly and visual 

inspection at a frequency designed to 

discover cracking would not be 

manageable. We agreed. With 

establishment of a maximum 

airworthiness life limit for the spindle 

and after further review, we determined 

that deleting the proposed visual 

inspections in the NPRM will not 

impact the overall level of safety. 

FAA’s Determination 

We have reviewed the relevant 

information, considered the comments 

received, and determined that an unsafe 

condition exists and is likely to exist or 

develop on other products of these same 

type designs and that air safety and the 

public interest require adopting the AD 

requirements as proposed in the SNPRM 

(78 FR 31860, May 28, 2013). 

Related Service Information 

We reviewed Bell ASB No. 214–08– 

70, Revision C, dated April 14, 2009 

(214–08–70), which establishes a 

maximum airworthiness limit of 1,250 

hours time-in-service (TIS) or a total 

accumulated RIN of 20,000, whichever 

occurs first, for any spindle, P/N 214– 

030–606–005, that is installed on a 

Model 214B or Model 214B–1 

helicopter. We have also reviewed Bell 

ASB No. 214ST–08–86, Revision B, 

dated April 14, 2009, which reduces the 

maximum airworthiness life limit from 

5,000 hours TIS to 2,500 hours TIS or 

a total accumulated RIN of 50,000, 

whichever occurs first, for any spindle, 

P/N 214–030–606–103, that is installed 

on a Model 214ST helicopter. The ASBs 

also specify determining the 

accumulated RIN by calculating a RIN 

factor of 1 for each lift or takeoff 

performed during normal operation and 

of 2 for each lift or takeoff performed 

during logging operation. When actual 

lift events are unknown or cannot be 

determined, both ASBs specify 

calculating RIN at 30 lift events per 

flight hour; ASB No. 214–08–70 further 

specifies calculating flight hours at a 

rate of 900 hours per year. Both ASBs 

specify replacing any spindle that has 

reached its maximum airworthiness 

limit. 

Additionally, we reviewed Bell 

Information Letter 214ST–12–23, dated 

January 30, 2012, which was issued to 

advise owners and operators of the first 

actual reported crack in a Model 214ST 

spindle, P/N 214–030–606–103. 

Differences Between This AD and the 

Service Information 

The service information specifies, as 

part of determining the life of a 

currently installed spindle, 

accumulating a RIN factor of 2 for each 

lift or takeoff performed during a 

logging operation. This AD requires 

using a RIN factor of 2 for any external 

load lift or takeoff in which the 

helicopter achieves a vertical altitude 

difference of greater than 200 feet 

indicated altitude between the pick-up 

and drop-off point. We determined that 

other external load lift operations with 

the specified vertical altitude difference 

or greater will experience the same 

double torque cycle as in logging 

operations, and that a RIN factor of 2 

needs to be used for those types of 

operations as well. Also, the service 

information for Models 214B and 214B– 

1 specify an initial compliance time of 

150 flight hours, while we require an 

initial compliance time of 50 hours TIS. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD will affect 

12 Model 214B/B–1 and 24 Model 

214ST 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 1 work-hour 

for the record keeping requirements of 

this AD, and about 24 work-hours to 

replace both spindles. Labor costs are 

estimated at $85 per work-hour and the 


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60184 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 1, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 

cost of parts will be about $39,806 for 

both spindles for a Model 214B or 

214B–1, and $40,802 for both spindles 

for a Model 214ST. Based on these 

estimates, for record keeping and the 

replacement of a pair of spindles, the 

total per helicopter cost will be $41,931 

for a Model 214B or 214B–1 and 

$42,927 for a Model 214ST. The total 

cost of recordkeeping will be about 

$3,060. 

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 

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): 

2013–19–05 Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., 

Helicopters: Amendment 39–17587; 

Docket No. FAA–2008–0288; Directorate 

Identifier 2006–SW–25–AD. 

(a) Applicability 

This AD applies to Bell Helicopter Textron, 

Inc. (Bell), Model 214B, 214B–1, and 214ST 

helicopters, with pylon support spindle 

assembly (spindle), part number (P/N) 214– 

030–606–005 or –103, installed, certificated 

in any category. 

(b) Unsafe Condition 

This AD defines the unsafe condition as 

fatigue cracking of a spindle. This condition 

could result in failure of the spindle and 

subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. 

(c) Effective Date 

This AD becomes effective November 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 50 hours time-in-service (TIS): 

(i) Create a component history card or 

equivalent record for each spindle, P/N 214– 

030–606–005 and 214–030–606–103, 

recording the spindle’s P/N and serial 

number. 

(ii) Review the helicopter records to 

determine the hours TIS of each spindle, if 

the hours TIS are not already recorded for 

your model helicopter. For each month for 

which the hours TIS is unknown, record 75 

hours TIS. 

(iii) Determine the total accumulated 

retirement index number (RIN) for each 

spindle. For the purpose of this AD, count 1 

RIN for each takeoff and 2 RIN for each 

external load lift in which the helicopter 

achieves a vertical altitude difference of 

greater than 200 feet indicated altitude 

between the pick-up and drop-off point. For 

any time period for which the accumulated 

RIN cannot be determined while the spindle 

was installed on a helicopter, multiply the 

hours TIS by 30 to calculate the spindle’s 

accumulated RIN. 

(iv) Record the hours TIS and total 

accumulated RIN for each spindle on the 

component history card or equivalent record. 

(2) Revise the Airworthiness Limitations 

section of the applicable maintenance 

manual or Instructions for Continued 

Airworthiness as follows: 

(i) By establishing a new retirement life for 

the spindle, P/N 214–030–606–005, of 1,250 

hours TIS or a total accumulated RIN of 

20,000, whichever occurs first. 

(ii) By reducing the retirement life for the 

spindle, P/N 214–030–606–103, from 5,000 

hours TIS to 2,500 hours TIS or a total 

accumulated RIN of 50,000, whichever 

occurs first. 

(3) Replace any spindle, P/N 214–030– 

606–005, that has been in service for 1,250 

or more hours TIS, or a total accumulated 

RIN of 20,000 or more, whichever occurs 

first. 

(4) Replace any spindle, P/N 214–030– 

606–103, that has been in service for 2,500 

or more hours TIS, or a total accumulated 

RIN of 50,000 or more, whichever occurs 

first. 

(5) Continue to count and record the 

accumulated RIN count and hours TIS for 

each spindle on its component history card 

or equivalent record. 

(f) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, Rotorcraft Certification 

Office, FAA, may approve AMOCs for this 

AD. Send your proposal to: Martin Crane, 

Aviation Safety Engineer, Rotorcraft 

Certification Office, Rotorcraft Directorate, 

FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, 

Texas 76137; telephone (817) 222–5056; 

email 7-AVS-ASW-170@faa.gov. 

(2) For operations conducted under a 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 

Bell Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) No. 214– 

08–70, Revision C, dated April 14, 2009; Bell 

ASB No. 214ST–08–86, Revision B, dated 

April 14, 2009; and Bell Information Letter 

214ST–12–23, dated January 30, 2012, which 

are not incorporated by reference, contain 

additional information about the subject of 

this AD. For service information identified in 

this AD, contact Bell Helicopter Textron, 

Inc., P.O. Box 482, Fort Worth, Texas 76101; 

telephone (817) 280–3391; fax (817) 280– 

6466; or at http://www.bellcustomer.com/

files/. You may review a copy of this service 

information at the FAA, Office of the 

Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 2601 

Meacham Blvd., Room 663, Fort Worth, 

Texas 76137. 

(h) Subject 

Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) 

Code: 6330, Transmission Mount. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 1, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 60185 

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on September 

13, 2013. 

Lance T. Gant, 

Acting Directorate Manager, Rotorcraft 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–23099 Filed 9–30–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0380; Directorate 

Identifier 2012–SW–067–AD; Amendment 

39–17588; AD 2013–19–06] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Robinson 

Helicopter Company (Robinson) 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for 

Robinson Model R22, R22 Alpha, R22 

Beta, and R22 Mariner helicopters with 

certain fuel shut-off valves installed. 

This AD requires replacing the fuel 

shut-off valve with a newer design fuel 

shut-off valve. This AD is prompted by 

three accidents that occurred because 

the fuel shut-off valve was inadvertently 

moved to the ‘‘off’’ position. These 

actions are intended to prevent 

inadvertent closing of the fuel valve, 

which could result in engine power loss 

from which a safe landing may not be 

possible. 

DATES: This AD is effective November 5, 

2013. 

ADDRESSES: For service information 

identified in this AD, contact Robinson 

Helicopter Company, 2901 Airport 

Drive, Torrance, CA 90505; telephone 

(310) 539–0508; fax (310) 539–5198; or 

at http://www.robinsonheli.com/

servelib.htm. You may review a copy of 

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 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: 

Danny Nguyen, Aerospace Engineer, Los 

Angeles Aircraft Certification Office, 

Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 

3960 Paramount Blvd., Lakewood, 

California 90712; telephone (562) 627– 

5247; email danny.nguyen@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

On April 25, 2013, at 78 FR 24371, 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 

Robinson Model R22, R22 Alpha, R22 

Beta, and R22 Mariner helicopters, 

serial number 0002 through 4271, with 

a fuel shut-off valve part-number (P/N) 

A670–1 revision A through H installed. 

The NPRM proposed to require, within 

3 years, removing the fuel shut-off 

valve, P/N A670–1 revision A through 

H, and replacing the valve with a newly 

designed fuel shut-off valve. Three 

accidents have occurred with R22 

helicopters because the lever-handle 

fuel valve was inadvertently moved to 

the ‘‘off’’ position before takeoff. Closing 

this valve will result in loss of power 

from the engine and subsequent loss of 

control of the helicopter. Robinson 

subsequently redesigned the fuel valve 

with a smaller actuating handle and 

with the valve spring loaded to the ‘‘on’’ 

position, to prevent inadvertent fuel 

shut-off. The proposed requirements 

were intended to prevent inadvertent 

closing of the fuel valve, which could 

result in engine power loss. 

Comments 

After our NPRM (78 FR 24371, April 

25, 2013) was published, we received 

comments from one commenter. 

Request 

Robinson noted that the Summary 

and Discussion sections of the NPRM 

contained language stating that closing 

of the fuel valve could result in engine 

power loss and subsequent loss of 

control of the helicopter. Robinson 

commented that loss of engine power 

does not result in loss of control of the 

helicopter. 

We agree, and have redefined the 

unsafe condition in the SUMMARY and 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Discussion 

sections of the preamble of this final 

rule to state that inadvertent closing of 

the fuel valve could result in engine 

power loss from which a safe landing 

may not be possible. 

FAA’s Determination 

We have reviewed the relevant 

information, considered the comment 

received, and determined that an unsafe 

condition exists and is likely to exist or 

develop on other products of these same 

type designs and that air safety and the 

public interest require adopting the AD 

requirements as proposed with the 

change described previously. This 

change is consistent with the intent of 

the proposals in the NPRM and will not 

increase the economic burden on any 

operator nor increase the scope of this 

AD. 

Related Service Information 

Robinson has issued R22 Service 

Bulletin SB–105, dated September 7, 

2011 (SB–105), which specifies 

procedures to replace the lever handle 

fuel shut-off valve part number (P/N) 

A670–1 revision A through H with a 

fuel shut-off valve P/N A670–1 revision 

I or later. 

Differences Between This AD and the 

Service Information 

SB–105 specifies compliance within 

500 flight-hours or by August 31, 2012. 

This AD requires compliance within 3 

years. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD will affect 

1,282 helicopters of U.S. Registry. We 

estimate that operators may incur the 

following costs in order to comply with 

this AD. Replacing the fuel shut-off 

valve requires about 2 work-hours at an 

average labor rate of $85 per hour, and 

required parts will cost about $260, for 

a cost per helicopter of $430, and a total 

cost to U.S. operators of $551,260. 

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. 


wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with RULES