### 48698 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 159 / Monday, August 18, 2014 / Proposed Rules

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.

**§ 39.13 [Amended]**

■ 2. The FAA amends § 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness directive (AD):
Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (Previously Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH) (Airbus Helicopters) Helicopters: Docket No. FAA–2014–0578; Directorate Identifier 2013–SW–048–AD.
(a) Applicability

This AD applies to Airbus Helicopters Model MBB–BK 117 C–2 helicopters with a lateral duplex trim actuator, part number (P/ N) 418–00878–050 or P/N 418–00878–051, or a longitudinal duplex trim actuator, P/N 418– 00878–000 or P/N 418–00878–001, installed, certificated in any category.

(b) Unsafe Condition

This AD defines the unsafe condition as loss of a trim actuator output lever attachment screw. This condition could result in movement of the output lever in an axial direction, contact of a bolt connecting the control rod to an output lever with the actuator housing, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

(c) Comments Due Date

We must receive comments by October 17,
2014. (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 300 hours time-in-service (TIS), apply a torque of 31.0 inch-pounds (3.5 Nm) to the self-locking nut (nut) on each lateral and longitudinal trim actuator output lever and apply a torque marking between the nut and the screw.

(2) Thereafter at intervals not to exceed 400 hours TIS, visually inspect each nut on each lateral and longitudinal trim actuator output lever to determine whether the torque is at 31.0 inch-pounds (3.5 Nm). If the torque is not at 31.0 inch-pounds, apply a torque of 31.0 inch-pounds (3.5 Nm), remove the previous torque marking, and apply a new torque marking between the nut and the

screw.

(3) Do not install a lateral duplex trim actuator, part number (P/N) 418–00878–050 or P/N 418–00878–051, or a longitudinal duplex trim actuator, P/N 418–00878–000 or P/N 418–00878–001, on any helicopter unless each nut has been inspected for proper torque in accordance with the requirements of this AD.
(f) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

(1) The Manager, Safety Management Group, FAA, may approve AMOCs for this AD. Send your proposal to: Matt Wilbanks, Aviation Safety Engineer, Regulations and Policy Group, Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137; telephone (817) 222–5110; email matt.wilbanks@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

(1) Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin MBB– BK117 C–2–67A–020, Revision 0, dated June 18, 2013, which is not incorporated by reference, contains additional information about the subject of this AD. For service information identified in this AD, contact Airbus Helicopters, Inc., 2701 N. Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75052; telephone (972) 641–0000 or (800) 232–0323; fax (972)
641–3775; or at http:// www.airbushelicopters.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.

(2) The subject of this AD is addressed in the European Aviation Agency (EASA) AD No. 2013–0182, dated August 12, 2013. You may view the EASA AD on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov in the AD Docket.
(h) Subject

Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) Code: Rotorcraft Flight Control, 6700.

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on August 8,

2014. Lance T. Gant, Acting Directorate Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2014–19506 Filed 8–15–14; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4910–13–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION** 

**Federal Aviation Administration**

**14 CFR Part 39**

**[Docket No. FAA–2014–0579; Directorate Identifier 2014–SW–020–AD]** 

**RIN 2120–AA64**

**Airworthiness Directives; Agusta S.p.A. Helicopters (Type Certificate**  **Currently Held By AgustaWestland S.P.A) (AgustaWestland)** 

**AGENCY :**  Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

**ACTION :**  Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

**SUMMARY :**  We propose to supersede airworthiness directive (AD) 2014–04– 14 for AgustaWestland Model A109S, AW109SP, A119, and AW119 MKII helicopters. AD 2014–04–14 currently requires removing certain rod end assemblies from service because of reports of fractures. Since we issued AD 2014–04–14, additional fractured rod end assemblies have been reported. This proposed AD would retain the requirements of AD 2014–04–14 but expand the scope of applicable rod end assemblies. These proposed actions are intended to prevent failure of a rod end assembly, which could result in damage to the main rotor assembly and loss of control of the helicopter.

**DATES :**  We must receive comments on this proposed AD by October 17, 2014.

**ADDRESSES :**  You may send comments by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Docket: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for sending your comments electronically.

• Fax: 202–493–2251.

• Mail: Send comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M–30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590–0001.

• Hand Delivery: Deliver to the ‘‘Mail’’ address between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. 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 European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, the economic evaluation, any comments received and other


### 48699 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 159 / Monday, August 18, 2014 / Proposed Rules

information. The street address for the Docket Operations Office (telephone 800–647–5527) is in the **ADDRESSES** section. Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

For service information identified in this proposed AD, contact AgustaWestland, Product Support Engineering, Via del Gregge, 100, 21015 Lonate Pozzolo (VA) Italy, ATTN: Maurizio D’Angelo; telephone 39–0331– 664757; fax 39–0331–664680; or at http://www.agustawestland.com/ technical-bulletins. You may review service information at the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Room 663, Fort Worth, Texas 76137.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Robert Grant, Aviation Safety Engineer, Safety Management Group, FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137; telephone (817) 222–5110; email robert.grant@faa.gov.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :** 
Comments Invited

We invite you to participate in this rulemaking by submitting written comments, data, or views. We also invite comments relating to the economic, environmental, energy, or federalism impacts that might result from adopting the proposals in this document. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. To ensure the docket does not contain duplicate comments, commenters should send only one copy of written comments, or if comments are filed electronically, commenters should submit only one time.

We will file in the docket all comments that we receive, as well as a report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA personnel concerning this proposed rulemaking. Before acting on this proposal, we will consider all comments we receive on or before the closing date for comments. We will consider comments filed after the comment period has closed if it is possible to do so without incurring expense or delay. We may change this proposal in light of the comments we receive.

Discussion

On March 3, 2014, we published AD 2014–04–14, Amendment 39–17773 (79 FR 11699) for AgustaWestland Model A109S, AW109SP, A119, and AW119 MKII helicopters with a main rotor lag damper assembly (lag damper), part number (P/N) 109–0112–39–103, 109– 0112–39–105, 109–0112–05–105, or 109–0112–05–107, installed with a rod end assembly, P/N M004–01H007–041 or P/N M004–01H007–045, with a serial number from 84 through 132 or from 4964 through 5011. AD 2014–04–14 requires removing the applicable rod end assemblies from service. AD 2014– 04–14 was prompted by AD No. 2012– 0208, dated October 5, 2012, issued by EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, to correct an unsafe condition for AgustaWestland Model A109LUH, A109S, AW109SP, A119, and AW119 MKII helicopters. EASA advises that cases of in-flight fractures of rod end assembly, P/N M004–01H007–045, installed on main rotor lag dampers have been reported on Model A109LUH and AW109SP helicopters. An investigation revealed that two batches of rod end assemblies, P/N M004– 01H007–041 and M004–01H007–045, could have cracks, according to EASA. EASA states that this condition, if not corrected, could lead to main rotor damage, possibly resulting in loss of control of the helicopter. The actions of AD 2014–04–14 were intended to prevent such damage and loss of control of the helicopter.

Actions Since AD 2014–04–14 Was Issued

Between the time we published the NPRM for AD 2014–04–14 (78 FR 44042, July 23, 2013) and the Final Rule for AD 2014–04–14 (79 FR 11699, March 3, 2014), EASA issued AD No. 2013–0290, dated December 9, 2013. EASA advises in AD No. 2013–0290 that a new case of a fractured rod end assembly has been reported. According to EASA, an investigation concluded that additional batches of rod end assembly P/N M004–01H007–041 and P/N M004–01H007–045, as well as batches of P/N 109–0112–11–101 and P/ N 109–0112–22–105, could be affected by cracks. EASA consequently expanded the applicability of its AD to include the additional rod end assemblies.

This proposed AD would retain the requirements of AD 2014–04–14 but expand the scope of applicable rod end assemblies. We also propose to add a provision in the Required Actions section to clarify that the AD must be complied with if the rod end assembly is removed during maintenance before 25 hours time-in-service (TIS).

FAA’s 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, its technical representative, has notified us of the unsafe condition described in its AD. We are proposing this AD because we evaluated all known relevant information and determined that an unsafe condition is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type design.

Related Service Information

We reviewed AgustaWestland’s Bollettino Tecnico (BT) No. 109S–49 for Model A109S helicopters, BT No. 109SP–052 for Model AW109SP helicopters, and BT No. 119–50 for Model A119 and AW119 MKII helicopters. All of the BTs are revision A, and dated December 3, 2013. The BTs specify a one-time inspection of each rod end assembly to determine its serial number. The BTs then requireremoval from service of certain serialnumbered rod end assemblies because fractures had been reported on rod ends in these batches. According to the BTs, no one was injured in the helicopters, and no helicopters were damaged because of these fractures. Proposed AD Requirements

This proposed AD would require removing the applicable rod end assemblies from service within 25 hours TIS or the next time maintenance of the helicopter involves removing the rod end assembly, whichever occurs first. The proposed AD would also prohibit installing the applicable rod end assemblies on any helicopter. Differences Between This Proposed AD and the EASA AD

The EASA AD calls for replacing certain rod end assemblies with airworthy rod end assemblies within 25 hours TIS, 2 months, or the next time maintenance of the applicable helicopters involves removing the rod end assembly. This proposed AD would not have a calendar time requirement. The EASA AD applies to AgustaWestland Model A109LUH helicopters. This proposed AD would not apply to Model A109LUH helicopters because that model does not have a U.S. type certificate. Costs of Compliance

We estimate that this proposed AD would affect 91 helicopters of U.S. Registry and that labor costs average $85 a work-hour. Based on these estimates, we expect the following costs:

• Replacing a rod end assembly would require 1.5 work-hours for a labor cost of $128. Parts cost $3,918 for a total cost of $4,046 per helicopter, $368,186 for the U.S. fleet.


### 48700 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 159 / Monday, August 18, 2014 / Proposed Rules

According to the manufacturer’s service information, costs of this proposed AD may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on affected individuals. We do not control warranty coverage by manufacturers. Accordingly, we have included all costs in our cost estimate. 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 proposed 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, 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);

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 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.

**§ 39.13 [Amended]**

■ 2. The FAA amends § 39.13 by removing Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2014–04–14, Amendment 39–17773 (79 FR 11699, March 3, 2014), and adding the following new AD:
Agusta S.p.A. Helicopters (Type Certificate Currently Held By AgustaWestland S.p.A) (AgustaWestland): Docket No. FAA–2014–0579; Directorate Identifier 2014–SW–020–AD.
(a) Applicability

This AD applies to the following helicopters, certificated in any category:

(1) AgustaWestland Model A109S and AW109SP helicopters, with a main rotor lag damper assembly (lag damper), part number (P/N) 109–0112–39–103 or 109–0112–39– 105, installed on rod end assembly, P/N M004–01H007–041 with a serial number (S/ N) 1 through 202; or rod end assembly, P/N M004–01H007–045 with a S/N 1RW through 202RW or 4964 through 5011.

(2) AgustaWestland Model A119 and AW119 MKII helicopters, with a lag damper, P/N 109–0112–05–105 or 109–0112–05–107, installed on rod end assembly, P/N 109– 0112–11–101 with a S/N 1 through 78; or rod end assembly, P/N 109–0112–11–105 with a S/N 1RW through 78RW; or rod end assembly, P/N M004–01H007–045 with a S/ N 1RW through 202RW or 4964 through
5011.
(b) Unsafe Condition

This AD defines the unsafe condition as a crack in a rod end assembly, which could result in fracture of the rod end assembly, damage to the main rotor, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

(c) Affected ADs

This AD supersedes AD 2014–04–14, amendment 39–17773 (79 FR 11699, March 3, 2014).

(d) Comments Due Date

We must receive comments by October 17,
2014. (e) 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.
(f) Required Actions

(1) Within 25 hours time-in-service or the next time maintenance of the helicopter involves removing the rod end assembly, whichever occurs first, remove the rod end assembly from service.

(2) Do not install a rod end assembly, P/ N M004–01H007–041 with a S/N 1 through 202; P/N M004–01H007–045 with a S/N 1RW through 202RW or 4964 through 5011; P/N 109–0112–11–101 with a S/N 1 through 78; or P/N 109–0112–11–105 with a S/N 1RW through 78RW, on any helicopter.
(g) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

(1) The Manager, Safety Management Group, FAA, may approve AMOCs for this AD. Send your proposal to: Robert Grant, Aviation Safety Engineer, Safety Management Group, FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137; telephone (817) 222– 5110; email robert.grant@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.

(h) Additional Information

(1) AgustaWestland’s Bollettino Tecnico (BT) No. 109S–49, BT No. 109SP–052, and BT No. 119–50, all Revision A, and all dated December 3, 2013, which are not incorporated by reference, contain additional information about the subject of this AD. For service information identified in this AD, contact AgustaWestland, Product Support Engineering, Via del Gregge, 100, 21015 Lonate Pozzolo (VA) Italy, ATTN: Maurizio D’Angelo; telephone 39–0331–664757; fax
39–0331–664680; or at http://www.agustawestland.com/technicalbulletins. You may review a copy of the service information at the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Room 663, Fort Worth,
Texas 76137.

(2) The subject of this AD is addressed in European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD No. 2013–0290, dated December 9, 2013. You may view the EASA AD on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov in Docket No.
FAA–2014–0579.
(i) Subject

Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) Code: 6200, Main Rotor System.

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on August 8,

2014. Lance T. Gant, Acting Directorate Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2014–19495 Filed 8–15–14; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4910–13–P**