38546 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 124 / Thursday, June 27, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 

to assure the product is airworthy before it 

is returned to service. 

(h) Related Information 

Refer to MCAI European Aviation Safety 

Agency (EASA) AD No.: 2012–0270, dated 

December 20, 2012, for related information, 

which can be found in the AD docket on the 

Internet at http://www.regulations.gov. 

(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) Britten-Norman Service Bulletin 

Number SB 332, Issue 1, dated December 6, 

2012. 

(ii) Reserved. 

(3) For B–N Group Ltd. service information 

identified in this AD, contact Britten-Norman 

Aircraft Ltd, Commodore House, 

Mountbatten Business Centre, Millbrook 

Road East, Southampton SO15 1HY, United 

Kingdom; telephone: +44 01983 872511; fax: 

+44 01983 873246; email: 

info@bnaircraft.com; Internet: www.brittennorman.com. 

(4) You may view this service information 

at FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 

Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For 

information on the availability of this 

material at the FAA, call (816) 329–4148. 

(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://www.archives.

gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html. 

Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 

18, 2013. 

James E. Jackson, 

Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–14979 Filed 6–26–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0019; Directorate 

Identifier 2010–SW–051–AD; Amendment 

39–17485; AD 2013–12–07] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Bell 

Helicopter Textron Canada Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for Bell 

Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) 

Model 407 helicopters with certain 

tailboom assemblies installed. This AD 

requires, at specified intervals, 

inspecting the tailboom assembly for a 

crack, loose rivet, or other damage. This 

AD was prompted by a stress analysis of 

the tailboom skin that revealed that 

high-stress-concentration areas are 

susceptible to skin cracking. This 

condition, if not detected, could result 

in a crack in the tailboom assembly, 

failure of the tailboom, and subsequent 

loss of control of the helicopter. 

DATES: This AD is effective August 1, 

2013. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain document listed in this AD 

as of August 1, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: For service information 

identified in this AD, contact Bell 

Helicopter Textron Canada Limited, 

12,800 Rue de l’Avenir, Mirabel, Quebec 

J7J1R4; telephone (450) 437–2862 or 

(800) 363–8023; fax (450) 433–0272; or 

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

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, any 

incorporated-by-reference 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: 

Sharon Miles, Aerospace Engineer, 

FAA, Regulations and Policy Group, 

2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 

76137; telephone (817) 222–5110; fax 

(817) 222–5110; email 

sharon.y.miles@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion 

Transport Canada, which is the 

aviation authority for Canada, has 

issued AD CF–2009–07, dated March 6, 

2009 (AD CF–2009–07), to correct an 

unsafe condition for the BHTC Model 

407 helicopters with a tailboom 

assembly, part number (P/N) 407–030– 

801–201, –203, or –205. Transport 

Canada states that a stress analysis of 

the chemically milled tailboom skin 

‘‘revealed a possibility of skin cracking 

due to high stress concentration areas.’’ 

Transport Canada advises that this 

condition, if not detected, could result 

in ‘‘serious damage to the tailboom.’’ 

On February 1, 2013, at 78 FR 7308, 

the Federal Register published our 

notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), 

which proposed to amend 14 CFR part 

39 to include an AD that would apply 

to BHTC Model 407 helicopters, with 

tailboom assembly part number (P/N) 

407–030–801–201, 407–030–801–203, 

or 407–030–801–205. The NPRM 

proposed to require, at specified 

intervals, inspecting the tailboom 

assembly for a crack, loose rivet, or 

other damage. The proposed 

requirements were intended to prevent 

a crack in the tailboom assembly, failure 

of the tailboom, and subsequent loss of 

control of the helicopter. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD, but 

we received no comments on the NPRM 

(78 FR 7308, February 1, 2013). 

FAA’s Determination 

These helicopters have been approved 

by the aviation authority of Canada and 

are approved for operation in the United 

States. Pursuant to our bilateral 

agreement with Canada, Transport 

Canada, 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 Canada and 

determined that an 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 

Transport Canada AD 

The Transport Canada AD states to 

perform the inspections of the tailboom 

‘‘in accordance with inspection 

procedures as per applicable part’’ of 

the ASB. This proposed AD references 

only specific sections of the ASB for 

accomplishing the requirements. 

Related Service Information 

BHTC has issued Alert Service 

Bulletin No. 407–08–84, dated August 

18, 2008 (ASB), which specifies a new 

inspection schedule for the tailboom 

assemblies. BHTC states it has not 

received any field reports indicating 

cracked skin in service on the tailboom 

assemblies. However, in the interest of 


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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 124 / Thursday, June 27, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 38547 

safety, BHTC states it has elected to 

introduce a new inspection schedule for 

the tailboom assemblies. The ASB 

specifies the new inspection schedule. 

Transport Canada classified this ASB as 

mandatory and issued AD CF–2009–07 

to ensure the continued airworthiness of 

these helicopters. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD will affect 

551 helicopters of U.S. registry, and 

estimate the cost of compliance for the 

first year as follows: 

• We assume 1 initial 100-hour TIS 

inspection and 2 recurring inspections, 

which will each take about 2.5 hours. At 

an average labor rate of $85 per hour, 

this will result in a cost of about $213 

per inspection per helicopter or a total 

annual inspection cost for 3 recurring 

inspections of about $639 per 

helicopter. 

• We assume 1 initial inspection and 

thereafter 4 recurring inspections per 

year for helicopters with a tailboom 

assembly that has 6,900 or more hours 

TIS, which will each take 3 hours at the 

average labor rate of $85 per hour or 

$255 per helicopter. Multiplying this 

$255 times the 5 recurring inspections, 

the total annual cost will be $1,275 per 

helicopter. 

• We assume 1 initial inspection and 

12 recurring inspections per year for 

helicopters with a tailboom assembly 

that has 8,600 or more hours TIS. If each 

inspection takes 3.25 hours, at the 

average labor rate of $85 per hour, each 

inspection will cost about $276. 

Multiply $276 times the 13 recurring 

inspections will result in a total annual 

inspection cost of $3,588 per helicopter. 

We expect the cost of pilot checks to be 

minimal. 

• Replacing the tailboom will take 10 

work hours at an average labor rate of 

$85 per hour for a total labor cost of 

$850 per helicopter. Parts will cost 

$82,850 for a total cost per helicopter of 

$83,700. Assuming that 5 helicopters 

per year will need a replacement 

tailboom, the fleet replacement cost will 

total $418,500. 

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): 

2013–12–07 Bell Helicopter Textron 

Canada (BHTC): Amendment 39–17485; 

Docket No. FAA–2013–0019; Directorate 

Identifier 2010–SW–051–AD. 

(a) Applicability 

This AD applies to BHTC Model 407 

helicopters, with tailboom assembly part 

number (P/N) 407–030–801–201, 407–030– 

801–203, or 407–030–801–205, certificated in 

any category. 

(b) Unsafe Condition 

This AD defines the unsafe condition as 

high-stress-concentration areas in the 

tailboom skin that are at risk of cracking. 

This condition could result in a crack in the 

tailboom assembly, failure of the tailboom, 

and subsequent loss of helicopter control. 

(c) Effective Date 

This AD becomes effective August 1, 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) For helicopters with a tailboom 

assembly that has 8,600 or more hours timein-service (TIS): 

(i) Comply with either paragraph 

(e)(1)(i)(A) or (e)(1)(i)(B): 

(A) Before the first flight of each day, 

visually check for a crack in the ‘‘C’’ and ‘‘D’’ 

areas depicted in Figures 1and 2 to Paragraph 

(e) of this AD. The actions required by this 

paragraph may be performed by the owner/ 

operator (pilot) holding at least a private pilot 

certificate, and must be entered into the 

aircraft records showing compliance with 

this AD in accordance with 14 CFR 43.9 

(a)(1)–(4) and 14 CFR § 91.417(a)(2)(v). The 

record must be maintained as required by 14 

CFR 91.417, 121.380, or 135.439; or 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 


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39.00 

ftEf 

TAILBOOM IDENTIFICATION PLATE R 

AREAB 

Figure 1 to Paragraph (e) 
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 124 / Thursday, June 27, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 38549 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–C 

(B) Within 25 hours TIS, or 30 days, 

whichever comes first, and thereafter at 

intervals not to exceed 50 hours TIS, clean 

and inspect for a crack around each fastener 

and just above the edge of the upper 

stabilizer support in the ‘‘C’’ and ‘‘D’’ areas 

on the left side of the tailboom assembly, as 

depicted in Figure 2 to Paragraph (e) of this 

AD, using a 10X or higher power magnifying 

glass. 

(ii) Comply with the requirements of 

paragraph (e)(2)(i)(A) or (e)(2)(i)(B), and 

paragraph (e)(3) of this AD. 

(2) For helicopters with a tailboom 

assembly that has 6,900 or more hours TIS: 

(i) Within 25 hours TIS or 30 days, 

whichever occurs first, clean and inspect the 

tailboom assembly for a crack in the ‘‘H’’ and 

‘‘I’’ areas depicted in Figure 2, Sheet 5, of the 

BHTC Alert Service Bulletin No. 407–08–84, 

dated August 18, 2008, (ASB), by using one 

of the two following methods. 

(A) Use a 10X or higher power magnifying 

glass; thereafter, repeat the 10X or higher 

power magnifying glass inspection at 

intervals not to exceed 150 hours TIS; or 

(B) Eddy current inspect for a crack in 

accordance with Appendix A and Table 1, 

and by referencing Figures 3 through 7 of the 

ASB; thereafter, repeat the eddy current 

inspection at intervals not to exceed 500 

hours TIS. Use a person qualified to Level II 

or Level III per the National Aerospace 

Standard (NAS) 410 or equivalent 

requirements to perform the eddy current 

inspection. 

(ii) Comply with the requirements of 

paragraph (e)(3) of this AD. 

(3) Within 100 hours TIS or at the next 

tailboom inspection, whichever comes first, 

and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 300 

hours TIS: 

(i) Clean and inspect the tailboom 

assembly for a loose rivet, a crack, or other 

damage in accordance with Part II, 

paragraphs 2 and 3, of the ASB; and 

(ii) Using a 10X or higher power 

magnifying glass, inspect the tailboom 

assembly for a loose rivet or a crack in 

accordance with Part II, paragraphs 4 through 

6, of the ASB. 

(4) If the total accumulated hours TIS on 

the tailboom assembly is unknown, assume 

the tailboom assembly has 8,600 or more 

hours TIS and clean and inspect in 

accordance with paragraph (e)(1) of this AD. 

(5) If there is a crack in the tailboom 

assembly, before further flight, replace it with 

an airworthy tailboom assembly. 

(f) Special Flight Permits 

Special flight permits may be issued in 

accordance with 14 CFR 21.197 and 21.199 

to operate the helicopter to a location where 

the requirements of this AD can be 

accomplished, provided no passenger is on 

board and any crack or damage is temporarily 

repaired using FAA-approved procedures. 

(g) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, Safety Management 

Group, FAA, may approve AMOCs for this 

AD. Send your proposal to: Sharon Miles, 

Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Regulations and 

Policy Group, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort 

Worth, Texas 76137; telephone (817) 222– 

5110; fax (817) 222–5961; email 

sharon.y.miles@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 

The subject of this AD is addressed in 

Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) AD 

No. CF–2009–07, dated March 6, 2009. You 

may view the TCCA AD at http:// 

www.regulations.gov by searching for and 

locating it in Docket No. FAA–2013–0019. 

(i) Subject 

Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) 

Code: 5302, rotorcraft tailboom. 

(j) 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) Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Alert 

Service Bulletin No. 407–08–84, dated 


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August 18, 2008, excluding Figure 2 sheets 

1 and 4. 

(ii) Reserved. 

(3) For BHTC service information 

identified in this AD, contact Bell Helicopter 

Textron Canada Limited, 12,800 Rue de 

l’Avenir, Mirabel, Quebec J7J1R4; telephone 

(450) 437–2862 or (800) 363–8023; fax (450) 

433–0272; or at http:// 

www.bellcustomer.com/files/. 

(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://www.

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

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 3, 

2013. 

Kim Smith, 

Directorate Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–14857 Filed 6–26–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0205; Directorate 

Identifier 2012–NM–226–AD; Amendment 

39–17493; AD 2013–13–05] 

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 all The 

Boeing Company Model 747SP series 

airplanes, and certain The Boeing 

Company Model 747–100B SUD and 

747–300 series airplanes. This AD was 

prompted by an evaluation by the 

design approval holder indicating that 

the fuselage skin just above certain lap 

splice locations is subject to widespread 

fatigue damage. This AD requires 

repetitive inspections for cracking of the 

fuselage skin above certain lap splice 

locations, and repair if necessary. We 

are issuing this AD to detect and correct 

fatigue cracking of the fuselage skin, 

which could result in reduced structural 

integrity of the airplane and sudden loss 

of cabin pressure. 

DATES: This AD is effective August 1, 

2013. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain publication listed in the AD 

as of August 1, 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 

review copies of the 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: 

Nathan Weigand, Aerospace Engineer, 

Airframe Branch, ANM–120S, FAA, 

Seattle Aircraft Certification Office 

(ACO), 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, 

WA 98057–3356; phone: 425–917–6428; 

fax: 425–917–6590; email: 

Nathan.P.Weigand@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

We issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 to include an AD that would 

apply to the specified products. That 

NPRM published in the Federal 

Register on March 7, 2013 (78 FR 

14719). That NPRM proposed to require 

repetitive inspections for cracking of the 

fuselage skin above certain lap splice 

locations, and repair if necessary. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD. We 

have considered the comment received. 

Boeing supported the NPRM (78 FR 

14719, March 7, 2013). 

Conclusion 

We reviewed the relevant data, 

considered the comment received, and 

determined that air safety and the 

public interest require adopting the 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 

14719, March 7, 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 14719, 

March 7, 2013). 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD affects 4 

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 ............................................ Up to 57 work-hours × $85 per hour 

= $4,845, per inspection cycle.

$0 Up to $4,845, per inspection cycle.Up to $19,380, per inspection cycle. 

We have received no definitive data 

that would enable us to provide 

coststimates for the on-condition actions 

specified in this AD. 

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, 


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