Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 115 / Tuesday, June 16, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 34247 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2015–2119; Directorate 

Identifier 2015–SW–005–AD; Amendment 

39–18179; AD 2015–05–51] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Agusta 

S.p.A. (Agusta) Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We are publishing a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for Agusta 

Model A109A and A109A II helicopters, 

which was sent previously to all known 

U.S. owners and operators of these 

helicopters. This AD requires replacing 

a certain part-numbered blade with an 

approved part-numbered blade. This AD 

is prompted by an error in the 

Illustrated Parts Catalog (IPC) that 

incorrectly allows installation of a 

certain part-numbered blade on the 

affected helicopters. These actions are 

intended to prevent blade failure and 

subsequent loss of control of the 

helicopter. 

DATES: This AD becomes effective July 

1, 2015 to all persons except those 

persons to whom it was made 

immediately effective by Emergency AD 

2015–05–51, issued on March 3, 2015, 

which contained the requirements of 

this AD. 

We must receive comments on this 

AD by August 17, 2015. 

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 AD, the European 

Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, any 

comments received, and other 

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 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 the 

referenced 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: 

Martin Crane, Aviation Safety Engineer, 

Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, 2601 

Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 

76137; telephone (817) 222 5110; email 

Martin.R.Crane@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

This AD is a final rule that involves 

requirements affecting flight safety, and 

we did not provide you with notice and 

an opportunity to provide your 

comments prior to it becoming effective. 

However, 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 resulted from 

adopting this AD. The most helpful 

comments reference a specific portion of 

the AD, 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 them 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 

rulemaking during the comment period. 

We will consider all the comments we 

receive and may conduct additional 

rulemaking based on those comments. 

Discussion 

On March 3, 2015, we issued 

Emergency AD 2015–05–51 to correct an 

unsafe condition for Agusta Model 

A109A helicopters, serial numbers 7154 

through 7255, and for all Model A109A 

II helicopters. Emergency AD 2015–05– 

51 requires replacing blade part number 

(P/N) 109–0103–01–7 with blade P/N 

109–0103–01–9 or 109–0103–01–115. 

The emergency AD was sent previously 

to all known U.S. owners and operators 

of these helicopters. This action was 

prompted by an error in the IPC that 

allows installing blade P/N 109–0103– 

01–7 on certain serial-numbered Model 

A109A helicopters and on Model 

A109A II helicopters. 

Emergency AD 2015–05–51 was 

prompted by Emergency AD No. 2015– 

0025–E, dated February 18, 2015, issued 

by EASA, which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Union, to correct an unsafe condition 

for certain serial-numbered Agusta 

Model A109A and all Model A109A II 

helicopters. EASA advises of the 

installation of blade P/N 109–0103–01– 

7 on Model A109A II helicopters. In a 

subsequent investigation, it was 

determined that blade P/N 109–0103– 

01–7 is only eligible for installation on 

Model A109A helicopters up to serial 

number (S/N) 7153. EASA states that for 

Model A109A and A109A II helicopters, 

the current IPC incorrectly allows 

installing blade P/N 109–0103–01–7 on 

all helicopters. The EASA AD requires 

identifying each blade P/N 109–0103– 

01–7 and replacing it with P/N 109– 

0103–01–9 or P/N 109–0103–01–115. 

The EASA AD also prohibits installing 

blade P/N 109–0103–01–7 on Model 

A109A helicopters from S/N 7154 

through 7255 inclusive and on all 

Model A109A II helicopters. 

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 the 

EASA EAD. 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. 

Related Service Information 

AgustaWestland Alert Bollettino 

Tecnico No. 109–142, dated February 

17, 2015, specifies determining whether 

the affected part-numbered blade is 

installed and, if installed, replacing it 

with blade P/N 109–0103–01–9 or P/N 

109–0103–01–115. Also, the service 

information states that AgustaWestland 

has updated the A109A/AII IPC to give 

the correct information about the 

applicable configuration. 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with RULES
34248 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 115 / Tuesday, June 16, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

AD Requirements 

This AD requires, before further flight, 

replacing blade P/N 109–0103–01–7 

with blade P/N 109–0103–01–9 or 109– 

0103–01–115. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD will affect 

34 helicopters of U.S. Registry. 

We estimate that operators may incur 

the following costs in order to comply 

with this AD. Labor costs are estimated 

at $85 per hour. We estimate 1 work 

hour to replace a blade and $143,000 for 

required parts, for a total cost of 

$143,085 per blade. 

FAA’s Justification and Determination 

of the Effective Date 

Providing an opportunity for public 

comments prior to adopting these AD 

requirements would delay 

implementing the safety actions needed 

to correct this known unsafe condition. 

Therefore, we found and continue to 

find that the risk to the flying public 

justifies waiving notice and comment 

prior to the adoption of this rule 

because the previously described unsafe 

condition can adversely affect the 

controllability of the helicopter and the 

required action must be accomplished 

before further flight. 

Since an unsafe condition exists that 

requires the immediate adoption of this 

AD, we determined that notice and 

opportunity for public comment before 

issuing this AD are impracticable and 

contrary to the public interest and that 

good cause existed for making the AD 

effective immediately by Emergency AD 

2015–05–51, issued on March 3, 2015, 

to all known U.S. owners and operators 

of these helicopters. These conditions 

still exist and the AD is hereby 

published in the Federal Register as an 

amendment to section 39.13 of the 

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 

39.13) to make it effective to all persons. 

Authority for This Rulemaking 

Title 49 of the United States Code 

specifies the FAA’s authority to issue 

rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, 

section 106, describes the authority of 

the FAA Administrator. ‘‘Subtitle VII: 

Aviation Programs,’’ describes in more 

detail the scope of the Agency’s 

authority. 

We are issuing this rulemaking under 

the authority described in ‘‘Subtitle VII, 

Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: 

General requirements.’’ Under that 

section, Congress charges the FAA with 

promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in 

air commerce by prescribing regulations 

for practices, methods, and procedures 

the Administrator finds necessary for 

safety in air commerce. This regulation 

is within the scope of that authority 

because it addresses an unsafe condition 

that is likely to exist or develop on 

products identified in this rulemaking 

action. 

Regulatory Findings 

We determined that this 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, 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): 

2015–05–51 Agusta S.p.A.: Amendment 39– 

18179; Docket No. FAA–2015–2119; 

Directorate Identifier 2015–SW–005–AD. 

(a) Applicability 

This AD applies to Model A109A 

helicopters, serial numbers (S/N) 7154 

through 7255, and all Model A109A II 

helicopters, with a main rotor blade (blade) 

part number (P/N) 109–0103–01–7 installed, 

certificated in any category. 

(b) Unsafe Condition 

This AD defines the unsafe condition as 

the installation of a blade that does not meet 

type design. This condition could result in 

blade failure and subsequent loss of control 

of the helicopter. 

(c) Effective Date 

This AD becomes effective July 1, 2015 to 

all persons except those persons to whom it 

was made immediately effective by EAD 

2015–05–51, issued on March 3, 2015, which 

contained the requirements of this AD. 

(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 

Before further flight, replace each blade 

with blade P/N 109–0103–01–9 or 109–0103– 

01–115. 

(f) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, Safety Management 

Group, FAA, may approve AMOCs for this 

AD. Send your proposal to: Martin Crane, 

Aviation Safety Engineer, Rotorcraft 

Directorate, FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort 

Worth, Texas 76137; telephone (817) 222 

5110; email Martin.R.Crane@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) AgustaWestland Alert Bollettino 

Tecnico No. 109–142, dated February 17, 

2015, which is not incorporated by reference, 

contains additional information about the 

subject of this AD. For a copy of the service 

information referenced 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 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 

European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) 

Emergency AD No. 2015–0025–E, dated 

February 18, 2015. You may view the EASA 

AD on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov in Docket No. FAA– 

2015–2119. 

(h) Subject 

Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC) 

Code: 6210 Main Rotor Blades. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 115 / Tuesday, June 16, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 34249 

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 2, 

2015. 

Lance T. Gant, 

Acting Directorate Manager, Rotorcraft 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–14415 Filed 6–15–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2014–0618; Directorate 

Identifier 2012–NM–171–AD; Amendment 

39–18178; AD 2015–12–05] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus 

Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are superseding 

Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2008–06– 

18 for all Airbus Model A300 B4–600, 

B4–600R, and F4–600R series airplanes, 

and Model A300 C4–605R Variant F 

airplanes (collectively called Model 

A300–600 series airplanes); and Model 

A300 series airplanes. AD 2008–06–18 

required repetitive inspections for any 

cracking of the wing lower skin panel 

and associated internal support 

structure, and if necessary, corrective 

actions such as modifying the lower 

panel inboard of rib 9 aft of the rear spar 

and repairing cracks. This new AD 

continues to require actions required by 

AD 2008–06–18, and reduces certain 

compliance times. This AD was 

prompted by a report that information 

from an analysis and a fleet survey 

shows a need for reduced compliance 

times and intervals. We are issuing this 

AD to detect and correct cracking, 

which could lead to reduced structural 

integrity of the airplane. 

DATES: This AD becomes effective July 

21, 2015. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain publication listed in this AD 

as of July 21, 2015. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of certain other publications listed in 

this AD as of April 23, 2008 (73 FR 

14670, March 19, 2008). 

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD 

docket on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;D=FAA-2014-0618; or in 

person at the Docket 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. 

For service information identified in 

this AD, contact Airbus SAS 

Airworthiness Office– EAW, 1 Rond 

Point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac 

Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 

96; fax +33 5 61 93 44 51; email 

account.airworth-eas@airbus.com; 

Internet http://www.airbus.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. It is also 

available on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2014– 

0618. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan 

Rodina, Aerospace Engineer, 

International Branch, ANM–116, 

Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 

1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 

98057–3356; telephone 425–227–2125; 

fax 425–227–1149. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

We issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 to supersede AD 2008–06–18, 

Amendment 39–15430 (73 FR 14670, 

March 19, 2008). AD 2008–06–18 

applied to all Airbus Model A300 B4– 

600, B4–600R, and F4–600R series 

airplanes, and Model A300 C4–605R 

Variant F airplanes (collectively called 

Model A300–600 series airplanes); and 

Model A300 series airplanes. The NPRM 

published in the Federal Register on 

September 3, 2014 (79 FR 52263). The 

NPRM proposed to continue to require 

repetitive inspections for any cracking 

of the wing lower skin panel and 

associated internal support structure, 

and if necessary, corrective actions such 

as modifying the lower panel inboard of 

rib 9 aft of the rear spar and repairing 

cracks. The NPRM also proposed to 

reduce some compliance times. 

The European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA), which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Union, has issued EASA Airworthiness 

Directive 2012–0203, dated October 1, 

2012 (referred to after this as the 

Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness 

Information, or ‘‘the MCAI’’), to correct 

an unsafe condition on all Airbus Model 

A300 B4–600, B4–600R, and F4–600R 

series airplanes, and Model A300 C4– 

605R Variant F airplanes (collectively 

called Model A300–600 series 

airplanes); and Model A300 series 

airplanes. The MCAI states: 

During routine maintenance, cracks were 

found in the wing bottom skin and in the 

associated internal support structure on an 

A300 aeroplane aft of the rear spar and 

inboard of rib 9. Initially, cracks were found 

in the skin only, starting from a fastener close 

to the forward outboard corner of access 

panel 575FB/675FB. Subsequently, cases 

were reported of cracks being found in the 

skin support strap and the stiffener. 

This condition, if not detected and 

corrected, could affect the structural integrity 

of the aeroplane. 

To address this unsafe condition, EASA 

issued AD 2006–0282 [http://

ad.easa.europa.eu/ad/2006-0282] [which 

corresponds with FAA AD 2008–06–18, 

Amendment 39–15430 (73 FR 14670, March 

19, 2008)] to require repetitive inspections of 

the wing lower skin panel and associated 

internal support structure aft of the rear spar 

and inboard of rib 9. 

Since that [EASA] AD was issued, the 

results of a fleet survey and updated Fatigue 

and Damage Tolerance analysis, which were 

performed in order to substantiate the second 

A300 and A300–600 Extended Service Goal 

(ESG2) exercise, revealed that the inspection 

threshold and interval had to be reduced to 

allow timely detection of cracks and the 

accomplishment of an applicable corrective 

action. 

Prompted by these findings, Airbus issued 

Revision 05 of Airbus Service Bulletin (SB) 

A300–57–0177 and Revision 07 of Airbus SB 

A300–57–6029. 

For the reasons described above, this 

[EASA] AD retains the requirements of EASA 

AD 2006–0282, which is superseded, but 

requires the accomplishment of those actions 

within reduced thresholds and intervals. 

You may examine the MCAI in the 

AD docket on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov/

#!documentDetail;D=FAA-2014-0618- 

0002. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD. The 

following presents the comment 

received on the NPRM (79 FR 52263, 

September 3, 2014) and the FAA’s 

response to each comment. 

Request To Revise Method Used To 

Determine Compliance Times 

United Parcel Service (UPS) requested 

that the proposed compliance times be 

revised to be less complex. UPS stated 

that the proposed compliance times 

contain a method known as ‘‘Average 

Flight Time’’ (AFT) which results in a 

variable flight hour limit and adds an 

unnecessary complexity to the threshold 

table and subsequent inspection actions. 

UPS added that use of the AFT method, 

along with a lack of standard procedures 

for implementing the AFT method 

would create uncertainty for operators 


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