50550 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 161 / Thursday, August 20, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2014–0643; Directorate 

Identifier 2013–SW–059–AD; Amendment 

39–18235; AD 2015–17–02] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Bell 

Helicopter Textron Canada (Bell) 

Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are superseding 

Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2001–13– 

51 for Bell Model 206L–4, 407, and 427 

helicopters. AD 2001–13–51 required 

inspecting certain driveshafts for a 

crack, a loose bolt or nut, or red powder 

residue and replacing a driveshaft if 

there is a crack, a loose bolt or nut, or 

red powder residue. AD 2001–13–51 

also required notifying the FAA within 

10 days if a crack is found in the 

driveshaft. This new AD retains the 

inspection requirement of AD 2001–13– 

51, expands the applicability to include 

the Model 429 helicopter, and removes 

the reporting requirement. This AD is 

intended to prevent failure of a 

driveshaft, loss of drive to the main 

rotor system, and a subsequent 

emergency landing. 

DATES: This AD is effective September 

24, 2015. 

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 service information at 

the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, 

Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood 

Pkwy, Room 6N–321, Fort Worth, Texas 

76177. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket on 

the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov, by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2014– 

0643, 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 Transport Canada 

Civil Aviation (TCCA) AD, the 

economic 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: 

Matthew Fuller, Aviation Safety 

Engineer, Safety Management Group, 

Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, 10101 

Hillwood Pkwy, Fort Worth, Texas 

76177; telephone (817) 222–5110; email 

matthew.fuller@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

On August 22, 2014, we issued a 

notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) 

(79 FR 54922, September 15, 2014) to 

amend 14 CFR part 39 to supersede AD 

2001–13–51, Amendment 39–12443 (66 

FR 48535, September 21, 2001). AD 

2001–13–51 applied to Bell Model 

206L–4, 407 and 427 helicopters. AD 

2001–13–51 required visually 

inspecting driveshaft, part number (P/N) 

206–340–300–105, for a crack, a loose 

bolt or nut, or red powder residue and 

replacing a driveshaft if there is a crack, 

a loose bolt or nut, or red powder 

residue. AD 2001–13–51 also required 

notifying the FAA within 10 days if a 

crack is found in the driveshaft and 

prohibited interchanging a driveshaft 

between different models if the 

driveshaft has ever been installed on a 

Bell Model 407 helicopter. 

After we issued AD 2001–13–51, the 

Model 429 helicopter was certificated. 

TCCA, which is the aviation authority 

for Canada, issued Canadian AD CF– 

2002–03R3, Revision 3, dated 

September 26, 2013, to add Model 429 

helicopters to the applicability and to 

require removing any driveshaft, part 

number (P/N) 206–340–300–105, if it 

has ever been installed on a Bell Model 

407 helicopter. 

The NPRM proposed to retain the 

inspection requirements of AD 2001– 

13–51, expand the applicability to 

include the Model 429 helicopters, and 

remove the reporting requirement. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD, but 

we did not receive any comments on the 

NPRM (79 FR 54922, September 15, 

2014). 

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, TCAA, its 

technical representative, has notified us 

of the unsafe condition described in the 

Canadian AD. We are issuing this AD 

because we evaluated all information 

provided by TCAA and determined the 

unsafe condition exists and is likely to 

exist or develop on other helicopters of 

these same type designs and that air 

safety and the public interest require 

adopting the AD requirements as 

proposed. 

Differences Between This AD and the 

TCCA AD 

The TCCA AD requires following the 

compliance time specified in the Bell 

ASBs, which allows more time, based 

on the hours TIS, for removing the 

driveshaft. This AD requires replacing 

the driveshaft before accumulating 

1,250 hours TIS. 

Related Service Information 

We reviewed Bell Alert Service 

Bulletin (ASB) No. 206L–01–123, 

Revision A, dated February 22, 2006, for 

Bell Model 206L–4 helicopters and ASB 

No. 427–01–04, Revision A, dated 

March 31, 2006, for Bell Model 427 

helicopters. Both ASBs describe 

inspecting the Historical Service Record 

of the engine-to-transmission driveshaft, 

P/N 206–340–300–105, to determine 

whether the driveshaft has ever been 

installed on a Bell Model 407 helicopter 

and removing the driveshaft if it has 

ever been installed on a Model 407 

helicopter. We also reviewed Bell ASB 

No. 407–01–45, Revision B, dated April 

23, 2013, for Bell Model 407 helicopters, 

which describes an engine-totransmission driveshaft 1,250-Hour 

overhaul. TCCA classified these ASBs as 

mandatory and issued AD No. CF– 

2002–03R3, Revision 3, dated 

September 26, 2013, to ensure the 

continued airworthiness of these 

helicopters. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD affects 970 

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 

work-hour. We estimate 0.25 work-hour 

to determine whether the driveshaft has 

ever been installed on a Bell Model 407 

helicopter for a total cost of $22 per 

helicopter or $21,340 for the fleet. If a 

driveshaft has been installed on a Model 

407 helicopter, we estimate 1 work hour 

to inspect the driveshaft for a cost of $85 

per helicopter, and 2 work hours and 

$39,724 for required parts to replace a 

driveshaft for a cost of $39,894 per 

helicopter. 

Authority for This Rulemaking 

Title 49 of the United States Code 

specifies the FAA’s authority to issue 

rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, 


rmajette on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 161 / Thursday, August 20, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 50551 

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 have 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 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. 

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 

removing Airworthiness Directive (AD) 

2001–13–51, Amendment 39-12443 (66 

FR 48535, September 21, 2001), and 

adding the following new AD: 

2015–17–02 Bell Helicopter Textron 

Canada (Bell): Amendment 39–18235; 

Docket No. FAA–2014–0643; Directorate 

Identifier 2013–SW–059–AD. 

(a) Applicability 

This AD applies to Model 206L–4, 407, 

427, and 429 helicopters with an engine-totransmission driveshaft assembly 

(driveshaft), part number (P/N) 206–340– 

300–105, installed, certificated in any 

category. 

(b) Unsafe Condition 

This AD defines the unsafe condition as 

failure of a driveshaft due to cracking of the 

flex frame on the forward end of the 

driveshaft. This condition could result in loss 

of drive to the main rotor system and a 

subsequent emergency forced landing. 

(c) Affected ADs 

This AD supersedes AD 2001–13–51, 

Amendment 39–12443, Docket No. 2001– 

SW–29–AD (66 FR 48535, September 21, 

2001). 

(d) Effective Date 

This AD becomes effective September 24, 

2015. 

(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 50 hours time-in-service (TIS), 

determine whether driveshaft, P/N 206–340– 

300–105, has ever been installed on a Bell 

Model 407 helicopter, and record this on the 

component history card or equivalent record. 

If driveshaft, P/N 206–340–300–105, has ever 

been installed on a Bell Model 407 

helicopter: 

(i) For Bell Model 206L–4, 407, and 427 

helicopters, within 25 hours TIS, inspect 

each driveshaft for a crack, a loose bolt or 

nut, and red powder residue. If there is a 

crack, a loose bolt or nut, or red powder 

residue, replace the driveshaft with an 

airworthy driveshaft before further flight. 

(ii) For all affected Bell model helicopters, 

on or before accumulating 1,250 hours TIS, 

replace each driveshaft with an airworthy 

driveshaft. 

(2) Do not install driveshaft, P/N 206–340– 

300–105, on any helicopter if it has ever been 

installed on a Bell Model 407 helicopter. 

(g) Special Flight Permit 

Special flight permits are prohibited. 

(h) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, Safety Management 

Group, FAA, may approve AMOCs for this 

AD. Send your proposal to: Matthew Fuller, 

Aviation Safety Engineer, Safety Management 

Group, Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, 10101 

Hillwood Pkwy, Fort Worth, Texas 76177; 

telephone (817) 222–5110; email 9-ASWFTW-AMOC-Requests@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. 

(i) Additional Information 

(1) Bell Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) No. 

206L–01–123, Revision A, dated February 22, 

2006; ASB No. 427–01–04, Revision A, dated 

March 31, 2006; and ASB No. 407–01–45, 

Revision B, dated April 23, 2013, 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 

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 a copy of the service 

information at the FAA, Office of the 

Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 

Hillwood Pkwy, Room 6N–321, Fort Worth, 

Texas 76177. 

(2) The subject of this AD is addressed in 

Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) AD 

No. CF–2002–03R3, Revision 3, dated 

September 26, 2013. You may view the TCCA 

AD on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov in Docket No. FAA– 

2014–0643. 

(j) Subject 

Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) 

Code: 6300 Main Rotor Drive System. 

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on August 6, 

2015. 

Larry M. Kelly, 

Acting Directorate Manager, Rotorcraft 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–20509 Filed 8–19–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2014–1051; Directorate 

Identifier 2014–NM–171–AD; Amendment 

39–18239; AD 2015–17–06] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus 

Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 

Airbus Model A319, A320, and A321 

series airplanes. This AD was prompted 

by reports that on airplanes equipped 


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