55452 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 179 / Thursday, September 14, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

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. Section 39.13 is amended by

adding the following new airworthiness

directive:

2000–18–11 Israel Aircraft Industries, LTD.:

Amendment 39–11896. Docket 2000–

NM–287–AD.

Applicability: Model 1125 Westwind Astra

series airplanes, certificated in any category;

serial numbers 004 through 029 inclusive

and 031 through 041 inclusive.

Compliance: Required as indicated, unless

accomplished previously.

To prevent the loss of primary attitude and

directional gyros, which relate position

information to the flight crew, accomplish

the following:

AFM Revision

(a) Within 10 days after the effective date

of this AD, revise the Limitations and

Abnormal Procedures Sections of the Israel

Aircraft Industries, Ltd. Astra Airplane Flight

Manual (AFM) by inserting a copy of

Temporary Revision No. 9, dated May 21,

2000, into the AFM.

Note 1: When the temporary revision

required by paragraph (a) of this AD has been

incorporated into the general revisions of the

AFM, the general revisions may be inserted

into the AFM, provided that the information

contained in the general revisions is identical

to that specified in the temporary revision.

Alternative Methods of Compliance

(b) An alternative method of compliance or

adjustment of the compliance time that

provides an acceptable level of safety may be

used if approved by the Manager,

International Branch, ANM–116, FAA.

Operators shall submit their requests through

an appropriate FAA Principal Operations

Inspector, who may add comments and then

send it to the Manager, International Branch,

ANM–116.

Note 2: Information concerning the

existence of approved alternative methods of

compliance with this AD, if any, may be

obtained from the International Branch,

ANM–116.

Special Flight Permits

(c) Special flight permits may be issued in

accordance with §§ 21.197 and 21.199 of the

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.197

and 21.199) to operate the airplane to a

location where the requirements of this AD

can be accomplished.

Incorporation by Reference

(d) The actions shall be done in accordance

with Israel Aircraft Industries, Ltd. Astra

Airplane Flight Manual Temporary Revision

No. 9, dated May 21, 2000. This

incorporation by reference was approved by

the Director of the Federal Register in

accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR

part 51. Copies may be obtained from Galaxy

Aerospace Corporation, One Galaxy Way,

Fort Worth Alliance Airport, Fort Worth,

Texas 76177. Copies may be inspected at the

FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601

Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington; or at

the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North

Capitol Street, NW., suite 700, Washington,

DC.

Note 3: The subject of this AD is addressed

in Israeli airworthiness directive 34–00–07–

04, dated July 10, 2000.

(e) This amendment becomes effective on

September 29, 2000.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on

September 5, 2000.

Donald L. Riggin,

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 00–23205 Filed 9–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 99–SW–68–AD; Amendment

39–11899; AD 2000–18–13]

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter

Canada Ltd. Model BO 105 LS A–3

Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This amendment supersedes

an existing airworthiness directive (AD)

that applies to Eurocopter Canada Ltd.

Model BO 105 LS A–3 helicopters. That

AD currently requires, before further

flight, creating a component log card or

equivalent record and determining the

calendar age and number of flights on

each tension-torsion (TT) strap, and

inspecting and removing, as necessary,

certain unairworthy TT straps. This

amendment establishes a life limit for

certain main rotor TT straps. This

amendment is prompted by an accident

in which a main rotor blade (blade)

separated from a Eurocopter

Deutschland GMBH (ECD) Model MBB–

BK 117 helicopter due to fatigue failure

of a TT strap. The same part-numbered

TT strap is used on the Model BO 105

LS A–3 helicopters. The actions

specified by this AD are intended to

prevent fatigue failure of a TT strap, loss

of a blade, and subsequent loss of

control of the helicopter.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 19, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Charles Harrison, Aviation Safety

Engineer, FAA, Rotorcraft Directorate,

Rotorcraft Standards Staff, Fort Worth,

Texas 76193–0110, telephone (817)

222–5128, fax (817) 222–5961.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A

proposal to amend part 39 of the Federal

Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39)

by superseding AD 99–20–13,

Amendment 39–11371 (64 FR 56156,

October 18, 1999), which applies to

Eurocopter Canada Ltd. Model BO 105

LS A–3 helicopters, was published in

the Federal Register on June 19, 2000

(65 FR 37924). That action proposed to

require establishing a life limit for the

TT straps of 120 months or 25,000

flights, whichever occurs first.

Interested persons have been afforded

an opportunity to participate in the

making of this amendment. No

comments were received on the

proposal or the FAA’s determination of

the cost to the public. The FAA has

determined that air safety and the

public interest require the adoption of

the rule as proposed.

The FAA estimates that 20 helicopters

of U.S. registry will be affected by this

AD, that it will take approximately 16

work hours per helicopter to accomplish

the required actions, and that the

average labor rate is $60 per work hour.

Required parts will cost approximately

$10,400 per helicopter. Based on these

figures, the total cost impact of the AD

on U.S. operators is estimated to be

$227,200.

The regulations adopted herein 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. Therefore, it is

determined that this final rule does not

have federalism implications under

Executive Order 13132.

For the reasons discussed above, I

certify that this action (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); and (3)

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. A final evaluation has

been prepared for this action and it is

contained in the Rules Docket. A copy

of it may be obtained from the Rules

Docket at the FAA, Office of the

Regional Counsel, Southwest Region,

2601 Meacham Blvd., Room 663, Fort

Worth, Texas.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation

safety, Safety.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 179 / Thursday, September 14, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 55453

Adoption of the Amendment

Accordingly, pursuant to the

authority delegated to me by the

Administrator, the Federal Aviation

Administration amends part 39 of the

Federal Aviation Regulations (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. Section 39.13 is amended by

removing Amendment 39–11371 (64 FR

56156, October 18, 1999), and by adding

a new airworthiness directive (AD),

Amendment 39–11899, to read as

follows:

2000–18–13 Eurocopter Canada Ltd.:

Amendment 39–11899. Docket No. 99–

SW–68–AD. Supersedes AD 99–20–13,

Amendment 39–11371, Docket No. 99–

SW–56–AD.

Applicability: Model BO 105 LS A–3

helicopters, with part number (P/N) 2604067

(Bendix) or J17322–1 (Lord) rotor tension

torsion (TT) strap, installed, certificated in

any category.

Note 1: This AD applies to each helicopter

identified in the preceding applicability

provision, regardless of whether it has been

otherwise modified, altered, or repaired in

the area subject to the requirements of this

AD. For helicopters that have been modified,

altered, or repaired so that the performance

of the requirements of this AD is affected, the

owner/operator must request approval for an

alternative method of compliance in

accordance with paragraph (d) of this AD.

The request should include an assessment of

the effect of the modification, alteration, or

repair on the unsafe condition addressed by

this AD; and if the unsafe condition has not

been eliminated, the request should include

specific proposed actions to address it.

Compliance: Required as indicated, unless

accomplished previously.

To prevent fatigue failure of a TT strap,

loss of a main rotor blade (blade), and

subsequent loss of control of the helicopter,

accomplish the following:

(a) Before further flight,

(1) Create a component log card or

equivalent record for each TT strap.

(2) Review the history of each helicopter

and TT strap. Determine the age since initial

installation on any helicopter (age) and the

number of flights on each TT strap. Enter

both the age and the number of flights for

each TT strap on the component log card or

equivalent record. When the number of

flights is unknown, multiply the number of

hours time-in-service (TIS) by 5 to determine

the number of flights. If a TT strap has been

previously used at any time on Model BO–

105LS A–3 ‘‘SUPER LIFTER’’, BO–105 CB–5,

BO–105 CBS–5, BO–105 DBS–5, or any

MBB–BK 117 series helicopter, multiply the

total number of flights accumulated on those

other models by a factor of 1.6 and then add

that result to the number of flights

accumulated on the helicopters affected by

this AD.

(3) Remove any TT strap from service if the

total hours TIS or number of flights and age

cannot be determined.

(b) Remove any TT strap, P/N 2604067 or

J17322–1, that has been in service 120

months since initial installation on any

helicopter or accumulated 40,000 flights (a

flight is a takeoff and a landing). Replace the

TT strap with an airworthy TT strap.

(c) This AD revises the Airworthiness

Limitations Section of the maintenance

manual by establishing a life limit for the TT

strap, P/N 2604067 and J17322–1, of 120

months or 40,000 flights, whichever occurs

first.

(d) An alternative method of compliance or

adjustment of the compliance time that

provides an acceptable level of safety may be

used if approved by the Manager, Regulations

Group, Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA.

Operators shall submit their requests through

an FAA Principal Maintenance Inspector,

who may concur or comment and then send

it to the Manager, Regulations Group.

Note 2: Information concerning the

existence of approved alternative methods of

compliance with this AD, if any, may be

obtained from the Regulations Group.

(e) Special flight permits may be issued in

accordance with §§ 21.197 and 21.199 of the

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.197

and 21.199) to operate the helicopter to a

location where the requirements of this AD

can be accomplished.

(f) This amendment becomes effective on

October 19, 2000.

Note 3: The subject of this AD is addressed

in Transport Canada Civil Aviation, Canada,

AD CF–99–24R1, dated September 22, 1999.

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on September

5, 2000.

Henry A. Armstrong,

Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, Aircraft

Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 00–23582 Filed 9–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 99–SW–81–AD; Amendment

39–11901; AD 2000–18–14]

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Sikorsky

Aircraft-Manufactured Model CH–54A

Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This amendment supersedes

an existing airworthiness directive (AD)

that applies to Sikorsky Aircraftmanufactured Model CH–54A

helicopters. That AD currently requires

initial and recurring inspections and

rework or replacement, if necessary, of

the second stage lower planetary plate

(plate). This AD requires the same

actions as the existing AD but would

add two additional type certificate (TC)

holders to the applicability of the AD

and change one TC holder who has

transferred ownership of the affected

helicopters since the issuance of the

existing AD. This amendment is

prompted by the discovery that the

applicability section of the existing AD

is incomplete. The actions specified by

this AD are intended to prevent failure

of the plate due to fatigue cracking,

which could result in failure of the main

gearbox, failure of the drive system, and

subsequent loss of control of the

helicopter.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 19, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Uday Garadi, Aviation Safety Engineer,

FAA, Rotorcraft Directorate, Rotorcraft

Standards Staff, Fort Worth, Texas

76193–0110, telephone (817) 222–5123,

fax (817) 222–5961.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A

proposal to amend part 39 of the Federal

Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39)

by superseding AD 99–07–16,

Amendment 39–11102 (64 FR 15669,

April 1, 1999), which applies to

Sikorsky Aircraft-manufactured Model

CH–54A helicopters, was published in

the Federal Register on April 20, 2000

(65 FR 21159). That action proposed to

require initial and recurring inspections

and rework or replacement, if necessary,

of the plate.

Interested persons have been afforded

an opportunity to participate in the

making of this amendment. Due

consideration has been given to the

comments received.

The sole commenter indicates that the

cost figures utilized in the economic

analysis are incorrect. The FAA agrees;

therefore, the approximate cost of

procuring a new plate assembly is

revised to $37,333. The total cost impact

of the AD is estimated to be $507,360 to

replace the plate assemblies in the

entire fleet, if necessary.

After careful review of the available

data, including the comments noted

above, the FAA has determined that air

safety and the public interest require the

adoption of the rule as proposed except

for the change in the economic analysis.

The FAA estimates that 12 helicopters

of U.S. registry will be affected by this

AD. It will take approximately 8 work

hours per helicopter to accomplish the

inspection; 24 work hours per