49442 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 162 / Thursday, August 21, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 

(i) Embraer S.A. Phenom Alert Service 

Bulletin No. 500–55–A004, Revision 02, 

dated July 25, 2014 

(ii) Reserved. 

(3) For Embraer S.A. service information 

identified in this AD, contact: EMBRAER 

S.A., Phenom Maintenance Support, Avenida 

Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 2170, Putim, CEP: 

12227–901, Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Paulo, 

Brasil; phone: (+55 12) 3927–1000; Fax: (+55 

12) 3927–6600, Ext. 1448; email: 

phenom.reliability@embraer.com.br: Internet: 

http://www.embraerexecutivejets.com/enUS/customer-support/Pages/Service-CenterNetwork.aspxt. 

(4) You may view this service information 

at the 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/ibrlocations.html 

Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 

11, 2014. 

Earl Lawrence, 

Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 

Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–19365 Filed 8–20–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2014–0251; Directorate 

Identifier 2013–NM–179–AD; Amendment 

39–17946; AD 2014–16–22] 

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 all 

Airbus Model A330–200 Freighter, 

A330–200, A330–300, and A340–200, 

A340–300, A340–500, and A340–600 

series airplanes. This AD was prompted 

by a determination that the service life 

limits of the cabin pressure control 

system (CPCS) safety valves installed on 

the aft pressure bulkhead were being 

exceeded. This AD requires repetitive 

replacement of the CPCS safety valves 

with serviceable valves. We are issuing 

this AD to prevent exceeding the service 

life limits of the CPCS safety valves, 

which, in the event of a failure, could 

result in excessive positive or negative 

differential pressure in the fuselage and 

consequent incapacitation or injuries to 

airplane occupants. 

DATES: This AD becomes effective 

September 25, 2014. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of certain publications listed in this AD 

as of September 25, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD 

docket on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;D=FAA-2014-0251; 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—EAL, 1 Rond 

Point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac 

Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 

96; fax +33 5 61 93 45 80; email 

airworthiness.A330-A340@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. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Vladimir Ulyanov, Aerospace Engineer, 

International Branch, ANM–116, 

Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 

1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 

98057–3356; telephone 425–227–1138; 

fax 425–227–1149. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

We issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 by adding an AD that would 

apply to all Airbus Model A330–200 

Freighter, A330–200, A330–300, and 

A340–200, A340–300, A340–500, and 

A340–600 series airplanes. The NPRM 

published in the Federal Register on 

May 15, 2014 (79 FR 27814). 

The European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA), which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Community, has issued EASA 

Airworthiness Directive 2013–0201, 

dated September 4, 2013 (referred to 

after this as the Mandatory Continuing 

Airworthiness Information to correct an 

unsafe condition on all Airbus Model 

A330–200 Freighter, A330–200, A330– 

300, and A340–200, –300, –500, and 

–600 series airplanes. The MCAI states: 

Investigation results on the Cabin Pressure 

Control System (CPCS) safety valve 

demonstrate that this part is subject to 

repetitive restoration every 50,000 flight 

hours (FH) or 12 years, but this airworthiness 

instruction is not yet reflected in the 

instructions for continuing airworthiness. 

Moreover, this safety valve, part of the CPCS, 

is not failure monitored. 

In order to maintain the required safety 

objectives, the CPCS safety valves must be 

replaced by a serviceable part no later than 

the above values. 

For the reasons describe above, this 

[EASA] AD requires repetitive replacement of 

CPCS safety valves. 

Exceeding the service life limits of the 

CPCS safety valve, in the event of a 

failure, could result in excessive 

positive or negative differential pressure 

in the fuselage, and consequent 

incapacitation or injuries to airplane 

occupants. 

You may examine the MCAI in the 

AD docket on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov/

#!documentDetail;D=FAA-2014-0251- 

0002. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD. We 

received no comments on the NPRM (79 

FR 27814, May 15, 2014) or on the 

determination of the cost to the public. 

‘‘Contacting the Manufacturer’’ 

Paragraph in This AD 

Since late 2006, we have included a 

standard paragraph titled ‘‘Airworthy 

Product’’ in all MCAI ADs in which the 

FAA develops an AD based on a foreign 

authority’s AD. 

The MCAI or referenced service 

information in an FAA AD often directs 

the owner/operator to contact the 

manufacturer for corrective actions, 

such as a repair. Briefly, the Airworthy 

Product paragraph allowed owners/

operators to use corrective actions 

provided by the manufacturer if those 

actions were FAA-approved. In 

addition, the paragraph stated that any 

actions approved by the State of Design 

Authority (or its delegated agent) are 

considered to be FAA-approved. 

In the NPRM (79 FR 11016, February 

27, 2014), we proposed to prevent the 

use of repairs that were not specifically 

developed to correct the unsafe 

condition, by requiring that the repair 

approval provided by the State of 

Design Authority or its delegated agent 

specifically refer to this FAA AD. This 

change was intended to clarify the 

method of compliance and to provide 

operators with better visibility of repairs 

that are specifically developed and 

approved to correct the unsafe 

condition. In addition, we proposed to 

change the phrase ‘‘its delegated agent’’ 

to include a design approval holder 

(DAH) with State of Design Authority 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 162 / Thursday, August 21, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 49443 

design organization approval (DOA), as 

applicable, to refer to a DAH authorized 

to approve required repairs for the 

proposed AD. 

No comments were provided to the 

NPRM (79 FR 11016, February 27, 2014) 

about these proposed changes. However, 

a comment was provided for an NPRM 

having Directorate Identifier 2012–NM– 

101–AD (78 FR 78285, December 26, 

2013). The commenter stated the 

following: ‘‘The proposed wording, 

being specific to repairs, eliminates the 

interpretation that Airbus messages are 

acceptable for approving minor 

deviations (corrective actions) needed 

during accomplishment of an AD 

mandated Airbus service bulletin.’’ 

This comment has made the FAA 

aware that some operators have 

misunderstood or misinterpreted the 

Airworthy Product paragraph to allow 

the owner/operator to use messages 

provided by the manufacturer as 

approval of deviations during the 

accomplishment of an AD-mandated 

action. The Airworthy Product 

paragraph does not approve messages or 

other information provided by the 

manufacturer for deviations to the 

requirements of the AD-mandated 

actions. The Airworthy Product 

paragraph only addresses the 

requirement to contact the manufacturer 

for corrective actions for the identified 

unsafe condition and does not cover 

deviations from other AD requirements. 

However, deviations to AD-required 

actions are addressed in 14 CFR 39.17, 

and anyone may request the approval 

for an alternative method of compliance 

to the AD-required actions using the 

procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. 

To address this misunderstanding and 

misinterpretation of the Airworthy 

Product paragraph, we have changed the 

paragraph and retitled it ‘‘Contacting the 

Manufacturer.’’ This paragraph now 

clarifies that for any requirement in this 

AD to obtain corrective actions from a 

manufacturer, the actions must be 

accomplished using a method approved 

by the FAA, the European Aviation 

Safety Agency (EASA), or Airbus’s 

EASA Design Organization Approval 

(DOA). 

The Contacting the Manufacturer 

paragraph also clarifies that, if approved 

by the DOA, the approval must include 

the DOA-authorized signature. The DOA 

signature indicates that the data and 

information contained in the document 

are EASA-approved, which is also FAAapproved. Messages and other 

information provided by the 

manufacturer that do not contain the 

DOA-authorized signature approval are 

not EASA-approved, unless EASA 

directly approves the manufacturer’s 

message or other information. 

This clarification does not remove 

flexibility previously afforded by the 

Airworthy Product paragraph. 

Consistent with long-standing FAA 

policy, such flexibility was never 

intended for required actions. This is 

also consistent with the 

recommendation of the Airworthiness 

Directive Implementation Aviation 

Rulemaking Committee to increase 

flexibility in complying with ADs by 

identifying those actions in 

manufacturers’ service instructions that 

are ‘‘Required for Compliance’’ with 

ADs. We continue to work with 

manufacturers to implement this 

recommendation. But once we 

determine that an action is required, any 

deviation from the requirement must be 

approved as an alternative method of 

compliance. 

Other commenters to the NPRM 

having Directorate Identifier 2012–NM– 

101–AD (78 FR 78285, December 26, 

2013) pointed out that in many cases the 

foreign manufacturer’s service bulletin 

and the foreign authority’s MCAI might 

have been issued some time before the 

FAA AD. Therefore, the DOA might 

have provided U.S. operators with an 

approved repair, developed with full 

awareness of the unsafe condition, 

before the FAA AD is issued. Under 

these circumstances, to comply with the 

FAA AD, the operator would be 

required to go back to the 

manufacturer’s DOA and obtain a new 

approval document, adding time and 

expense to the compliance process with 

no safety benefit. 

Based on these comments, we 

removed the requirement that the DAHprovided repair specifically refer to this 

AD. Before adopting such a 

requirement, the FAA will coordinate 

with affected DAHs and verify they are 

prepared to implement means to ensure 

that their repair approvals consider the 

unsafe condition addressed in this AD. 

Any such requirements will be adopted 

through the normal AD rulemaking 

process, including notice-and-comment 

procedures, when appropriate. 

Conclusion 

We reviewed the relevant data and 

determined that air safety and the 

public interest require adopting this AD 

with the changes described previously 

and minor editorial changes. We have 

determined that these minor changes: 

• Are consistent with the intent that 

was proposed in the NPRM (79 FR 

27814, May 15, 2014) for correcting the 

unsafe condition; and 

• Do not add any additional burden 

upon the public than was already 

proposed in the NPRM (79 FR 27814, 

May 15, 2014). 

We also determined that these 

changes will not increase the economic 

burden on any operator or increase the 

scope of this AD. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD affects 77 

airplanes of U.S. registry. 

We also estimate that it takes about 25 

work-hours per product to comply with 

the basic requirements of this AD. The 

average labor rate is $85 per work-hour. 

Required parts will cost about $9,784 

per product. Based on these figures, we 

estimate the cost of this AD on U.S. 

operators to be $916,993, or $11,909 per 

product, per replacement cycle. 

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 above, I 

certify that this AD: 

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; 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. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with RULES
49444 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 162 / Thursday, August 21, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket on 

the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;D=FAA-2014-0251; 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 street address for the 

Docket Operations office (telephone 

800–647–5527) is in the ADDRESSES

section. 

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): 

2014–16–22 Airbus: Amendment 39–17946. 

Docket No. FAA–2014–0251; Directorate 

Identifier 2013–NM–179–AD. 

(a) Effective Date 

This AD becomes effective September 25, 

2014. 

(b) Affected ADs 

None. 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to Airbus Model A330– 

201, –202, –203, –223, –223F, –243, –243F, 

–301, –302, –303, –321, –322, –323, –341, 

–342, and –343 airplanes; Model A340–211, 

–212, –213, –311, –312, and –313 airplanes; 

and Model A340–541 and –642 airplanes; 

certificated in any category; all manufacturer 

serial numbers. 

(d) Subject 

Air Transport Association (ATA) of 

America Code 21, Air Conditioning. 

(e) Reason 

This AD was prompted by a determination 

that the service life limits of the cabin 

pressure control system (CPCS) safety valves 

installed on the aft pressure bulkhead were 

being exceeded. We are issuing this AD to 

prevent exceeding the service life limits of 

the CPCS safety valve, which, in the event of 

a failure, could result in excessive positive or 

negative differential pressure in the fuselage, 

and consequent incapacitation or injuries to 

airplane occupants. 

(f) Compliance 

Comply with this AD within the 

compliance times specified, unless already 

done. 

(g) Replacement of CPCS Safety Valves 

(1) For airplanes on which the total 

number of flight hours accumulated on the 

CPCS safety valves are known: Replace the 

CPCS safety valve with a serviceable valve at 

the later of the times specified in paragraph 

(g)(1)(i) or (g)(1)(ii) of this AD. Replace the 

valve in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of the 

applicable service information identified in 

paragraph (g)(3)(i), (g)(3)(ii), or (g)(3)(iii) of 

this AD. Repeat the replacement at intervals 

not to exceed 50,000 flight hours or 12 years 

accumulated on the CPCS safety valve, 

whichever occurs first. 

(i) Before the safety valve accumulates 

50,000 total flight hours or 12 years since 

first installation or since the last restoration, 

as applicable, whichever occurs first. 

(ii) Within 26 months after the effective 

date of this AD. 

(2) For airplanes on which the total 

number of flight hours accumulated on the 

CPCS safety valve are unknown: Replace the 

CPCS safety valve with a serviceable valve 

within 26 months after the effective date of 

this AD, in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of the 

applicable service information identified in 

paragraph (g)(3)(i), (g)(3)(ii), or (g)(3)(iii) of 

this AD. Repeat the replacement at intervals 

not to exceed 50,000 flight hours or 12 years 

accumulated on the CPCS safety valve, 

whichever occurs first. 

(3) Use the applicable service information 

identified in paragraph (g)(3)(i), (g)(3)(ii), or 

(g)(3)(iii) of this AD to accomplish the 

specified actions in paragraph (g) of this AD. 

(i) Airbus Service Bulletin A330–21–3154, 

Revision 01, dated April 10, 2013 (for Model 

A330–200 Freighter, A330–200 and A330– 

300 series airplanes). 

(ii) Airbus Service Bulletin A340–21–4150, 

Revision 01, dated April 10, 2013 (for Model 

A340–200 and A340–300 series airplanes). 

(iii) Airbus Service Bulletin A340–21– 

5044, Revision 01, dated April 10, 2013 (for 

Model A340–500 and A340–600 series 

airplanes). 

(h) Definition of Serviceable Valves 

For the purposes of this AD, a serviceable 

CPCS safety valve is a safety valve which has 

not exceeded the following service life limits, 

as applicable: 12 years since its 

manufacturing date, or 50,000 total flight 

hours since first installation on an airplane, 

whichever occurs first; or 12 years since its 

last restoration, or 50,000 total flight hours 

since its last restoration, whichever occurs 

first. 

(i) Optional Method of Compliance 

Accomplishment of Task 21.31.00/09, 

Remove Safety Valve for Restoration, of 

Section C–21, Air Conditioning, of Section C, 

Systems and Power-plant Section, of the 

Airbus A330 Maintenance Review Board 

Report, Revision 14, dated June 2013; or 

Airbus A340 Maintenance Review Board 

Report, Revision 14, dated June 2013; as 

applicable; constitutes compliance with any 

replacement required by paragraph (g) of this 

AD. 

(j) Credit for Previous Actions 

This paragraph provides credit for actions 

required by paragraphs (g)(1) and (g)(2) of 

this AD, if those actions were performed 

before the effective date of this AD using the 

service information identified in paragraphs 

(j)(1), (j)(2), and (j)(3) of this AD, which are 

not incorporated by reference in this AD. 

(1) Airbus Service Bulletin A330–21–3154, 

dated November 17, 2011. 

(2) Airbus Service Bulletin A340–21–4150, 

dated November 17, 2011. 

(3) Airbus Service Bulletin A340–21–5044, 

dated November 17, 2011. 

(k) Other FAA AD Provisions 

The following provisions also apply to this 

AD: 

(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs): The Manager, International 

Branch, ANM–116, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, FAA, has the authority to 

approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested 

using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. 

In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, send your 

request to your principal inspector or local 

Flight Standards District Office, as 

appropriate. If sending information directly 

to the International Branch, send it to ATTN: 

Vladimir Ulyanov, Aerospace Engineer, 

International Branch, ANM–116, Transport 

Airplane Directorate, FAA, 1601 Lind 

Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057–3356; 

telephone 425–227–1138; fax 425–227–1149. 

Information may be emailed to: 9-ANM-116- 

AMOC-REQUESTS@faa.gov. Before using 

any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate 

principal inspector, or lacking a principal 

inspector, the manager of the local flight 

standards district office/certificate holding 

district office. The AMOC approval letter 

must specifically reference this AD. 

(2) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any 

requirement in this AD to obtain corrective 

actions from a manufacturer, the action must 

be accomplished using a method approved 

by the Manager, International Branch, ANM– 

116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA; or 

the European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA); or Airbus’s EASA Design 

Organization Approval (DOA). If approved by 

the DOA, the approval must include the 

DOA-authorized signature. 

(l) Related Information 

(1) Refer to Mandatory Continuing 

Airworthiness Information (MCAI) European 

Aviation Safety Agency Airworthiness 

Directive 2013–0201, dated September 4, 

2013, for related information. This MCAI 

may be found in the AD docket on the 

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

!documentDetail;D=FAA-2014-0251-0002. 

(2) Service information identified in this 

AD that is not incorporated by reference is 

available at the addresses specified in 

paragraphs (k)(3) and (k)(4) of this AD. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 162 / Thursday, August 21, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 49445 

(m) 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 this AD specifies otherwise. 

(i) Airbus Service Bulletin A330–21–3154, 

Revision 01, dated April 10, 2013. 

(ii) Airbus Service Bulletin A340–21–4150, 

Revision 01, dated April 10, 2013. 

(iii) Airbus Service Bulletin A340–21– 

5044, Revision 01, dated April 10, 2013. 

(iv) Task 21.31.00/09, Remove Safety Valve 

for Restoration, of Section C–21, Air 

Conditioning, of Section C, Systems and 

Power-plant Section, of the Airbus A330 

Maintenance Review Board Report, Revision 

14, dated June 2013. 

(v) Task 21.31.00/09, Remove Safety Valve 

for Restoration, of Section C–21, Air 

Conditioning, of Section C, Systems and 

Power-plant Section, Airbus A340 

Maintenance Review Board Report, Revision 

14, dated June 2013. 

(3) For service information identified in 

this AD, contact Airbus SAS, Airworthiness 

Office—EAL, 1 Rond Point Maurice Bellonte, 

31707 Blagnac Cedex, France; telephone +33 

5 61 93 36 96; fax +33 5 61 93 45 80; email 

airworthiness.A330-A340@airbus.com; 

Internet http://www.airbus.com. 

(4) You may view this 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. 

(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 Renton, Washington, on August 

7, 2014. 

Victor Wicklund, 

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–19555 Filed 8–20–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2014–0034; Directorate 

Identifier 2013–SW–006–AD; Amendment 

39–17948; AD 2014–16–24] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus 

Helicopters Deutschland GmbH 

(Previously Eurocopter Deutschland 

GbmH) (Airbus Helicopters) 

Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are superseding 

Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2012–10– 

53 for Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH 

(ECD) (now Airbus Helicopters) Model 

EC135P1, EC135P2, EC135P2+, 

EC135T1, EC135T2, and EC135T2+ 

helicopters. AD 2012–10–53 required, 

before further flight and at specified 

intervals, checking and inspecting the 

upper and lower main rotor hub (MRH) 

shaft flanges for a crack, and inspecting 

the lower hub-shaft flange bolt 

attachment areas for a crack. Since we 

issued AD 2012–10–53, it has been 

determined that it is safe to increase the 

visual inspection intervals of the MRH 

shaft flanges from 10 hours time-inservice (TIS) to 50 hours TIS and 

remove the inspection of the lower MRH 

shaft flange bolt attachment areas. This 

new AD continues to require checking 

and inspecting the upper and lower 

MRH shaft flanges for a crack. These 

actions are intended to detect a crack on 

the MRH shaft flange, which if not 

corrected, could result in failure of the 

MRH and subsequent loss of control of 

the helicopter. 

DATES: This AD is effective September 

25, 2014. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain publication listed in this AD 

as of September 25, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: For service information 

identified in this AD, contact Airbus 

Helicopters, Inc., 2701 N. Forum Drive, 

Grand Prairie, Texas 75052; telephone 

(972) 641–0000 or (800) 232–0323; fax 

(972) 641–3775; or at http:// 

www.airbushelicopters.com/techpub. 

You may view this 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 by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2014– 

0034; 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 European Aviation 

Safety Agency (EASA) AD, any 

incorporated-by-reference information, 

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: Gary 

Roach, Aviation Safety Engineer, 

Regulations and Policy Group, 

Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, 2601 

Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 

76137; telephone (817) 222–5110; email 

gary.b.roach@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

On May 18, 2012, we issued 

Emergency AD 2012–10–53, which 

superseded Emergency AD 2012–10–51. 

Emergency AD 2012–10–53 was 

published in the Federal Register as a 

Final rule; request for comments on 

November 20, 2012, at 77 FR 69558. AD 

2012–10–53 required a repetitive pilot 

check of the lower MRH shaft flange for 

a crack, a repetitive inspection of the 

upper and lower MRH shaft flanges and 

bolt attachment areas for a crack, and 

replacing the MRH shaft if there is a 

crack. AD 2012–10–53 was prompted by 

three reported incidents of cracking on 

the lower hub-shaft flanges of EC135 

model helicopters. 

After we issued AD 2012–10–53, 

Eurocopter revised Alert Service 

Bulletin (ASB) No. EC135–62A–029, 

now at Revision 7, dated October 22, 

2012, which contains the procedures for 

the repetitive pilot checks and 

inspections. The inspection interval for 

the visual inspection of the MRH shaft 

flanges was increased to 50 flight hours 

based on results from full scale 

component testing. The note regarding 

the preflight check states that the time 

between two preflight checks must not 

exceed 6 flight hours, and clarifies that 

one flight may comprise of multiple 

take-offs and landings and a flight starts 

when the helicopter takes off and ends 

when the helicopter is on the ground 

with the engines shut off. Eurocopter 

also removed the visual inspection of 


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