This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

68953

Vol. 65, No. 221

Wednesday, November 15, 2000

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 2000–SW–60–AD]

Airworthiness Directives; Bell

Helicopter Textron, Inc., Model 412

Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking

(NPRM).

SUMMARY: This document proposes

adopting a new airworthiness directive

(AD) for Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc.

(BHTI) Model 412 helicopters. The AD

would require, within 25 hours time-inservice (TIS), reviewing the aircraft

maintenance records and determining

the number of landings for the high

landing gear aft crosstube assembly

(crosstube assembly); inspecting the

crosstube assembly for damage; and

replacing any unairworthy crosstube

assembly. Additionally, the AD would

require creating a component history

card or equivalent record, and

establishing a retirement life for each

crosstube assembly. This AD would also

require vibro-etching a part number (P/

N) and serial number (S/N) on certain

cross tube assemblies. This proposal is

prompted by reported field failures of

crosstube assemblies. The actions

specified by the proposed AD are

intended to detect damage that could

lead to a fatigue crack in the crosstube

assembly, failure of the crosstube

assembly, and subsequent loss of

control of the helicopter during landing.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before January 16, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in

triplicate to the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), Office of the

Regional Counsel, Southwest Region,

Attention: Rules Docket No. 2000–SW–

60–AD, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Room

663, Fort Worth, Texas 76137. You may

also send comments electronically to

the Rules Docket at the following

address: 9-asw-adcomments@faa.gov.

Comments may be inspected at the

Office of the Regional Counsel, between

9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through

Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael Kohner, Aviation Safety

Engineer, Rotorcraft Certification Office,

Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, Fort Worth,

Texas 76193–0170, telephone (817)

222–5447, fax (817) 222–5783.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

Interested persons are invited to

participate in the making of the

proposed rule by submitting such

written data, views, or arguments as

they may desire. Communications

should identify the Rules Docket

number and be submitted in triplicate to

the address specified above. All

communications received on or before

the closing date for comments will be

considered before taking action on the

proposed rule. The proposals contained

in this action may be changed in light

of the comments received.

Comments are specifically invited on

the overall regulatory, economic,

environmental, and energy aspects of

the proposed rule. All comments

submitted will be available in the Rules

Docket for examination by interested

persons. A report summarizing each

FAA-public contact concerned with the

substance of this proposal will be filed

in the Rules Docket.

Commenters wishing the FAA to

acknowledge receipt of their mailed

comments submitted in response to this

action must submit a self-addressed,

stamped postcard on which the

following statement is made:

‘‘Comments to Docket No. 2000–SW–

60–AD.’’ The postcard will be date

stamped and returned to the

commenter.

Availability of NPRMs

Any person may obtain a copy of this

NPRM by submitting a request to the

FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel,

Southwest Region, Attention: Rules

Docket No. 2000–SW–60–AD, 2601

Meacham Blvd., Room 663, Fort Worth,

Texas 76137.

Discussion

This document proposes adopting a

new AD for BHTI Model 412

helicopters. This proposal would

require the following within 25 hours

TIS:

• Reviewing the aircraft maintenance

records and determining the number of

landings for the crosstube assembly;

• Inspecting the crosstube assembly

for damage and replacing any

unairworthy crosstube assembly;

• Vibro-etching a P/N on certain

crosstube assemblies;

• Vibro-etching a S/N on the

crosstube assemblies;

• Creating a component history card

or equivalent record for the crosstube

assembly; and

• Revising the Airworthiness

Limitations section of the maintenance

manual by establishing a retirement life

of 10,000 landings for crosstube

assemblies, P/N 412–050–010–101 and

412–050–011–107 FM, and a retirement

life of 20,000 landings for crosstube

assemblies, P/N 412–050–045–107.

This proposal is prompted by reports

of field failures of crosstube assemblies.

Analysis of the failures indicates that a

landing life limit must be assigned to

the crosstube assembly. The actions

specified by the proposed AD are

intended to detect damage that could

lead to a fatigue crack in the crosstube

assembly, failure of the crosstube

assembly, and subsequent loss of

control of the helicopter during landing.

The FAA has reviewed BHTI Service

Bulletin No. 412–99–97, dated January

8, 1999 (ASB), which describes

procedures for verifying that the

affected crosstube assemblies meet

inspection criteria, assigning a

retirement life on the affected crosstube

assemblies; vibro-etching a P/N on those

crosstube assemblies not displaying a

visible P/N; vibro-etching a S/N on the

affected crosstube assemblies, and

providing information for calculating

the number of landings.

We have identified an unsafe

condition that is likely to exist or

develop on other BHTI Model 412

helicopters of the same type design. The

proposed AD would require, within 25

hours TIS, for affected crosstube

assemblies, reviewing the aircraft

maintenance records and determining

the number of landings for the crosstube

assembly; inspecting the crosstube

assembly; replacing any unairworthy

crosstube assembly with an airworthy

crosstube assembly; vibro-etching the

S/N on the crosstube assembly; creating

68954 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 221 / Wednesday, November 15, 2000 / Proposed Rules

a component history card or equivalent

record; and establishing a retirement

life. The AD would also require, on

certain crosstube assemblies, vibroetching a P/N.

The FAA estimates that 138

helicopters of U.S. registry would be

affected by this proposed AD, that it

would take approximately 5 work hours

per helicopter to accomplish the

proposed actions, and that the average

labor rate is $60 per work hour.

Required parts would cost

approximately $6,044 for crosstube

assembly, P/N 412–050–010–101, and

$11,415 for crosstube assembly, P/N

412–050–045–107. BHTI states in the

ASB that customers with affected

crosstube assemblies are eligible for a

special rebate credit ranging from 25

percent of the replacement cost to 100

percent depending on the age of the

crosstube assembly. Based on these

figures, the total cost impact of the

proposed AD on U.S. operators is

estimated to be $875,472 to replace all

crosstube assemblies with crosstube

assembly, P/N 412–050–010–101, or

$1,616,670 to replace all crosstube

assemblies with crosstube assembly,

P/N 412–050–045–107. The total costs

would be $41,400 for labor if all of the

crosstube assemblies were replaced with

100 percent parts credit.

The regulations proposed herein

would 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 proposal

would not have federalism implications

under Executive Order 13132.

For the reasons discussed above, I

certify that this proposed regulation (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); and (3) if

promulgated, 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 copy of the draft

regulatory evaluation prepared for this

action is contained in the Rules Docket.

A copy of it may be obtained by

contacting the Rules Docket at the

location provided under the caption

ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation

safety, Safety.

The Proposed Amendment

Accordingly, pursuant to the

authority delegated to me by the

Administrator, the Federal Aviation

Administration proposes to amend 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

adding a new airworthiness directive to

read as follows:

BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON, INC.: Docket No.

2000–SW–60–AD.

Applicability: Model 412 helicopters with

high landing gear aft crosstube assembly

(crosstube assembly), part number (P/N) 412–

050–010–101, 412–050–011–107 FM, or 412–

050–045–107, 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 (e) 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.

Note 2: Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. Alert

Service Bulletin 412–99–97, dated January 8,

1999, pertains to the subject of this AD.

To prevent a fatigue crack in the crosstube

assembly, failure of the crosstube assembly,

and subsequent loss of control of the

helicopter during landing, accomplish the

following:

(a) Within 25 hours time-in-service (TIS)

and thereafter before installing a replacement

crosstube assembly:

(1) Review the aircraft maintenance records

and determine the number of landings for the

crosstube assembly. Operators who do not

have landing records may determine the

number of landings by multiplying the hours

TIS of the crosstube assembly by a factor of

4. If the number of hours TIS of the crosstube

assembly is unknown, within 30 days,

remove the crosstube assembly from service

and replace it with an airworthy crosstube

assembly.

(2) Inspect the crosstube assembly for

damage. If damage exceeds the maximum

allowable damage limits and repair criteria,

as specified in the applicable maintenance

manual, before further flight, replace it with

an airworthy crosstube assembly.

(3) Vibro-etch the P/N on the crosstube

assembly adjacent to the skid tube saddle in

accordance with Figure 1 for any crosstube

assembly not displaying a visible P/N.

Identify the crosstube assembly as P/N 412–

050–011–107 FM.

(4) Vibro-etch a serial number (S/N) on the

crosstube assembly below the P/N in

accordance with Figure 1. The S/N must be

unique for each crosstube assembly.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 221 / Wednesday, November 15, 2000 / Proposed Rules 68955

(5) Create a component history card or

equivalent record for each crosstube

assembly and enter the P/N, S/N, and the

accumulated number of landings derived in

accordance with paragraph (1).

(6) Begin tracking the number of landings

for each crosstube assembly on the

component history card or equivalent record.

(b) For a crosstube assembly, P/N 412–050–

010–101 or 412–050–011–107 FM, on or

before accumulating 10,000 landings or

within 25 hours TIS after the effective date

of this AD, whichever occurs later, replace

the crosstube assembly with an airworthy

crosstube assembly.

(c) For a crosstube assembly, P/N 412–050–

045–107, on or before accumulating 20,000

landings or within 25 hours TIS after the

effective date of this AD, whichever occurs

later, replace the crosstube assembly with an

airworthy crosstube assembly.

(d) This AD revises the Airworthiness

Limitations section of the Maintenance

Manual by establishing a life limit of 10,000

landings for the crosstube assembly, P/N

412–050–010–101 and 412–050–011–107

FM, and 20,000 landings for the crosstube

assembly, P/N 412–050–045–107.

(e) 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, Rotorcraft

Certification Office, 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, Rotorcraft

Certification Office.

Note 3: Information concerning the

existence of approved alternative methods of

compliance with this AD, if any, may be

obtained from the Rotorcraft Certification

Office.

(f) 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.

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on November

8, 2000.

Henry A. Armstrong,

Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, Aircraft

Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 00–29211 Filed 11–14–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 2000–NM–285–AD]

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Boeing

Model 777 Series Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking

(NPRM).

SUMMARY: This document proposes the

adoption of a new airworthiness

directive (AD) that is applicable to

certain Boeing Model 777 series

airplanes. This proposal would require

replacement of nuts on the clevis

assemblies that support the auxiliary

tracks of the inboard leading edge slats.

This action is necessary to prevent loose

or missing nuts on the clevis assemblies,