Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 84 / Wednesday, May 1, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 25365 

GmbH Recommended Service Bulletin 

40NG–011, dated February 28, 2012, is no 

longer valid, and any actions following 

Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH 

Recommended Service Bulletin 40NG–011, 

dated February 28, 2012, are prohibited. 

(g) Credit for Actions Accomplished in 

Accordance With Previous Service 

Information 

If, before May 21, 2013 (the effective date 

of this AD), you performed the actions in the 

Accomplishments/Instructions section of 

Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH 

Mandatory Service Bulletin 40NG–018, dated 

November 22, 2012, you met the 

requirements of paragraphs (f)(1), (f)(2), and 

(f)(3) of this AD. 

(h) Other FAA AD Provisions 

The following provisions also apply to this 

AD: 

(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs): The Manager, Standards Office, 

FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs 

for this AD, if requested using the procedures 

found in 14 CFR 39.19. Send information to 

ATTN: Mike Kiesov, Aerospace Engineer, 

FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, 

Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; 

telephone: (816) 329–4144; fax: (816) 329– 

4090; email: mike.kiesov@faa.gov. Before 

using any approved AMOC on any airplane 

to which the AMOC applies, notify your 

appropriate principal inspector (PI) in the 

FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), 

or lacking a PI, your local FSDO. 

(2) Airworthy Product: For any requirement 

in this AD to obtain corrective actions from 

a manufacturer or other source, use these 

actions if they are FAA-approved. Corrective 

actions are considered FAA-approved if they 

are approved by the State of Design Authority 

(or their delegated agent). You are required 

to assure the product is airworthy before it 

is returned to service. 

(3) Reporting Requirements: For any 

reporting requirement in this AD, a federal 

agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a 

person is not required to respond to, nor 

shall a person be subject to a penalty for 

failure to comply with a collection of 

information subject to the requirements of 

the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that 

collection of information displays a current 

valid OMB Control Number. The OMB 

Control Number for this information 

collection is 2120–0056. Public reporting for 

this collection of information is estimated to 

be approximately 5 minutes per response, 

including the time for reviewing instructions, 

completing and reviewing the collection of 

information. All responses to this collection 

of information are mandatory. Comments 

concerning the accuracy of this burden and 

suggestions for reducing the burden should 

be directed to the FAA at: 800 Independence 

Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20591, Attn: 

Information Collection Clearance Officer, 

AES–200. 

(i) Related Information 

Refer to European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA) AD 2013–0018, dated January 21, 

2013; and Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH 

Mandatory Service Bulletin 40NG–018, dated 

November 22, 2012, for related information. 

(j) 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 the AD specifies otherwise. 

(i) Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH 

Mandatory Service Bulletin 40NG–018/1, 

dated November 26, 2012. 

(ii) Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH 

Work Instruction WI–MSB–40NG–018, 

Revision 1, dated November 26, 2012. 

(3) For Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH 

service information identified in this AD, 

contact Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH, 

N.A. Otto-Str.5, A–2700 Wiener Neustadt, 

Austria; telephone: +43 2622 26700; fax: +43 

2622 26780; email: office@diamond-air.at; 

Internet: http://www.diamondaircraft.com/ 

contact/technical.php. 

(4) You may view this service information 

at 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 April 

15, 2013. 

Earl Lawrence, 

Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 

Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–09431 Filed 4–30–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2009–0951; Directorate 

Identifier 2007–SW–52–AD; Amendment 

39–17437; AD 2013–08–19] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter 

France Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for 

Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model 

AS350B, AS350BA, AS350B1, 

AS350B2, AS350B3, AS350C, AS350D, 

AS350D1, AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, 

AS355F2, and AS355N helicopters. This 

AD requires visual and dye penetrant 

inspections for cracks in the rear roller 

support shaft (shaft) and rear fitting 

(fitting) of the sliding door, and 

replacing the shaft or fitting if there is 

a crack. This AD’s actions are prompted 

by reports of cracks in the shaft and the 

fitting and are intended to prevent the 

loss of the sliding door, which could 

come into contact with the rotor system, 

leading to damage to the helicopter and 

loss of helicopter control. 

DATES: This AD is effective June 5, 2013. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of certain documents listed in this AD 

as of June 5, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: For service information 

identified in this AD, contact American 

Eurocopter Corporation, 2701 N. Forum 

Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75052; 

telephone (972) 641–0000 or (800) 232– 

0323; fax (972) 641–3775; or at http:// 

www.eurocopter.com/techpub. 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. 

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, any 

incorporated-by-reference service 

information, the economic evaluation, 

any comments received, and other 

information. The street address for the 

Docket Operations Office (phone: 800– 

647–5527) is U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations 

Office, 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 October 22, 2009, at 74 FR 54501, 

the Federal Register published our 

notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), 

which proposed to amend 14 CFR part 

39 to include an AD that would apply 

to Eurocopter Model AS350B, 

AS350BA, AS350B1, AS350B2, 

AS350B3, AS350C, AS350D, AS350D1, 

AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, 

and AS355N helicopters, with sliding 

door pre-modification (MOD) 073298 or 

pre-MOD 073308, installed. The NPRM 

proposed to require visual and dye 


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25366 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 84 / Wednesday, May 1, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 

penetrant inspections of the shaft and 

fitting. If a crack exists in the shaft or 

fitting, the NPRM proposed replacing 

the cracked parts with airworthy parts. 

The proposed requirements were 

intended to prevent the loss of the 

sliding door, which could come into 

contact with the rotor system and lead 

to damage to the helicopter and loss of 

helicopter control. 

The European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA), which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Union, has issued EASA AD No. 2007– 

0236, dated August 31, 2007, to correct 

an unsafe condition for specified 

Eurocopter model helicopters. EASA 

issued AD 2006–0251 and its revisions 

following a case of total failure and a 

case of a crack discovered on the 

support shaft of the sliding door rear 

roller. 

Metallurgical and metallographic 

analyses revealed a nonconformity 

concerning the heat treatment of the 

material. Since then, other cases of 

cracks and failures of the roller support 

shaft rear attach fitting had been 

reported. EASA AD No. 2007–0236 

supersedes EASA AD No. 2006–0251R2 

but retains the requirements for 

repetitive inspections until replacement 

of current parts with improved parts. 

EASA AD No. 2007–0236 also prohibits 

installation of another roller support 

fitting part number (P/N) 350A25–1270– 

22 on any AS350 or AS355 helicopter. 

Comments 

After our NPRM (74 FR 54501, 

October 22, 2009) was published, we 

received comments from one 

commenter. 

Request 

One commenter requested that our 

AD apply to only pre-modified aircraft 

as stated in the applicability paragraph. 

We agree. 

The commenter also requested a 

paragraph on terminating action once an 

aircraft is ‘‘modified to a post-mod 

status’’ to avoid confusing an owner/ 

operator. We disagree with this request. 

If an aircraft becomes modified 

according to modifications 073298 and 

073308, the AD is clear that the 

applicability paragraph no longer 

applies. 

FAA’s Determination 

These helicopters have been approved 

by the aviation authority of France and 

are approved for operation in the United 

States. Pursuant to our bilateral 

agreement with France, EASA, its 

technical representative, has notified us 

of the unsafe condition described in the 

EASA AD. 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 and that air 

safety and the public interest require 

adopting the AD requirements as 

proposed, except we have revised the 

estimated costs of complying with this 

AD to reflect labor costs of $85 per hour 

instead of $80 per hour. 

Differences Between This AD and the 

EASA AD 

This AD differs from EASA AD No. 

2007–0236 as follows: 

• We use the word ‘‘inspect’’ to 

describe the actions required by a 

mechanic. EASA uses the word 

‘‘check,’’ which is how we describe the 

actions we allow a pilot to complete. 

• We do not require an operator to 

tell the manufacturer if a crack is found 

in the shaft. 

• We are not including the Model AS 

350 BB, because that model is not type 

certificated in the U.S. We are including 

Models AS350C and AS350D1 

helicopters. 

Related Service Information 

On July 18, 2006, Eurocopter issued 

Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) No. 

52.00.30 for modifying the AS350 series 

helicopters and ASB No. 52.00.23 for 

modifying the AS355 series helicopters. 

These ASBs contained modifications 

073298 and 073308. The following day, 

Eurocopter issued ASB No. 05.00.45 for 

the AS355 model helicopters and ASB 

No. 05.00.47 for the AS350 helicopters. 

On June 29, 2007, Eurocopter issued 

Revision 1 to ASB No. 52.00.30 for the 

AS350 model helicopters and ASB No. 

52.00.23 for the AS355 model 

helicopters to modify the sliding door 

medium roller pin and the fitting. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD will affect 

725 helicopters of U.S. Registry and that 

labor costs average $85 a work-hour. 

Based on these estimates, we expect the 

following costs: 

Inspecting and modifying the sliding 

doors will require about 4 work-hours 

for a labor cost of $340. Parts will cost 

about $7,000 for a total cost of $7,340 

per helicopter, and $5,321,500 for the 

U.S. fleet. 

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 

helicopters identified in this rulemaking 

action. 

Regulatory Findings 

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. 

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): 


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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 84 / Wednesday, May 1, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 25367 

2013–08–19 Eurocopter France Helicopters:

Amendment 39–17437; Docket No. 

FAA–2009–0951; Directorate Identifier 

2007–SW–52–AD. 

(a) Applicability 

This AD applies to Eurocopter France 

(Eurocopter) Model AS350B, BA, B1, B2, B3, 

C, D, D1, AS355E, F, F1, F2, and N 

helicopters, with sliding door premodification (MOD) 073298 or pre-MOD 

073308, installed, certificated in any 

category. 

(b) Unsafe Condition 

This AD defines the unsafe condition as a 

crack in the rear roller support shaft (shaft) 

or the rear fitting (fitting) of the sliding door. 

This condition could result in loss of the 

sliding door, which could come into contact 

with the rotor system, leading to damage to 

the helicopter and loss of helicopter control. 

(c) Effective Date 

This AD becomes effective June 5, 2013. 

(d) Compliance 

You are responsible for performing each 

action required by this AD within the 

specified compliance time unless 

accomplished previously. 

(e) Required Actions 

(1) For a sliding door with less than 90 

hours time-in-service (TIS), on or before 

accumulating a total of 110 hours TIS, 

conduct the visual and dye penetrant 

inspections of the shaft and the fitting of the 

sliding door for a crack by reference to Figure 

1 and by following the Operational 

Procedure, paragraph 2.B.1 and 2.B.2, of 

Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) No. 

05.00.47 dated July 19, 2006, for the Model 

AS350 helicopters (ASB 05.00.47) or ASB 

No. 05.00.45 dated July 19, 2006, for the 

Model AS355 helicopters (ASB 05.00.45), 

except you are not required to contact the 

manufacturer. 

(i) If no crack is found in the shaft or 

fitting, reinstall the shaft on the fitting, fit the 

spring pins, and plug the pin holes by 

following the Operational Procedure, 

paragraph 2.B.2. of ASB 05.00.47 or 05.00.45, 

whichever is appropriate for your model 

helicopter. 

(ii) If you find a crack in the fitting, replace 

the fitting with an airworthy fitting before 

further flight. 

(iii) If you find a crack in the shaft, replace 

the shaft with an airworthy shaft before 

further flight by reference to Figure 1 and by 

following paragraph 2.B.3. of ASB 05.00.47 

or 05.00.45, whichever is appropriate for 

your model helicopter. 

(2) For a sliding door with 90 or more 

hours TIS, within the next 20 hours TIS, and 

thereafter at intervals not to exceed 110 hours 

TIS, conduct the visual and dye penetrant 

inspections of the shaft and the fitting of the 

sliding door for a crack by reference to Figure 

1 and by following the Operational 

Procedure, paragraph 2.B.1 and 2.B.2, of ASB 

05.00.47 or ASB 05.00.45, whichever is 

appropriate for your model helicopter, except 

you are not required to contact the 

manufacturer. 

(i) If no crack is found in the shaft and 

fitting, reinstall the shaft or fitting, fit the 

spring pins, and plug the pin holes by 

following the Operational Procedure, 

paragraph 2.B.2. of ASB 05.00.47 or 05.00.45, 

whichever is appropriate for your model 

helicopter. 

(ii) If you find a crack in the fitting, replace 

the fitting with an airworthy fitting before 

further flight. 

(iii) If you find a crack in the shaft, replace 

the shaft with an airworthy shaft before 

further flight by reference to Figure 1 and by 

following paragraph 2.B.3. of ASB 05.00.47 

or 05.45, whichever is appropriate for your 

model helicopter. 

(3) After the effective date of this AD, do 

not install any of the following parts on any 

helicopter: 

(i) Left-hand sliding door, part number (P/ 

N) 350A25–0030–00XX, 350A25–0120– 

00XX, and 350AMR–0227–0052; 

(ii) Right-hand sliding door, P/N 350A25– 

0030–01XX, 350A25–0120–01XX, 350A25– 

0120–03XX, and 350AMR–0227–0051; 

(iii) Rail roller pin, P/N 350A25–1275–20; 

and 

(iv) Cast roller support fittings, P/N 

350A25–1270–20 and P/N 350A25–1270–22. 

(f) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, Safety Management 

Group, FAA, may approve AMOCs for this 

AD. Send your proposal to: 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. 

(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 

The subject of this AD is addressed in 

European Aviation Safety Agency AD No. 

2007–0236, dated August 31, 2007. 

(h) Subject 

Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) 

Code: 5344, Fuselage Door Hinges. 

(i) 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 the AD specifies otherwise: 

(i) Eurocopter France Alert Service Bulletin 

No. 05.00.47, Revision 0, dated July 19, 2006. 

(ii) Eurocopter France Alert Service 

Bulletin No. 05.00.45, Revision 0, dated July 

19, 2006. 

(3) For Eurocopter France service 

information identified in this AD, contact 

American Eurocopter Corporation, 2701 N. 

Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75052; 

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

fax (972) 641–3775; or at http:// 

www.eurocopter.com/techpub. 

(4) You may view this service information 

at FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, 

Southwest Region, 2601 Meacham Blvd., 

Room 663, Fort Worth, Texas 76137. For 

information on the availability of this 

material at the FAA, call (817) 222–5110. 

(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 Fort Worth, Texas, on April 12, 

2013. 

Lance T. Gant, 

Acting Directorate Manager, Rotorcraft 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–09436 Filed 4–30–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2012–0631; Directorate 

Identifier 2011–SW–021–AD; Amendment 

39–17282; AD 2012–25–01] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter 

France Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for 

Eurocopter France Model AS350B, 

AS350BA, AS350B1, AS350B2, 

AS350B3, AS350C, AS350D, AS350D1, 

AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, 

AS355N, and AS355NP helicopters with 

certain Aerazur emergency flotation gear 

attachment brackets (brackets) installed. 

This AD requires an initial and 

recurring inspection of the brackets for 

a crack, and if there is a crack, replacing 

the cracked bracket with an airworthy 

bracket. This AD was prompted by 

reports of cracks on the brackets. The 

actions of this AD are intended to 

prevent failure of the emergency 

flotation system and loss of float 

stability in the event of a water landing. 

DATES: This AD is effective June 5, 2013. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of certain documents listed in this AD 

as of June 5, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: For service information 

identified in this AD, contact American 

Eurocopter Corporation, 2701 N. Forum 


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