23692 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 77 / Monday, April 22, 2013 / Proposed Rules 

eliminates the need for the actions 

proposed in the NPRM. 

FAA’s Conclusions 

Upon further consideration, we have 

determined that the unsafe condition 

still exists, however, we intend to 

address it with new AD rulemaking. 

Accordingly, the NPRM (76 FR 5503, 

February 1, 2011) is withdrawn. 

Withdrawal of the NPRM (76 FR 5503, 

February 1, 2011) does not preclude the 

FAA from issuing another related action 

or commit the FAA to any course of 

action in the future. 

Regulatory Impact 

Since this action only withdraws an 

NPRM (76 FR 5503, February 1, 2011), 

it is neither a proposed nor a final rule 

and therefore is not covered under 

Executive Order 12866, the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act, or DOT Regulatory 

Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11034, 

February 26, 1979). 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, Incorporation by reference, 

Safety. 

The Withdrawal 

Accordingly, we withdraw the NPRM, 

Docket No. FAA–2011–0033, Directorate 

Identifier 2010–NM–019–AD, which 

published in the Federal Register on 

February 1, 2011 (76 FR 5503). 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on February 

1, 2013. 

Ali Bahrami, 

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–09429 Filed 4–19–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0351; Directorate 

Identifier 2009–SW–049–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter 

France Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for 

Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model 

AS350B, BA, B1, B2, B3, and D, and 

Model AS355E, F, F1, F2, and N 

helicopters with certain tail rotor (T/R) 

blades. This proposed AD would require 

installing additional rivets to secure 

each T/R blade trailing edge tab (tab), 

and inspecting for evidence of 

debonding of the tab after the rivets are 

installed. This proposed AD is 

prompted by reports of T/R blade tab 

debonding. The actions specified by this 

proposed AD are intended to prevent 

loss of a T/R blade tab, which could 

result in excessive vibration and loss of 

control of the helicopter. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by June 21, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by 

any of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Docket: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

online instructions for sending your 

comments electronically. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Mail: Send comments to the U.S. 

Department of Transportation, Docket 

Operations, M–30, West Building 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 

DC 20590–0001. 

• Hand Delivery: Deliver to the 

‘‘Mail’’ address between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

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 proposed AD, the 

economic evaluation, any comments 

received, and other information. The 

street address for the Docket Operations 

Office (telephone 800–647–5527) is in 

the ADDRESSES section. Comments will 

be available in the AD docket shortly 

after receipt. 

For service information identified in 

this proposed 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. 

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: 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to participate in this 

rulemaking by submitting written 

comments, data, or views. We also 

invite comments relating to the 

economic, environmental, energy, or 

federalism impacts that might result 

from adopting the proposals in this 

document. The most helpful comments 

reference a specific portion of the 

proposal, explain the reason for any 

recommended change, and include 

supporting data. To ensure the docket 

does not contain duplicate comments, 

commenters should send only one copy 

of written comments, or if comments are 

filed electronically, commenters should 

submit only one time. 

We will file in the docket all 

comments that we receive, as well as a 

report summarizing each substantive 

public contact with FAA personnel 

concerning this proposed rulemaking. 

Before acting on this proposal, we will 

consider all comments we receive on or 

before the closing date for comments. 

We will consider comments filed after 

the comment period has closed if it is 

possible to do so without incurring 

expense or delay. We may change this 

proposal in light of the comments we 

receive. 

Discussion 

The Direction Generale de l’Aviation 

Civile (DGAC), which is the aviation 

authority for France, has issued DGAC 

AD No. F–2004–178, dated November 

10, 2004, for the Eurocopter AS 350B, 

BA, BB, B1, B2, B3, and D helicopters, 

fitted with certain T/R blades. DGAC 

has also issued AD No. F–2004–176, 

dated November 10, 2004, for the 

Eurocopter Model AS 355E, F, F1, F2, 

and N helicopters with certain T/R 

blades. DGAC advises of reports of T/R 

blade tab debonding, and that the loss 

of the tab leads to a significant increase 

in the aircraft’s vibration level. As a 

result, the ADs mandate compliance 

with the manufacturer’s service 

information to install additional rivets 

on the tabs. 

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, the European 

Aviation Safety Agency, which is the 

Technical Agent for the Member States 

of the European Union, has notified us 

of the unsafe condition described in the 

DGAC AD. We are proposing this AD 

because we evaluated all known 

relevant information and determined 

that an unsafe condition is likely to 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 77 / Monday, April 22, 2013 / Proposed Rules 23693 

exist or develop on other products of the 

same type design. 

Related Service Information 

We reviewed Eurocopter Alert Service 

Bulletin (ASB) No. 64.00.05, Revision 2, 

dated February 15, 2007, for Model 

AS350B, BA, BB, B1, B2, B3, and D 

helicopters, and ASB No. 64.00.04, 

Revision 2, dated February 15, 2007, for 

Model AS355E, F, F1, F2, and N 

helicopters. 

These ASBs specify, within 100 flying 

hours without exceeding three months, 

installing additional rivets on T/R blade 

tabs and inspecting each tab for 

debonding after the rivets have been 

installed. DGAC classified these ASBs 

as mandatory and issued AD No. F– 

2004–176 and AD No. F2004–178 to 

ensure the continued airworthiness of 

these helicopters. 

Proposed AD Requirements 

This proposed AD would require 

installing additional rivets on each T/R 

blade tab and inspecting the tab for 

debonding. If there is debonding of the 

tab, this proposed AD would require 

replacing the tab with an airworthy tab 

before further flight. 

Differences Between This Proposed AD 

and the DGAC AD 

This proposed AD does not include 

the Model AS350 BB because it does not 

have an FAA-issued type certificate. 

This proposed AD requires compliance 

within 100 hours TIS. The DGAC ADs 

require compliance within 100 flying 

hours ‘‘without exceeding 3 months.’’ 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this proposed AD 

affects 654 helicopters of U.S. registry 

and that labor costs average $85 a workhour. Based on these estimates, we 

expect the following costs: 

• Installing rivets and inspecting for 

tab debonding would take one hour for 

a labor cost of $85. Parts would cost 

$100 for a total cost of $185 per 

helicopter. The cost for the U.S. fleet 

would total $120,990. 

• Replacing the tab with an airworthy 

tab, if needed, would take four hours for 

a total labor cost of $340. Parts would 

cost $100, for a total cost of $440 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, 

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 proposed AD 

would not have federalism implications 

under Executive Order 13132. This 

proposed AD 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. 

For the reasons discussed, I certify 

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); 

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 proposed 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. 

The Proposed Amendment 

Accordingly, under the authority 

delegated to me by the Administrator, 

the FAA proposes to amend 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): 

Europcopter France (Eurocopter): Docket No. 

FAA–2013–0351; Directorate Identifier 

2009–SW–049–AD. 

(a) Applicability 

This AD applies to Eurocopter Model 

AS350B, BA, B1, B2, B3, D, and AS355E, F, 

F1, F2, and N helicopters with a tail rotor (T/ 

R) blade, part number (P/N) 355A12–0040– 

00, 355A–12–0040–01, 355A12–0040–02, 

355A12–0040–03, 355A–12–0040–04, 

355A12–0040–05, 355A–12–0040–07, 355A– 

12.0040–08, or 355A12–0040–14, all serial 

numbers (S/N); or P/N 355A12–0050–04, 

355A12–0050–10, or 355A12–0050–12, with 

a S/N 8400 through 9224, certificated in any 

category. 

(b) Unsafe Condition 

This AD defines the unsafe condition as T/ 

R blade trailing edge tab (tab) debonding. 

This condition could result in excessive 

vibration of the helicopter and loss of control 

of the helicopter. 

(c) Comments Due Date 

Comments are due June 21, 2013. 

(d) 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. 

(e) Required Actions 

Within 100 hours time-in-service, install 

additional rivets on the trailing edge tab of 

each T/R blade, according to the following 

procedures, referencing Figure 1 of 

Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) No. 

64.00.05, Revision 2, dated February 15, 

2007, or ASB No. 64.00.04, Revision 2, dated 

February 15, 2007, whichever is applicable to 

your model helicopter: 

(1) Lightly sand the area to be drilled, 

using No. 80 then No. 220 sandpaper. 

(2) Locate and drill eight 2.5 mm-diameter 

holes (T): 4 holes (T) 12 mm from the existing 

rivets (E) and on the centerline of the existing 

rivets (E), then 4 holes (T) 24 mm from the 

existing rivets (E) and on the centerline of the 

existing rivets (E). 

(3) Deburr and clean the area around the 

drilled holes. 

(4) Install 8 rivets (1) on tab (L). Any 

installation direction of the rivets is 

permissible (pressure face or suction face of 

the T/R blade). 

(5) Inspect the tab for debonding. 

(i) If there is no debonding, paint the area. 

(ii) If there is debonding, replace the tab. 

(f) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, Safety Management 

Group, Rotorcraft Directorate, 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 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
23694 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 77 / Monday, April 22, 2013 / Proposed Rules 

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. F– 

2004–176 and AD No. F–2004–178, both 

dated November 10, 2004. 

(h) Subject 

Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) 

Code: 6410, Tail rotor blades. 

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 11, 

2013. 

Lance T. Gant, 

Acting Directorate Manager, Rotorcraft 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–09417 Filed 4–19–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0334; Directorate 

Identifier 2013–NM–027–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing 

Company Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for all The 

Boeing Company Model 757 airplanes. 

This proposed AD was prompted by a 

report of a broken forward support 

fitting at the inboard track of the 

inboard flap. This proposed AD would 

require repetitive inspections of the 

forward support fitting assemblies of the 

inboard track of the left and right 

inboard flaps for cracking, and 

corrective actions if necessary. We are 

proposing this AD to detect and correct 

cracking of the forward support fitting 

assembly, which could result in loss of 

inboard flap control and subsequent loss 

of airplane control. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by June 6, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, 

using the procedures found in 14 CFR 

11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following 

methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Mail: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, M– 

30, West Building Ground Floor, Room 

W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail 

address above between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

For service information identified in 

this proposed AD, contact Boeing 

Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Data 

& Services Management, P.O. Box 3707, 

MC 2H–65, Seattle, WA 98124–2207; 

telephone 206–544–5000, extension 1; 

fax 206–766–5680; Internet https:// 

www.myboeingfleet.com. You may 

review copies of the referenced service 

information at the FAA, Transport 

Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Ave 

SW., Renton, WA 98057. For 

information on the availability of this 

material at the FAA, call 425–227–1221. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket on 

the Internet at http:// 

www.regulations.gov; 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 proposed AD, the 

regulatory evaluation, any comments 

received, and other information. The 

street address for the Docket Office 

(phone: 800–647–5527) is in the 

ADDRESSES section. Comments will be 

available in the AD docket shortly after 

receipt. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Nancy Marsh, Aerospace Engineer, 

Airframe Branch, ANM–120S, FAA, 

Seattle Aircraft Certification Office, 

1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 

98057–3356; phone: (425) 917–6440; 

fax: (425) 917–6590; email: 

nancy.marsh@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to send any written 

relevant data, views, or arguments about 

this proposal. Send your comments to 

an address listed under the ADDRESSES

section. Include ‘‘Docket No. FAA– 

2013–0334; Directorate Identifier 2013– 

NM–027–AD’’ at the beginning of your 

comments. We specifically invite 

comments on the overall regulatory, 

economic, environmental, and energy 

aspects of this proposed AD. We will 

consider all comments received by the 

closing date and may amend this 

proposed AD because of those 

comments. 

We will post all comments we 

receive, without change, to http:// 

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information you provide. We 

will also post a report summarizing each 

substantive verbal contact we receive 

about this proposed AD. 

Discussion 

We received a report of a broken 

forward support fitting assembly at the 

inboard track of the inboard flap. During 

a post-flight taxi, pilots noticed a FLAP 

TE DISAGREE message on the engine 

indication and crew alerting system 

(EICAS). Maintenance personnel found 

that both components of the forward 

support fitting assembly had broken, 

causing the inboard track and 

transmission to drop 8 inches into the 

wheel well. The airplane had 

accumulated 22,328 total flight cycles. 

Metallurgical analysis found that cracks 

had initiated at a compound radius in 

each component flange common to the 

main landing gear (MLG) beam. Each 

crack was propagated by fatigue and 

was followed by final ductile rupture. 

This condition, if not detected and 

corrected, could result in loss of inboard 

flap control and subsequent loss of 

airplane control. 

Relevant Service Information 

We reviewed Boeing Special 

Attention Service Bulletin 757–57– 

0071, dated September 12, 2012. For 

information on the procedures and 

compliance times, see this service 

information at http:// 

www.regulations.gov by searching for 

Docket No. FAA–2013–0334. 

FAA’s Determination 

We are proposing this AD because we 

evaluated all the relevant information 

and determined the unsafe condition 

described previously is likely to exist or 

develop in other products of the same 

type design. 

Proposed AD Requirements 

This proposed AD would require 

accomplishing the actions specified in 

the service information described 

previously. 

In addition, the phrase ‘‘corrective 

actions’’ might be used in this proposed 

AD. ‘‘Corrective actions’’ are actions 

that correct or address any condition 

found. Corrective actions in an AD 

could include, for example, repairs. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this proposed AD 

affects 690 airplanes of U.S. registry. 

We estimate the following costs to 

comply with this proposed AD: 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS