12802 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 48 / Friday, March 11, 2016 / Rules and Regulations 

(202) 741–6030, or go to: http:// 

www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibrlocations.html. 

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on March 2, 

2016. 

Scott A. Horn, 

Acting Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2016–05258 Filed 3–10–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2015–3658; Directorate 

Identifier 2014–SW–039–AD; Amendment 

39–18427; AD 2016–05–09] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; MD 

Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 

MDHI Model 369A (Army OH–6A), 

369H, 369HE, 369HM, 369HS, 369D, 

369E, 369F, 369FF, and 500N 

helicopters. This AD requires inspecting 

the auxiliary fuel pump (fuel pump) 

wire routing in the left-hand fuel cell 

and corrective action, if necessary. This 

AD also requires installing a warning 

decal on the left-hand fuel cell access 

cover. This AD was prompted by 

accidents resulting from incorrectly 

positioned fuel pump wiring within the 

fuel tank interfering with the operation 

of the fuel quantity sensor float, which 

caused an erroneous fuel quantity 

indication in the cockpit. The actions 

are intended to detect and correct 

routing of the fuel pump wiring to 

prevent interference with the fuel 

quantity sensor float, an erroneous fuel 

quantity indication in the cockpit, and 

subsequent fuel exhaustion and 

emergency landing. 

DATES: This AD is effective April 15, 

2016. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of certain documents listed in this AD 

as of April 15, 2016. 

ADDRESSES: For service information 

identified in this final rule, contact MD 

Helicopters, Inc., Attn: Customer 

Support Division, 4555 E. McDowell 

Rd., Mail Stop M615, Mesa, AZ 85215– 

9734; telephone 1–800–388–3378; fax 

480–346–6813; or at http://

www.mdhelicopters.com. You may 

review a copy of the referenced service 

information at the FAA, Office of the 

Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 

10101 Hillwood Pkwy, Room 6N–321, 

Fort Worth, TX 76177. It is also 

available on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2015– 

3658. 

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–2015– 

3658; 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-byreference 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: 

Danny Nguyen, Aerospace Engineer, Los 

Angeles Aircraft Certification Office, 

Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 

3960 Paramount Blvd., Lakewood, 

California 90712; telephone (562) 627– 

5247; email danny.nguyen@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

On September 2, 2015, at 80 FR 

53030, the Federal Register published 

our notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM), which proposed to amend 14 

CFR part 39 by adding an AD that 

would apply to certain MDHI Model 

369A (Army OH–6A), 369H, 369HE, 

369HM, 369HS, 369D, 369E, 369F, 

369FF, and 500N helicopters. The 

NPRM proposed to require inspecting 

the routing of the fuel pump wiring to 

determine whether the fuel pump wire 

is properly wrapped around the fuel 

inlet hose and correcting the routing of 

the wiring if it is not. The NPRM also 

proposed to require installing a decal 

regarding correct installation of the fuel 

pump wiring. The NPRM was prompted 

by two accidents and one incident that 

occurred on Model 369D helicopters 

resulting from an incorrectly positioned 

fuel pump wire within the fuel tank 

interfering with the operation of the fuel 

quantity sensor float, which caused an 

erroneous fuel quantity reading in the 

cockpit. Because the fuel pump is 

installed on all the affected model 

helicopters, we are including them in 

the applicability. According to MDHI, 

because maintenance personnel caused 

the incorrect wire routing by failing to 

follow procedures for installing the fuel 

pump, it is also necessary to install a 

decal on the left-hand fuel cell access 

cover to refer maintenance personnel to 

the appropriate manual procedures. The 

proposed requirements were intended to 

detect and correct routing of the fuel 

pump wiring to prevent interference 

with the fuel quantity sensor float, an 

erroneous fuel quantity indication in the 

cockpit, and subsequent fuel exhaustion 

and emergency landing. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD, but 

we did not receive any comments on the 

NPRM (80 FR 53030, September 2, 

2015). 

FAA’s Determination 

We have reviewed the relevant 

information and determined that an 

unsafe condition exists and is likely to 

exist or develop on other products of the 

same type designs and that air safety 

and the public interest require adopting 

the AD requirements as proposed. 

Related Service Information Under 1 

CFR Part 51 

MD Helicopters issued one service 

bulletin on April 30, 2014, with five 

different numbers: SB369H–255, 

SB369E–111, SB500N–049, SB369D– 

213, and SB369F–098. The service 

bulletin specifies a one-time inspection 

of the routing of the fuel pump wire in 

the left-hand fuel cell and corrective 

action, if necessary. The service bulletin 

also specifies installing a warning decal 

on the left-hand fuel cell access cover 

that refers personnel to the procedures 

for routing the fuel pump wire that is 

contained in the appropriate 

maintenance manual. The service 

bulletin states that recent field incidents 

have occurred where maintenance 

personnel have not followed the 

procedures for installation of the fuel 

pump. Also, the service bulletin states 

that an incorrectly installed fuel pump 

wire can interfere with the fuel quantity 

sensor float, which can result in 

erroneous fuel quantity indications. To 

prevent this situation, the service 

information states that the fuel pump 

wire must be wrapped around the fuel 

inlet hose as shown in the applicable 

maintenance manual. 

This service information is reasonably 

available because the interested parties 

have access to it through their normal 

course of business or by the means 

identified in the ADDRESSES section. 


asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 48 / Friday, March 11, 2016 / Rules and Regulations 12803 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD will affect 

833 helicopters of U.S. Registry. We 

estimate that operators may incur the 

following costs in order to comply with 

this AD. Labor costs are estimated at $85 

per work-hour. Inspecting the fuel 

pump wire routing and installing a 

decal will take 3 work-hours, and parts 

will cost $20 for a total cost of $275 per 

helicopter and $229,075 for the U.S. 

fleet. If required, rerouting the wiring 

will require 1 work-hour for a total cost 

of $85 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 

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): 

2016–05–09 MD Helicopters, Inc.: 

Amendment 39–18427; Docket No. 

FAA–2015–3658; Directorate Identifier 

2014–SW–039–AD. 

(a) Applicability 

This AD applies to the following 

helicopters, certificated in any category: 

(1) Model 369A (Army OH–6A), 369H, 

369HE, 369HM, 369HS, and 369D; 

(2) Model 369E with a serial number (S/N) 

0001E through 0620E; 

(3) Model 369F and 369FF with a S/N 

0001FF through 0212FF, 0600FF, 0601FF, 

0602FF, and 0700FF through 0711FF and 

with an auxiliary fuel pump part number (P/ 

N) 369A8143–3 installed; and 

(4) Model 500N with a S/N LN001 through 

LN0111. 

(b) Unsafe Condition 

This AD defines the unsafe condition as 

incorrect routing of the auxiliary fuel pump 

(fuel pump) wiring. This condition could 

result in an erroneous fuel quantity 

indication in the cockpit and subsequent fuel 

exhaustion and emergency landing. 

(c) Effective Date 

This AD becomes effective April 15, 2016. 

(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: 

(1) Remove the fuel quantity sensor by 

following the Accomplishment Instructions, 

paragraph 2.B., of MD Helicopters Service 

Bulletin SB369H–255, SB369E–111, 

SB500N–049, SB369D–213, or SB369F–098, 

dated April 30, 2014, as applicable to your 

model helicopter. Using a mirror and light, 

inspect the routing of the fuel pump wire in 

the area depicted in Figure 2 of MD 

Helicopters Service Bulletin SB369H–255, 

SB369E–111, SB500N–049, SB369D–213, or 

SB369F–098, dated April 30, 2014, as 

applicable to your model helicopter, and 

determine whether the fuel pump wire is 

wrapped around the left-hand fuel cell fuel 

inlet hose assembly a minimum of one 

revolution. 

(i) If the fuel pump wire is wrapped around 

the left-hand fuel cell fuel inlet hose a 

minimum of one revolution, install the fuel 

quantity sensor and perform a fuel quantity 

sensor functional test for proper fuel float 

arm function. 

(ii) If the fuel pump wire is not wrapped 

around the left-hand fuel cell fuel inlet hose 

a minimum of one revolution, install the fuel 

quantity sensor, route the fuel pump wire 

around the left-hand fuel cell fuel inlet hose 

by following paragraphs 2.E.(1) through 

2.E.(8) of MD Helicopters Service Bulletin 

SB369H–255, SB369E–111, SB500N–049, 

SB369D–213, or SB369F–098, dated April 30, 

2014 as applicable to your model helicopter, 

and perform a fuel quantity sensor functional 

test for proper fuel float arm function. 

(2) Install start pump warning decal, P/N 

MHS5861–66 or equivalent, on the left-hand 

fuel cell cover by following paragraph 2.G. of 

MD Helicopters Service Bulletin SB369H– 

255, SB369E–111, SB500N–049, SB369D– 

213, or SB369F–098, dated April 30, 2014 as 

applicable to your model helicopter. 

(f) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, Los Angeles Aircraft 

Certification Office, FAA, may approve 

AMOCs for this AD. Send your proposal to: 

Danny Nguyen, Aerospace Engineer 

Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 3960 

Paramount Blvd., Lakewood, California 

90712; telephone (562) 627–5247; email 9- 

ANM-LAACO-AMOC-REQUESTS@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) Subject 

Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) 

Code: 2840 Fuel Quantity Indicating System. 

(h) Material Incorporated by Reference 

(1) The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 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) MD Helicopters Service Bulletin 

SB369D–213, dated April 30, 2014. 

(ii) MD Helicopters Service Bulletin 

SB369E–111, dated April 30, 2014. 

(iii) MD Helicopters Service Bulletin 

SB369F–098, dated April 30, 2014. 

(iv) MD Helicopters Service Bulletin 

SB369H–255, dated April 30, 2014. 

(v) MD Helicopters Service Bulletin 

SB500N–049, dated April 30, 2014. 

Note 1 to paragraph (h)(2): MD Helicopters 

Service Bulletin SB369D–213, SB369E–111, 

SB369F–098, SB369H–255, and SB500N– 


asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with RULES
12804 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 48 / Friday, March 11, 2016 / Rules and Regulations 

049, dated April 30, 2014, are co-published 

as one document. 

(3) For MD Helicopters service information 

identified in this final rule, contact MD 

Helicopters, Inc., Attn: Customer Support 

Division, 4555 E. McDowell Rd., Mail Stop 

M615, Mesa, AZ 85215–9734; telephone 1– 

800–388–3378; fax 480–346–6813; or at 

http://www.mdhelicopters.com. 

(4) You may view this service information 

at FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, 

Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy, 

Room 6N–321, Fort Worth, TX 76177. 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 March 1, 

2016. 

Scott A. Horn, 

Acting Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2016–04982 Filed 3–10–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2015–4381; Directorate 

Identifier 2015–SW–009–AD;Amendment 

39–18428; AD 2016–05–10] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus 

Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for Airbus 

Helicopters Model AS 365 N3, EC 155B, 

and EC155B1 helicopters with certain 

external life rafts. This AD requires 

installing a sheath kit on the left-hand 

and right-hand raft deployment control 

systems. This AD is prompted by a 

report that the life raft deployment 

control could not be adjusted due to 

problems with the life raft deployment 

linkage. This unsafe condition, if not 

corrected, could result in failure of the 

external life raft to deploy and prevent 

evacuation of passengers during an 

emergency. 

DATES: This AD becomes effective 

March 28, 2016. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of certain documents listed in this AD 

as of March 28, 2016. 

We must receive comments on this 

AD by May 10, 2016. 

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 by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2015– 

4381; 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, the European Aviation 

Safety Agency (EASA) AD, any 

incorporated by reference service 

information, 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 final rule, contact Airbus 

Helicopters, 2701 N. Forum Drive, 

Grand Prairie, TX 75052; telephone 

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

(972) 641–3775; or at http://

www.airbushelicopters.com/techpub. 

You may review the referenced service 

information at the FAA, Office of the 

Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 

10101 Hillwood Pkwy, Room 6N–321, 

Fort Worth, TX 76177. It is also on the 

Internet at http://www.regulations.gov 

by searching for and locating Docket No. 

FAA–2015–4381. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

David Hatfield, Aviation Safety 

Engineer, Safety Management Group, 

Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, 10101 

Hillwood Pkwy, Fort Worth, TX 76177; 

telephone (817) 222–5116; email 

david.hatfield@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

This AD is a final rule that involves 

requirements affecting flight safety, and 

we did not provide you with notice and 

an opportunity to provide your 

comments prior to it becoming effective. 

However, 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 resulted from 

adopting this AD. The most helpful 

comments reference a specific portion of 

the AD, 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 them 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 

rulemaking during the comment period. 

We will consider all the comments we 

receive and may conduct additional 

rulemaking based on those comments. 

Discussion 

EASA, which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Union, has issued EASA AD No. 2015– 

0048, dated March 17, 2015, to correct 

an unsafe condition for Airbus 

Helicopters Model AS 365 N3, EC 155B, 

and EC155B1 helicopters. EASA advises 

that after installation of a new life raft 

on a helicopter, the travel of the life raft 

deployment control could not be 

properly adjusted, putting at risk proper 

life raft inflation. According to a 

technical analysis, the varying positions 

of the life raft inflation cylinder inside 

the bag containing the life raft, as well 

as the varying positions of the bag 

within the life raft container, may cause 

the life raft deployment control cable to 

loosen and travel insufficiently. 

This condition could result in failure 

of the external life raft to deploy after a 

ditching, impeding or preventing the 

safe evacuation of helicopter occupants, 

EASA states. EASA consequently 

requires alteration of the life raft 

deployment control by installing a 

sheath kit, which Airbus Helicopters 

identifies as Modification 

365A084711.00 and 365A084711.01. 

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 


asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with RULES