Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 4, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 54383 

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

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on August 12, 

2013. 

Kim Smith, 

Directorate Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–20238 Filed 9–3–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0239; Directorate 

Identifier 2010–SW–087–AD; Amendment 

39–17552; AD 2013–16–14] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter 

Deutschland GmbH Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for all 

Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH (ECD) 

EC 135 P1, P2, P2+, T1, T2, and T2+ 

helicopters equipped with a certain 

main transmission housing upper part. 

This AD requires installing a corrugated 

washer in the middle of the main 

transmission filter housing upper part 

and modifying the main transmission 

housing upper part. This AD was 

prompted by an inspection of housing 

upper parts that revealed the bypass 

inlet in the oil filter area was not 

manufactured in accordance with 

applicable design specifications. The 

actions of this AD are intended to 

prevent failure of the main transmission 

and subsequent loss of control of the 

helicopter. 

DATES: This AD is effective October 9, 

2013. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of certain documents listed in this AD 

as of October 9, 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, the foreign 

authority’s 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: 

Chinh Vuong, Aviation Safety Engineer, 

Safety Management Group, Rotorcraft 

Directorate, FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., 

Fort Worth, Texas 76137; telephone 

(817) 222–5110; email chinh.vuong@

faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

On March 14, 2013, at 78 FR 16196, 

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 ECD Model EC135 P1, P2, P2+, T1, 

T2, and T2+ helicopters with a certain 

serial numbered main transmission 

FS108 housing upper part, part number 

(P/N) 4649 301 034. The NPRM 

proposed to require installing a 

corrugated washer in the filter housing 

of the housing upper part and modifying 

each affected main transmission 

housing upper part by machining the oil 

filter bypass inlet. The proposed 

requirements were intended to prevent 

failure of the main transmission and 

subsequent loss of control of the 

helicopter. 

The NPRM was prompted by AD No. 

2010–0213, dated October 14, 2010, 

issued by the European Aviation Safety 

Agency (EASA), which is the Technical 

Agent for the Member States of the 

European Union. EASA issued AD No. 

2010–0213 to correct an unsafe 

condition for the ECD model EC 135 and 

EC635 helicopters. EASA advises that a 

recent inspection on some housing 

upper parts for the main transmission 

FS108 revealed the bypass inlet in the 

oil filter area had not been 

manufactured in accordance with the 

applicable design specifications. EASA 

advises that this condition, if not 

detected and corrected, could adversely 

affect the oil-filter bypass function, 

which is essential for continued safe 

flight. The EASA AD requires a 

temporary modification of the main 

transmission housing upper part by 

installing a corrugated washer, and then 

a ‘‘rework’’ of the oil filter area to bring 

the affected parts within the applicable 

design specifications. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD, but 

we did not receive any comments on the 

NPRM (78 FR 16196 March 14, 2013). 

FAA’s Determination 

These helicopters have been approved 

by the aviation authority of the Republic 

of Germany and are approved for 

operation in the United States. Pursuant 

to our bilateral agreement with the 

Republic of Germany, 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. 

Related Service Information 

ECD has issued Alert Service Bulletin 

(ASB) ASB EC135–63A–017, Revision 0, 

dated October 11, 2010 (EC135–63A– 

017), which specifies removing the oil 

filter element and installing a 

corrugated washer. EC135–63A–017 

also specifies reworking the affected 

filter housing upper part at the next 

repair or major overhaul of the main 

transmission, no later than 4,000 flight 

hours after receipt of the service 

bulletin. EASA classified this ASB as 

mandatory and issued AD 2010–0213 to 

ensure the continued airworthiness of 

these helicopters. 

We have also reviewed ZF 

Luftfahrttechnik GmbH Service 

Instruction No. EC135FS108–1659– 

1009, dated September 14, 2010, which 

specifies procedures for repairing the 

main transmission upper housing, and 

includes dimensions and tolerances for 

machining the housing upper part. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD will affect 

227 helicopters of U.S. Registry. Based 

on an average labor rate of $85 per work 

hour, we estimate that operators may 

incur the following costs in order to 

comply with this AD. Installing the 

corrugated washer will require about .5 

work hour, and required parts cost 

about $10, for a cost per helicopter of 

about $53, and a total cost to the U.S. 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with RULES
54384 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 4, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 

operator fleet of $12,031. Machining the 

housing upper part requires about 5 

work-hours and required parts cost 

about $73, for a total cost per helicopter 

of $498, and a total cost to U.S. 

operators of $113,046. 

According to the ECD ASB, some of 

the costs of this AD may be covered 

under warranty, thereby reducing the 

cost impact on affected individuals. We 

do not control warranty coverage by 

Eurocopter. Accordingly, we have 

included all costs in our cost estimate. 

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): 

2013–16–14 Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH: 

Amendment 39–17552; Docket No. FAA– 

2013–0239; Directorate Identifier 2010–SW– 

087–AD. 

(a) Applicability 

This AD applies to Eurocopter Deutschland 

GmbH Model EC135 P1, P2, P2+, T1, T2, and 

T2+ helicopters with a main transmission 

FS108 housing upper part, part number (P/ 

N) 4649 301 034 and a serial number listed 

in Table 1 of Eurocopter Alert Service 

Bulletin EC135–63A–017, Revision 0, dated 

October 11, 2010 (ASB EC135–63A–017), 

certificated in any category. 

(b) Unsafe Condition 

This AD defines the unsafe condition as an 

improperly manufactured bypass inlet in the 

oil filter area. This condition could adversely 

affect the oil-filter bypass function, resulting 

in failure of the main transmission and 

subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. 

(c) Effective Date 

This AD becomes effective October 9, 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 

(1) Within 3 months, remove the oil filter 

element and install a corrugated washer, 

P/N 0630100377, in the middle of the filter 

housing of the housing upper part as 

depicted in Figure 2 of ASB EC135–63A–017. 

(2) Within 4,000 hours time-in-service or at 

the next main transmission repair or 

overhaul, whichever occurs first, machine 

the main transmission housing upper part in 

accordance with Annex A of ZF 

Luftfahrttechnik GmbH Service Instruction 

No. EC135FS108–1659–1009, dated 

September 14, 2010. 

(3) Do not install a main transmission 

upper part, P/N 4649 301 034, on any 

helicopter unless it has been modified as 

required by paragraphs (e)(1) through (e)(2) of 

this AD. 

(f) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, Safety Management 

Group, FAA, may approve AMOCs for this 

AD. Send your proposal to: Chinh Vuong, 

Aviation Safety Engineer, Safety Management 

Group, Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, 2601 

Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137; 

telephone (817) 222–5110; email 

chinh.vuong@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. 

2010–0213, dated October 14, 2010. You may 

view the EASA AD in the AD docket on the 

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

(h) Subject 

Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) 

Code: 6320: Main Rotor Gearbox. 

(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 Alert Service Bulletin 

EC135–63A–017, Revision 0, dated October 

11, 2010. 

(ii) ZF Luftfahrttechnik GmbH Service 

Instruction No. EC135FS108–1659–1009, 

dated September 14, 2010. 

(3) 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. 

(4) You may view this service information 

that is incorporated by reference in the AD 

docket on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov. 

(5) You may also 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 August 2, 

2013. 

Lance T. Gant, 

Acting Directorate Manager, Rotorcraft 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–19500 Filed 9–3–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with RULES