1 [Federal Register Volume 78, Nu mber 156 (Tuesday, August 13, 2013)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 49115-49116] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2013-19444]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2012-1297; Directorate Id entifier 2012-SW-100-AD; Amendment 39-17285; AD 2012-25-04]

RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; correction.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is correcting an airworthiness directive (AD) that was published in the Federal Register. The AD applies to certain Eurocopter France (E urocopter) Model AS350B3 helicopters. The reference to Titl e 14, Code of Federal Regulati ons (14 CFR) 91.173 in the Required Actions section is incorrect. This document corrects that error. In all other respects, the original
document remains the same.

DATES: This final rule is effective August 13, 20 13. The effective date for AD 2012-25-04 (78 FR 24041, April 24, 2013) remains May 9, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD docket on the Intern et at http://www.regulations.gov; or in person at the Docket Management Facility be tween 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains this AD, the regulatory evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The address for the Docket Office (phone: 800-647-5527) is Document Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Je rsey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Grant, Aviation Safety Engineer, Rotorcraft Directorate, Safety Management Group, FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76137; phone: (817) 222-5110; fax: (817) 222-5110; email: robert.grant@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: AD 2012-25-04, Amendment 39-17285 (78 FR 24041, April 24, 2013), applies to certa in Eurocopter Model AS350B3 he licopters. AD 2012-25-04 currently requires, in part, before further flight and ther eafter after each flight w ithout exceeding 3 hours timein-service between two checks, visually checking each laminated half bearing for certain conditions, and allows this check to be performed by a pilot if certain regulatory reco rdkeeping requirements are2 met. As such, AD 2012-25-04 currently includes the following as the last sentence under paragraph (f)(4): ''The record must be maintain ed as required by 14 CFR 91.173, 121.380, or 134.439.'' As published, the reference to 14 CFR 91.173 is in correct. The correct reference is to 14 CFR
91.417. No other part of the preamble or regulatory information has been changed; therefore, only the changed portion of the final rule is be ing published in the Federal Register.

Correction of Regulatory Text

§ 39.13 [Corrected]

In the Federal Register of April 24, 2013, on page 24046, in the second column, the last sentence of paragraph (f)(4) is corrected to read as follows:

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The record must be maintained as required by 14 CFR 91.417, 121.380, or 135.439.
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Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on August 2, 2013. Lance T. Gant, Acting Manager, Rotorc raft Directorate,
Aircraft Certification Service.3 [Federal Register Volume 78, Nu mber 79 (Wednesday, April 24, 2013)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 24041-24047] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2013-09420]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2012-1297; Directorate Id entifier 2012-SW-100-AD; Amendment 39-17285; AD 2012-25-04]

RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We are superseding an existing emerge ncy airworthiness directive (EAD) for Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model AS350B3 helic opters with certain part-numbered laminated half-bearings (bearings) and tail rotor (T/R) blades installed. The existing EAD currently requires installing two placards and revising the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM). The EAD also requires certain checks and inspecting and replacing, if necessa ry, all four bearings. Finally, the EAD requires a one-time removal and inspection of the bearings, a nd replacing the bearings if necessary. Since we issued that EAD, we have determined that newl y-designed helicopters with other part-numbered T/R blades may be affected by this unsafe condition a nd that the requirements should allow the bearing removal and inspection to be performed before th e last flight of the day. This superseding AD removes the bearing and T/R blade part numbers (P/N ) from the applicability paragraph and clarifies when the bearing removal and insp ection is required. The actions ar e intended to prevent vibration due to a failed bearing, failure of the T/R, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

DATES: This AD becomes effective May 9, 2013. We must receive comments on this AD by June 24, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Docket: Go to http://www. regulations.gov. Follow th e 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 Je rsey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-
0001.4 • Hand Delivery: Deliver to the ‘‘Mail'' addr ess 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 AD, th e economic evaluation, any comments received, and
other information. The street a ddress for the Docket Operations Office (telephone 800-647-5527) is
in the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be av ailable in the AD docket shortly after receipt. For service information identified in this AD, contact American Eurocopter Corporation, 2701 N. Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75052; tele phone (972) 641-0000 or ( 800) 232-0323; fax (972) 641-3775; or at http://www.eurocopter.com/tech pub.You may review the referenced service information at the FAA, Office of the Regi onal Counsel, Southwest Region, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Room 663, Fort Worth, Texas 76137.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Grant, Aviation Safety Engineer, Safety Management Group, FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137; telephone (817) 222- 5110; email robert.grant@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited

This AD is a final rule that involves requirement s affecting flight safet y, and we did not provide you with notice and an opportunity to provide yo ur 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 th e 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 recommende d 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 electronica lly, 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 rulema king during the comment period. We will consider all the comments we receive and may conduct additional rulemaking based
on those comments.

Discussion

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued EA SA Emergency AD No. 2012- 0207-E, dated October 5, 2012 (EAD 2012-0207-E), to correct an unsafe c ondition for Eurocopter Model AS 350 B3 helicopters modified by Modificat ion (MOD) 07 5601. MOD 07 5601 is an in tegral part of a specific Model AS350B3 configuration, commercially identifie d as ‘‘AS350B3e'' and is not fitted on Model AS350B3 helicopters of other config urations. EASA advises that premature failures of bearings, P/N 704A33-633-261, installed in combination wi th T/R blades P/ N 355A12.0055.00 or 355A12.0055.01, have recently been detected on AS 350 B3 helicopte rs in ‘‘AS350B3e'' configuration. Three cases of vibrations originating from the T/R, caused by fa ilure of the bearings, were reported, which were detected in flight. Subsequently, an accident occu rred in which the pilot felt strong vibrations from the T/R before losing control of th e helicopter. An investigation rev ealed that prior to the accident, the bearings had been replaced twice on the heli copter due to deterior ation. EASA EAD 2012-0207-E requires installing placards and changing the RF M to limit the flight e nvelope by reducing the Velocity Never Exceed (VNE) true airspeed (T AS) limitation to reduce the dynamic loads on the5 T/R, a one-time pre-flight inspecti on and repetitive post-fli ght inspections of the bearings to detect damage, a one-time ‘‘After Last Flight of the day'' (ALF) inspection (including T/R disassembly), and replacing all bearings if any bearing is damaged. On October 17, 2012, we issued EAD No. 2012-21-51 for Eurocopter Model AS350B3 helicopters with MOD 07 5601, with bearing P/ N 704A33-633-261 in combination with tail rotor blade P/N 355A12.0055.00 or 355A12.0055.01, installed. We sent that EAD to all known U.S. owners and operators of these he licopters. That EAD requires, befo re further flight, installing two placards on the instrument panel and revising the RFM to reduce the VNE indicated airspeed (IAS) limitation. It also requires, before further flight a nd thereafter after each flight, visually checking all visible faces of the bearings for separation, a crack, or an extrusion, a nd replacing the four bearings if
there is an extrusion or if there is a separation or a crack on the pre ssure side bearing greater than 5 millimeters (.196 inches). Lastly, the EAD requires, after the last flight of the day, performing a onetime inspection of the bearings fo r a separation, a crack, or an ex trusion, and replacing the four bearings if there is a separa tion, crack, or extrusion. Our EA D differed from EASA EAD 2012-0207- E in that the EASA EAD placa rd limited TAS, while the placard in our EAD limited IAS.

Actions Since Existing EAD Was Issued

Since we issued EAD 2012-21-51, EASA issu ed EAD No. 2012-0217-E, dated October 19, 2012 (EAD 2012-0217-E), which superseded EASA EAD 2012-0207-E. EAD 2012-0217-E retains some of the requirements of EAD 2012-207-E, changes th e airspeed limitation from TAS to IAS, and requires inserting a temporary engine health check procedure into the RFM. We are not issuing this superseding AD to adopt the revised EASA require ments, because the airspeed limitations in EAD 2012-21-51 currently use IAS, and th e revised engine health check procedure does no t correct the
unsafe condition. In addition, we have been informed by EASA that newly-designed T/R blades with a P/N not listed in EAD 2012-21-51 have been developed and ma y be installed on these model helicopters, but will also be affected by the unsafe condition. Add itionally, the compliance interval for the bearing removal and inspection required in EAD 2012-21-51 did not allow an operator to perform the inspection prior to the last flight of the day, if desired, and would have required the bearing removal and inspection after the last flight of the da y following any bearing replacement, which was not intended when we issued the EAD. Therefore, we are issuing this AD to re move the laminated halfbearing and T/R blade P/Ns from the applicabil ity and revise the language of the removal and inspection paragraph to clarify wh en that inspection is required.

FAA's Determination

These helicopters have been approved by the av iation authority of France and are approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to our bila teral agreement with France, EASA, its technical representative, has notifie d us of the unsafe condition described in the EASA AD. We are issuing this AD because we evaluated all information provide d by EASA and determined the unsafe condition exists and is likely to exist or develop on other helicopters of the same type design.

Related Service Information

We reviewed Eurocopter Emergency Alert Serv ice Bulletin (EASB) with two numbers, No.
01.00.65 for the Model AS350B3 helic opters and No. 01.00.24 for the non-FAA type certificated Model AS550C3 helicopters, both Revision 0, and both dated October 4, 2012. The EASB specifies installing two placards on the instrument panel and revising the RFM to limit airspeed to both 100 knots IAS and TAS, on-aircraft checking of the bear ings after each flight, and performing a one-time removal and inspection of the bearings. The EASB al so defines an RFM procedure in case of in-flight vibrations originating in the tail rotor. Revision 1 of the EASB, dated October 18, 2012, which6 Eurocopter issued after we issued EAD 2012-21- 51, introduced a new procedure for the periodic ‘‘Engine Health Check'' procedure, and specified to remove the placard and RFM changes with the VNE TAS limitation. Revision 2 of the EASB, dated November 2, 2012, accounted for newly designed T/R blades by removing specific part-numbere d T/R blades from the Effectivity section of
the EASB.

AD Requirements

This AD retains the requirements of EAD 2012- 21-51, expands the applicability by removing the half-bearing and the T/R blade P/Ns from the appli cability paragraph, clarifie s that the removal and inspection of the bearings is not a daily inspection, and clarifies that the in spection of the bearings may be performed prior to the last flight of th e day (not after the last flight of the day).

Differences Between This AD and the EASA AD

The EASA AD requires removing the placard an d RFM changes with the TAS limitation and replacing it with an IAS limitation. Since the F AA EAD did not include the TAS limitation, this AD does not need to require removing it. This AD does not require inserting the te mporary engine health check procedure in the RFM.

Interim Action

We consider this AD interim action. The desi gn approval holder is currently developing a
modification that will address the unsafe condition specified in this AD. Once this modification is developed, approved, and available, we might consider additional rulemaking.

Costs of Compliance

We estimate that this AD will affect 18 helicopters of U.S. Registry. We estimate that operators may incur the following costs in order to comply with this AD. Installing a placard and revising the RFM will require about .5 work-hour , at an average labor rate of $85 per hour, for a cost per helicopter of $43 and a total cost to U.S. operators of $774. Disassembling and inspecting the bear ings will require about 6 work- hours, at an average labor rate of $85 per hour, for a cost per he licopter of $510 and a total cost to U.S. operators of $9,180. If necessary, replacing the bearings installed on the aircraft will require about 6 work-hours, at an average labor rate of $85, and required parts will cost $2,415, for a cost per helicopter of $2,925.

FAA's Justification and Determination of the Effective Date

The short compliance time involved is requir ed because the previ ously described unsafe condition can adversely affect both the structural integrity and c ontrollability of the helicopter. Therefore, because several of the corrective actions are required before furt her flight, this AD must be issued immediately. Since an unsafe condition exists that requires th e immediate adoption of this AD, we determined that notice and opportunity for public comment befo re issuing this AD are impracticable and that good cause exists for making this amendm ent effective in less than 30 days.

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 Administ rator. ‘‘Subtitle VII: Aviation Programs,'' describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's authority.7 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 ai r 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 becau se it addresses an unsafe condition that is likely to exist or develop on products iden tified in this rulemaking action.

Regulatory Findings

We determined that 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 di stribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government.

For the reasons discusse d, I certify that this AD: 1. Is not a ‘‘significant regulator y action'' under Executive Order 12866; 2. Is not a ‘‘significant rule'' under DOT Regul atory 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 esti mated 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 safe ty, 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 fo llowing new airworthin ess directive (AD):8 FAA Aviation Safety 

## AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/alerts/ www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/advanced.html

CORRECTION: Federal Register Volu me 78, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 13, 2013); Pages
49115-49116.

2012-25-04 Eurocopter France: Amendment 39-17285; Docket No. FAA-2012-1297; Directorate
Identifier 2012-SW-100-AD.

(a) Applicability

This AD applies to Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model AS350B3 helicopters with Modification (MOD) 07 5601 installed, certificated in any category.

Note 1 to paragraph (a): MOD 07 5601 is an integral pa rt of a specific Model AS350B3 configuration, commercially identified as ‘‘A S350B3e'' and is not fitted on Model AS350B3 helicopters of other configurations.

(b) Unsafe Condition

This AD defines the unsafe condition as severe vibrations due to failure of laminated halfbearings (bearings). This condition could result in failure of the ta il rotor and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

(c) Affected ADs

This AD supersedes Emergency AD No. 2012- 21-51, Directorate Iden tifier 2012-SW-095-AD, dated October 17, 2012.

(d) Effective Date

This AD becomes effective May 9, 2013.

(e) Compliance

You are responsible for performing each acti on required by this AD w ithin the specified compliance time unless it has already been accomplished prior to that time.

(f) Required Actions

(1) Before further flight: (i) Install a velocity never exce ed (VNE) placard that reads as fo llows on the instrument panel in full view of the pilot and co-pilot with 6-millimeter red letters on a white background:
VNE LIMITED TO 100 KTS IAS. (ii) Replace the IAS limit versus the flight altitude placard locate d inside the cabin on the center post with the placard as de picted in Table 1 to pa ragraph (f) of this AD:9 Table 1 to Paragraph (f)

VNE POWER ON

Hp (ft) IAS (kts)

0 100

2000 97

4000 94

6000 91

8000 88

10000 85

12000 82

14000 79

16000 76

18000 73

20000 70

22000 67

Valid for VNE POWER OFF

(2) Before further flight, revise the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM) by in serting a copy of this AD into the RFM or by making pen and ink changes as follows: (i) Revise paragraph 2.3 of the RFM by inserting the following:
VNE limited to 100 kts IAS. (ii) Revise paragraph 2.6 of the RFM by inse rting Table 2 to Paragraph (f) of this AD.10 Table 2 to Paragraph (f)

VNE POWER ON

Hp (ft) IAS (kts)

0 100

2000 97

4000 94

6000 91

8000 88

10000 85

12000 82

14000 79

16000 76

18000 73

20000 70

22000 67

Valid for VNE POWER OFF

(iii) Add the following as paragraph 3.3.3 to the RFM:

3.3.3 IN-FLIGHT VIBRATIONS FELT IN THE PEDALS

Symptom:

IN-FLIGHT VIBRATIONS FELT IN THE PEDALS

1. CHECK PEDAL EFFECTIVENESS
2. SMOOTHLY REDUCE THE SPEED TO VY
3. AVOID SIDESLIP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (3) Before further flight, and thereafter after each flight, without exceeding 3 hours time-inservice between two checks, visua lly check each bearing as follows: (i) Position both tail rotor blades horizontally. (ii) Apply load (F) by hand, perpendicular to th e pressure face of one ta il rotor blade (a), as shown in Figure 1 to paragraph (f) of this AD, taking care not to reach the extreme position against
the tail rotor hub. The load will deflect the tail rotor blade towards the tail boom. (iii) While maintaining the load, check all the visi ble faces of the bearings (front and side faces) in area B of DETAIL A of Figure 1 to paragraph (f) of this AD for separa tion between the elastomer and metal parts, a crack in the elastomer, or an ex trusion (see example in Fi gure 2 to paragraph (f) of this AD). A flashlight may be used to enhance the check.1112 (iv) Repeat paragraphs (f)(3)(i) through (f)(3)(iii) on the othe r tail rotor blade. (v) Apply load (G) by hand perpe ndicular to the suction face of one tail rotor blade as shown in Figure 3 to paragraph (f) of this AD. The load will deflect the tail rotor blade away from the tail
boom.13 (vi) While maintaining the load, check visible fa ces of Area C as shown in Figure 3 to paragraph (f) of this AD for any extrusion. A flash light may be used to enhance the check. (vii) Repeat paragraphs (f)(3)(v) and (f )(3)(vi) on the other tail rotor blade. (4) The actions required by para graphs (f)(3)(i) thr ough (f)(3)(vii) of this AD may be performed by the owner/operator (pilot) holding at least a private pilot certificate, and must be entered into the aircraft records showing complia nce with this AD in accordance with 14 CFR 43.9 (a)(1)-(4) and 14 CFR 91.417(a)(2)(v). The record must be ma intained as required by 14 CFR 91.417, 121.380, or
135.439. (5) If there is an extrusion on any bearing, befo re further flight, replace the four bearings with airworthy bearings. (6) If there is a separation or a crack on the pr essure side bearing, measure the separation or the crack. If the separation or crack is greater than 5 millimeters (.196 inches) as indicated by dimension ‘‘L'' in Figure 4 to paragraph (f), before further flight, replace the four bearings with airworthy bearings.14 (7) No later than after the last flight of the day, perform a one-time inspection by removing the bearings and inspecting for a separation, a crack, or an extrusion. This inspection is not a daily inspection. If there is a separation, cr ack, or extrusion, before further f light, replace the four bearings with airworthy bearings.

(g) Special Flight Permits

Special flight permits are prohibited by this AD.

(h) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

( 1 ) The Manager, Safety Management Group, F AA, may approve AMOCs for this AD. Send your proposal to: Robert Grant, Aviation Safety Engineer, Safety Mana gement Group, FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137; telephone (817) 222-5110; email robert.grant@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 princi pal inspector, or lacki ng a principal inspector, the manager of the local flight st andards district office or certificat e holding district office, before operating any aircraft complying with this AD through an AMOC. ( 3 ) AMOCs approved previously in accordance with Emergency Airworthiness Directive No. 2012-21-51, dated October 17, 2012, are approved as AMOCs for the corresponding requirements in paragraph (f)(7) of this AD.

(i) Additional Information

( 1 ) Eurocopter Emergency Alert Service Bu lletin (EASB) No. 01.00.65, Revision 2, dated November 2, 2012, which is not incor porated by reference, contains additional information about the subject of this AD. For service information identi fied in this AD, contact American Eurocopter Corporation, 2701 N. Forum Drive, Grand Prai rie, TX 75052; telephone (972) 641-0000 or (800) 232-0323; fax (972) 641-3775; or at http://www.eurocopter.com/tec hpub.You may review a copy of the service information at the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Room 663, Fort Worth Texas 76137. ( 2 ) The subject of this AD is addressed in Eu ropean Aviation Safety Agency Emergency AD No. 2012-0217-E, dated October 19, 2012.15 (j) Subject

Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) Code: 6400: Tail Rotor.

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 11, 2013. Lance T. Gant, Acting Directorate Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate,
Aircraft Certification Service.