This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

34587 

Vol. 87, No. 109 

Tuesday, June 7, 2022 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2022–0600; Project 

Identifier AD–2021–01160–R] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron 

Inc. (Type Certificate Previously Held 

by Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.) 

Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a 

new airworthiness directive (AD) for all 

Bell Textron Inc. (type certificate 

previously held by Bell Helicopter 

Textron Inc.), Model 204B, 205A, 205A– 

1, 205B, and 210 helicopters. This 

proposed AD was prompted by events 

involving failure of the tail boom 

attachment structure. This proposed AD 

would require revising the existing 

Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM) for your 

helicopter and repetitive inspections of 

structural components that attach the 

tail boom to the fuselage. Depending on 

the results of the inspections, this 

proposed AD would require removing 

certain parts from service or re-bonding 

the structure. The FAA is proposing this 

AD to address the unsafe condition on 

these products. 

DATES: The FAA must receive comments 

on this proposed AD by July 22, 2022. 

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 

https://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 NPRM, contact Bell Textron, Inc., 

P.O. Box 482, Fort Worth, TX 76101; 

telephone (450) 437–2862 or (800) 363– 

8023; fax (450) 433–0272; email 

productsupport@bellflight.com; or at 

https://www.bellflight.com/support/ 

contact-support. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket at 

https://www.regulations.gov by 

searching for and locating Docket No. 

FAA–2022–0600; or in person at Docket 

Operations between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except Federal 

holidays. The AD docket contains this 

NPRM, any comments received, and 

other information. The street address for 

Docket Operations is listed above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ameet Shrotriya, Aviation Safety 

Engineer, DSCO Branch, Compliance & 

Airworthiness Division, FAA, 10101 

Hillwood Pkwy., Fort Worth, TX 76177– 

1524; phone: (817) 222–5525; email: 

Ameet.Shrotriya@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

The FAA invites you to send any 

written relevant data, views, or 

arguments about this proposal. Send 

your comments to an address listed 

under ADDRESSES. Include ‘‘Docket No. 

FAA–2022–0600; Project Identifier AD– 

2021–01160–R’’ at the beginning of your 

comments. The most helpful comments 

reference a specific portion of the 

proposal, explain the reason for any 

recommended change, and include 

supporting data. The FAA will consider 

all comments received by the closing 

date and may amend this proposal 

because of those comments. 

Except for Confidential Business 

Information (CBI) as described in the 

following paragraph, and other 

information as described in 14 CFR 

11.35, the FAA will post all comments 

received, without change, to https://

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information you provide. The 

agency will also post a report 

summarizing each substantive verbal 

contact received about this NPRM. 

Confidential Business Information 

CBI is commercial or financial 

information that is both customarily and 

actually treated as private by its owner. 

Under the Freedom of Information Act 

(FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt 

from public disclosure. If your 

comments responsive to this NPRM 

contain commercial or financial 

information that is customarily treated 

as private, that you actually treat as 

private, and that is relevant or 

responsive to this NPRM, it is important 

that you clearly designate the submitted 

comments as CBI. Please mark each 

page of your submission containing CBI 

as ‘‘PROPIN.’’ The FAA will treat such 

marked submissions as confidential 

under the FOIA, and they will not be 

placed in the public docket of this 

NPRM. Submissions containing CBI 

should be sent to Ameet Shrotriya, 

Aviation Safety Engineer, DSCO Branch, 

Compliance & Airworthiness Division, 

FAA, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Fort 

Worth, TX 76177–1524; phone: (817) 

222–5525; email: Ameet.Shrotriya@

faa.gov. Any commentary that the FAA 

receives which is not specifically 

designated as CBI will be placed in the 

public docket for this rulemaking. 

Background 

The FAA issued AD 2021–15–14, 

Amendment 39–21661 (86 FR 39942, 

July 26, 2021) (AD 2021–15–14), for 

various restricted category helicopters. 

AD 2021–15–14 was prompted by an 

accident involving a Model UH–1B 

helicopter and two forced landings 

involving Model UH–1H and UH–1F 

helicopters, due to tail boom attachment 

structure failures. Each of the three 

events involved a failure of the upper 

left-hand (LH) tail boom attachment 

fitting, which is the most heavily loaded 

of the four tail boom attach points. AD 

2021–15–14 requires revising the 

existing RFM for your helicopter to 

incorporate pre- flight checks; removing 

paint and sealant, and cleaning; 

repetitive inspections of structural 

components that attach the tail boom to 

the fuselage; and depending on the 

outcome of the inspections, repairing or 

replacing components, or re-bonding the 

structure. The FAA issued AD 2021–15– 

14 to address fatigue cracking of tail 

boom attachment fittings, cap angles, 

longerons, and bolts. Due to their 

similarity to the Model UH–1B, UH–1H, 

and UH–1F helicopters, the FAA has 


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determined that Bell Textron Inc., 

Model 204B, 205A, 205A–1, 205B, and 

210 helicopters are affected by the same 

unsafe condition. Therefore, the FAA 

proposes to adopt a new AD for Bell 

Textron Inc., Model 204B, 205A, 205A– 

1, 205B, and 210 helicopters. This 

proposed AD would require revising the 

existing RFM for your helicopter to 

incorporate pre-flight checks; removing 

paint and sealant, and cleaning; 

repetitive inspections of structural 

components that attach the tail boom to 

the fuselage; and depending on the 

outcome of the inspections, repairing or 

replacing components, or re-bonding the 

structure. 

FAA’s Determination 

The FAA is issuing this NPRM after 

determining that the unsafe condition 

described previously is likely to exist or 

develop on other products of the same 

type design. 

Related Service Information 

The FAA reviewed Bell Helicopter 

Maintenance & Overhaul Instructions 

BHT–204B–M&O, Revision 13, dated 

November 10, 2021 and Bell Helicopter 

Maintenance Manual BHT–205A1–MM– 

1, Revision 11, dated June 8, 2020. This 

service information specifies procedures 

for inspecting the tail boom assembly. 

Proposed AD Requirements in This 

NPRM 

This proposed AD would require 

revising the existing RFM for your 

helicopter to add before each flight and 

before the first flight of the day preflight checks of the tail boom 

attachment. Incorporating the RFM 

revision may be performed by the 

owner/operator (pilot) holding at least a 

private pilot certificate and must be 

entered into the aircraft records showing 

compliance with the proposed AD in 

accordance with 14 CFR 43.9(a)(1) 

through (4) and 14 CFR 91.417(a)(2)(v). 

The record must be maintained as 

required by 14 CFR 91.417 or 135.439. 

This is an exception to the FAA’s 

standard maintenance regulations. 

This proposed AD would also require 

removing excess paint and sealant from, 

and cleaning, certain tail boom 

attachment structures; repetitive 

inspections for scratches, nicks, gouges, 

tears, corrosion, cracks, bond 

separation, loose, missing, and smoking 

rivets, buckling, distortion, number of 

attachment bolt exposed threads, and 

attachment bolt movement. This 

proposed AD would then require 

repairing any scratches, nicks, gouges, 

tears, and corrosion within allowable 

limits or would require removing from 

service components with scratches, 

nicks, gouges, tears, and corrosion that 

exceed allowable limits, removing from 

service components with any cracks, 

buckling, or distortion, and removing 

from service and replacing loose, 

missing, or smoking rivets. 

Finally, this proposed AD would 

require re-bonding any structure with 

dis-bonds, and removing loose bolts and 

self-locking nuts from service, and 

replacing them with new bolts and new 

self-locking nuts. After the first flight 

following any bolt replacement, 

retorquing any replaced bolt would be 

required. 

Costs of Compliance 

The FAA estimates that this proposed 

AD would affect 57 helicopters of U.S. 

registry. Labor costs are estimated at $85 

per work-hour. Based on these numbers, 

the FAA estimates the following costs to 

comply with this proposed AD. 

Revising the RFM for your helicopter 

would take about 0.5 work-hour, for an 

estimated cost of $43 per helicopter and 

$2,451 for the U.S. fleet. 

Removing excess paint and sealant, 

and cleaning all eight tail boom 

attachment fittings would take about 5 

work-hours and a nominal materials 

cost, for an estimated cost of $425 per 

helicopter per instance and $24,225 for 

the U.S. fleet per instance. 

Inspecting the tail boom structural 

components and attached hardware 

would take about 16 work-hours for an 

estimated cost of $1,360 per helicopter 

and $77,520 for the U.S. fleet per 

inspection cycle. 

Replacing a tail boom attachment 

fitting would take about 33 work-hours 

and parts would cost about $1,500 for 

an estimated cost of $4,305 per 

helicopter. 

Replacing a tail boom longeron bond 

assembly would take about 42 workhours and parts would cost up to about 

$21,270 for an estimated cost of up to 

$24,840 per helicopter. 

Replacing a fuselage attachment 

fitting would take about 45 work-hours 

and parts would cost about $1,838 for 

an estimated cost of $5,663 per 

helicopter. 

Replacing a fuselage cap angle would 

take about 42 work-hours and parts 

would cost about $1,827 for an 

estimated cost of $5,397 per helicopter. 

Replacing an attachment bolt and selflocking nut would take about 1 workhour and parts would cost about $313 

for an estimated cost of $398 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. 

The FAA is 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 

The FAA 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 above, I 

certify this proposed regulation: 

(1) Is not a ‘‘significant regulatory 

action’’ under Executive Order 12866, 

(2) Would not affect intrastate 

aviation in Alaska, and 

(3) Would not have a significant 

economic impact, positive or negative, 

on a substantial number of small entities 

under the criteria of the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act. 

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: 

Bell Textron Inc. (Type Certificate 

Previously Held by Bell Helicopter 

Textron Inc.): Docket No. FAA–2022– 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 109 / Tuesday, June 7, 2022 / Proposed Rules 34589 

0600; Project Identifier AD–2021–01160– 

R. 

(a) Comments Due Date 

The FAA must receive comments on this 

airworthiness directive (AD) by July 22, 2022. 

(b) Affected ADs 

None. 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to Bell Textron Inc. (type 

certificate previously held by Bell Helicopter 

Textron Inc.) Model 204B, 205A, 205A–1, 

205B, and 210 helicopters, certificated in any 

category. 

(d) Subject 

Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC) 

5302, Rotorcraft Tail Boom. 

(e) Unsafe Condition 

This AD was prompted by an accident and 

incidents involving failure of the tail boom 

attachment structure. The FAA is issuing this 

AD to address fatigue cracking of tail boom 

attachment fittings, cap angles, longerons, 

and bolts. The unsafe condition, if not 

addressed, could result in separation of the 

tail boom from the helicopter and subsequent 

loss of control of the helicopter. 

(f) Compliance 

Comply with this AD within the 

compliance times specified, unless already 

done. 

(g) Required Actions 

(1) Before further flight, revise the 

limitations section of the existing Rotorcraft 

Flight Manual (RFM) for your helicopter by 

adding the information in Figure 1 to 

paragraph (g)(1) of this AD or by inserting a 

copy of this AD. The action required by this 

paragraph may be done by the owner/ 

operator (pilot) holding at least a private pilot 

certificate and must be entered into the 

aircraft records showing compliance with 

this AD by following 14 CFR 43.9 (a)(1) 

through (4) and 14 CFR 91.417(a)(2)(v). The 

record must be maintained as required by 14 

CFR 91.417or 135.439. 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 


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BILLING CODE 4910–13–C 

(2) Within 25 hours time-in-service (TIS): 

(i) Open the oil cooler/baggage 

compartment door on the right hand side of 

the helicopter to gain access to the interior 

of the tail boom. 

(ii) Remove paint and stray sealant and 

clean the eight attach fittings (four on the tail 

boom side and four on the fuselage side). 

Remove paint and stray sealant and clean the 

four cap angles, forward of the fuselage 

fittings, for at least 12 inches from the end 

of the fittings. Remove paint and stray sealant 

and clean the four longerons, aft of the tail 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 109 / Tuesday, June 7, 2022 / Proposed Rules 34591 

boom fittings, for at least 12 inches from the 

end of the fittings. It is only necessary to 

remove the topcoat. Primer may be left in 

place and edge and fillet sealant may be left 

in place. If any primer or edge or fillet sealant 

is removed, before further flight, reapply the 

removed primer and sealant. 

Note 1 to paragraph (g)(2)(ii): On some 

models, the baggage compartment floor and 

net must be removed to gain access to the 

lower fuselage attach fittings and cap angles. 

(iii) With an additional person pushing on 

the tail boom at the third vertical rivet line 

aft of the trailing edge of the elevator with 

both hands and gradually applying and 

relieving pressure using body weight a 

minimum of three times in each of the 

following directions: Inboard pushing from 

the left; inboard pushing from the right; and 

upward pushing from the bottom; and using 

a bright light and borescope, inspect each of 

the four tail boom attach structures for 

cracks, bond separation, and loose rivets. On 

the fuselage side, inspect the fittings and the 

cap angles running forward from the fittings, 

paying particular attention to the fitting 

sections near the rivets closest to the attach 

bolts and the cap angle rivets next to the 

fittings. On the tail boom side, inspect the 

fittings and the longerons running aft from 

the fittings, paying particular attention to the 

fitting sections near the rivets closest to the 

attach bolts. Without pushing on the tail 

boom, and using a bright light and borescope, 

inspect each of the four tail boom attach 

structures for scratches, nicks, gouges, tears, 

corrosion, buckling, and distortion, and for 

loose, missing, and smoking rivets. If there 

are any scratches, nicks, gouges, tears, or 

corrosion within allowable limits, before 

further flight, repair the affected components. 

If there are any scratches, nicks, gouges, 

tears, or corrosion that exceed allowable 

limits, or any cracks, buckling, or distortion, 

or loose, missing, or smoking rivets, before 

further flight, remove the affected 

components from service. If there is any bond 

separation, before further flight, re-bond the 

affected components. 

Note 2 to paragraph (g)(2)(iii): It is not 

required to push on the tail boom if it cannot 

be reached from ground level while 

inspecting for cracks, bond separation, and 

loose rivets. 

(iv) Inspect the tail boom attach bolts for 

exposed threads. If there is less than one full 

thread or more than three threads exposed, 

before further flight, remove the bolt and selflocking nut from service and replace with a 

new bolt and new self-locking nut. 

(v) Inspect each of the four tail boom attach 

bolts for movement by either applying the 

required installation torque in the tightening 

direction only, or by inspecting for torque 

stripe misalignment if present and attempting 

to rotate the bolt by hand. If a bolt is undertorqued, a torque stripe is misaligned, or a 

bolt moves, before further flight, remove the 

bolt and self-locking nut from service and 

replace with a new bolt and new self-locking 

nut. 

(vi) After the first flight following any bolt 

replacement as required by paragraph 

(g)(2)(iv) or (v) of this AD, retorque any 

replaced bolt by applying torque in 

accordance with the existing maintenance 

instructions for your helicopter in the 

tightening direction only and then apply a 

torque stripe on the bolt head. 

(3) Within 25 hours TIS after the effective 

date of this AD, and thereafter at intervals not 

to exceed 25 hours TIS, perform the actions 

required by paragraphs (g)(2)(ii) through (vi) 

of this AD at the upper left-hand tail boom 

attach points. 

(4) Within 25 hours TIS after the effective 

date of this AD, and thereafter at intervals not 

to exceed 100 hours TIS, perform the actions 

required by paragraphs (g)(2)(ii) through (vi) 

of this AD at all four tail boom attach points. 

(h) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, DSCO Branch, 

Compliance & Airworthiness Division, FAA, 

has the authority to approve AMOCs for this 

AD, if requested using the procedures found 

in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 

39.19, send your request to your principal 

inspector or local Flight Standards District 

Office, as appropriate. If sending information 

directly to the manager of the certification 

office, send it to the attention of the person 

identified in paragraph (i) of this AD. You 

may email your request to: 9-ASW-190-COS@

faa.gov@faa.gov. 

(2) Before using any approved AMOC, 

notify your appropriate principal inspector, 

or lacking a principal inspector, the manager 

of the local flight standards district office/ 

certificate holding district office. 

(i) Related Information 

For more information about this AD, 

contact Ameet Shrotriya, Aviation Safety 

Engineer, DSCO Branch, Compliance & 

Airworthiness Division, FAA, 10101 

Hillwood Pkwy., Fort Worth, TX 76177– 

1524; phone: (817) 222–5525; email: 

Ameet.Shrotriya@faa.gov. 

Issued on May 31, 2022. 

Gaetano A. Sciortino, 

Deputy Director for Strategic Initiatives, 

Compliance & Airworthiness Division, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–12100 Filed 6–6–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2022–0602; Project 

Identifier MCAI–2020–01211–A] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Viking Air 

Limited (Type Certificate Previously 

Held by Bombardier Inc. and de 

Havilland Inc.) Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to 

supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 

2002–14–28, which applies to all de 

Havilland Inc. (type certificate currently 

held by Viking Air Limited) Model 

DHC–2 Mk. I, DHC–2 Mk. II, and DHC– 

2 Mk. III airplanes. AD 2002–14–28 

establishes a life limit for the front 

fuselage struts and requires repetitively 

replacing the front fuselage struts every 

15 years or repetitively inspecting the 

struts for corrosion or fatigue damage 

and replacing when the damage exceeds 

a certain level. Since the FAA issued 

AD 2002–14–28, Transport Canada 

superseded its mandatory continuing 

airworthiness information (MCAI) to 

correct this unsafe condition on these 

products. This proposed AD would 

require either doing recurring visual 

inspections, borescope inspections, and 

non-destructive inspections (NDIs) of 

the struts and airframe lugs with 

corrective action as necessary or 

replacing the struts every 15 years and 

doing recurring NDIs of the airframe 

lugs with corrective action as necessary. 

The FAA is proposing this AD to 

address the unsafe condition on these 

products. 

DATES: The FAA must receive comments 

on this proposed AD by July 22, 2022. 

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 

https://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 NPRM, contact Viking Air Limited 

Technical Support, 1959 de Havilland 

Way, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada, 

V8L 5V5; phone: (800) 663–8444; fax: 

(250) 656–0673; email: 

technical.support@vikingair.com; 

website: https://www.vikingair.com/ 

support/service-bulletins. You may view 

this service information at the FAA, 

Airworthiness Products Section, 

Operational Safety Branch, 901 Locust, 

Kansas City, MO 64106. For information 

on the availability of this material at the 

FAA, call (817) 222–5110. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket at 

https://www.regulations.gov by 


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