Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 199 / Monday, October 17, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 60205 

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on October 7, 

2005. 

David A. Downey, 

Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, Aircraft 

Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 05–20677 Filed 10–14–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2005–21725; Directorate 

Identifier 2004–SW–45–AD; Amendment 39–

14342; AD 2005–21–04] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Bell 

Helicopter Textron Model 47D1, 47G, 

47G–2, 47G–2A, 47G–2A–1, 47G–3, 

47G–3B, 47G–3B–1, 47G–3B–2, 47G–

3B–2A, 47G–4, 47G–4A, 47G–5, 47G–

5A and Coastal Helicopters, Inc. Model 

OH–13H (Tomcat Mark 5A, 6B, 6C) 

Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration, DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a 

new airworthiness directive (AD) for 

Bell Helicopter Textron (Bell) Model 

47D1, 47G, 47G–2, 47G–2A, 47G–2A–1, 

47G–3, 47G–3B, 47G–3B–1, 47G–3B–2, 

47G–3B–2A, 47G–4, 47G–4A, 47G–5, 

47G–5A and Coastal Helicopters, Inc. 

Model OH–13H (Tomcat Mark 5A, 6B, 

6C) helicopters that have a certain 

scissors assembly or weld assembly 

scissors bracket installed. The AD 

requires, within 60 days, determining 

and recording the total hours time-inservice (TIS) for each Parts 

Manufacturer Approval (PMA)- 

produced scissors assembly and weld 

assembly scissors bracket and 

establishes a life limit for each affected 

part. This amendment is prompted by 

the need to establish a life limit on 

scissors assemblies and weld assembly 

scissors brackets produced under PMA 

No. PQ808SW or installed per 

Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) 

No. SH2772SW. The actions specified 

by this AD are intended to establish a 

life limit to prevent using a scissors 

assembly or weld assembly scissors 

bracket past it’s life limit, which could 

result in failure of the part and 

subsequent loss of control of the 

helicopter. 

DATES: Effective November 21, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: You may get the service 

information identified in this AD from 

Texas Helicopter Co., Inc., P.O. Box 

177686, Irving, Texas 75017, phone 

(972) 399–1045, fax (972) 790–6397. 

Examining the Docket 

You may examine the docket that 

contains this AD, any comments, and 

other information on the Internet at 

http://dms.dot.gov, or at the Docket 

Management System (DMS), U.S. 

Department of Transportation, 400 

Seventh Street, SW., Room PL–401, on 

the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 

Washington, DC. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Marc Belhumeur, Aviation Safety 

Engineer, FAA, Rotorcraft Directorate, 

Rotorcraft Certification Office, Fort 

Worth, Texas 76193–0170, telephone 

(817) 222–5177, fax (817) 222–5783. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A 

proposal to amend 14 CFR part 39 to 

include an AD for the specified model 

helicopters was published in the 

Federal Register on July 6, 2005 (70 FR 

38817). That action proposed to require, 

within 60 days, determining and 

recording the total hours TIS for each 

PMA-produced scissors assembly and 

weld assembly scissors bracket and 

establishing a life limit for each affected 

part. 

We have reviewed Texas Helicopter 

Co., Inc. (THC) Service Bulletin No. SB 

003, dated December 1, 2002. THC 

holds STC No. SH2772SW and produces 

parts under PMA No. PQ808SW. That 

service bulletin was issued to clarify 

maintenance inspections and retirement 

schedules. The service bulletin specifies 

maintaining Bell Model 47 series and all 

other helicopters utilizing a 74–150–

259–1M or 74–150–259–3M control 

installation per STC SH2772SW or 74–

150–117–13M scissors bracket weld 

assembly as PMA replacement, in 

accordance with THC Instructions For 

Continued Airworthiness (ICA), Doc. 

No. THC 2002–22 Rev. 0, dated 

December 1, 2002. Those ICAs refer to 

STC SH2772SW and contain the 

mandatory retirement times for the 

scissor assembly and weld assembly 

scissors bracket in the Airworthiness 

Limitations section. 

Interested persons have been afforded 

an opportunity to participate in the 

making of this amendment. No 

comments were received on the 

proposal or the FAA’s determination of 

the cost to the public. The FAA has 

determined that air safety and the 

public interest require the adoption of 

the rule as proposed. 

Based on the manufacturer’s 

production estimate, this AD will affect 

350 helicopters of U.S. registry. 

Determining and recording the initial 

hours TIS of each scissors assembly will 

take 1 hour, replacing a scissors 

assembly will take 2 hours, and 

replacing a weld assembly scissors 

bracket will take 8 hours. The average 

labor rate is $65 per work hour. 

Required parts will cost approximately 

$1,300 for the 2 scissors assemblies 

required per helicopter and $2,500 for 

each weld assembly scissors bracket 

required per helicopter. Based on these 

figures, the total cost impact of the AD 

on U.S. operators is $1,580,250, 

assuming all operators determine and 

record the hours TIS once, and replace 

the scissors assembly and weld 

assembly scissors bracket once. 

Regulatory Findings 

We have 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 distribution of power and 

responsibilities among the various 

levels of government. 

For the reasons discussed above, I 

certify that the 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); and 

3. 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. See the DMS to examine the 

economic evaluation. 

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. 

60206 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 199 / Monday, October 17, 2005 / Rules and Regulations 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, Safety. 

Adoption of the Amendment 

■ Accordingly, pursuant to the authority 

delegated to me by the Administrator, 

the Federal Aviation Administration 

amends part 39 of the Federal Aviation 

Regulations (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. Section 39.13 is amended by adding 

a new airworthiness directive to read as 

follows: 

2005–21–04 Bell Helicopter Textron (Bell) 

and Coastal Helicopters, Inc. (CHI) 

(formerly Continental Copters, Inc.; and 

Tom-Cat Helicopters, Inc.): Docket No. 

FAA–2005–21725; Amendment No. 39–

14342; Directorate Identifier 2004–SW–

45–AD. 

Applicability: The following helicopter 

models with the referenced Texas Helicopter 

Co., Inc. (THC) scissors assembly part 

number (P/N) or weld assembly scissors 

bracket P/N installed as a Parts Manufacturer 

Approval (PMA) replacement part or as part 

of the modification in accordance with 

Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) No. 

SH2772SW, certificated in any category. 

Model With scissors assembly P/N Or weld assembly scissors bracket P/N 

(1) Bell Model 47D1, 47G, 47G–2, 47G–2A, 

47G–2A–1, 47G–3, 47G–3B, 47G–3B–1, 

47G–3B–2, 47G–3B–2A, 47G–4, 47G–4A, 

47G–5, 47G–5A; and 

74–150–949–9 or 74–150–949–5 or 74–150– 

249–5M.

74–150–117–13M. 

(2) CHI OH–13H (Tomcat Mark 5A, 6B, or 6C).

Compliance: Required as indicated, unless 

accomplished previously. 

To prevent using a scissors assembly or 

weld assembly scissors bracket past it’s life 

limit, which could result in failure of the part 

and subsequent loss of control of the 

helicopter, accomplish the following: 

(a) Within 60 days, determine and record 

on the service record or equivalent record the 

total hours time-in-service (TIS) of each 

affected part. If the TIS hours cannot be 

determined, replace the part with an 

airworthy part with known hours TIS before 

further flight. 

(b) Thereafter, replace each affected part 

before it accumulates 5,000 hours TIS. 

Note: Texas Helicopter Co., Inc. Service 

Bulletin No. SB 003, dated December 1, 2002, 

pertains to the subject of this AD. 

(c) This AD establishes a life limit of 5,000 

hours TIS for each affected PMA-produced 

scissors assembly and each affected PMAproduced weld assembly scissors bracket. 

(d) To request a different method of 

compliance or a different compliance time 

for this AD, follow the procedures in 14 CFR 

39.19. Contact the Rotorcraft Certification 

Office, Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, for 

information about previously approved 

alternative methods of compliance. 

(e) This amendment becomes effective on 

November 21, 2005. 

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on October 7, 

2005. 

David A. Downey, 

Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, Aircraft 

Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 05–20680 Filed 10–14–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. 2004–SW–13–AD; Amendment 

39–14340; AD 2005–21–02] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; MD 

Helicopters, Inc. Model 369D, 369E, 

369F, 369FF, 500N, and 600N 

Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration, DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: This amendment supersedes 

an existing airworthiness directive (AD) 

for the MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) 

Model 369A, H, HE, HM, HS, D, and E 

helicopters with a certain partnumbered main rotor blade (blade) and 

modified with a Helicopter Technology 

Company, LLC (HTC), Supplemental 

Type Certificate (STC) No. SR09172RC, 

SR09074RC, or SR09184RC. That AD 

currently requires recording on the 

component history card or equivalent 

record (record) each torque event (TE) 

on each blade, inspecting both surfaces 

of the blade, and replacing any cracked 

blade with an airworthy blade. Also, 

that AD establishes life limits for certain 

part-numbered blades. This amendment 

revises the model applicability, adds 

MDHI part-numbered blades, removes 

any reference to the life limits of the 

blades, changes the requirements for 

inspecting the blades, and revises the 

STC applicability. This amendment also 

provides that compliance with portions 

of certain documents constitutes 

alternative methods of compliance with 

portions of this AD, contains editorial 

changes for clarification, and makes 

some corrections. This amendment is 

prompted by additional reports of 

cracked blades and by the comments 

received in response to AD 2003–24–01. 

The actions specified in this AD are 

intended to detect fatigue cracking of 

the blade to prevent blade failure and 

subsequent loss of control of the 

helicopter. 

DATES: Effective November 1, 2005. 

Comments for inclusion in the Rules 

Docket must be received on or before 

December 16, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in 

triplicate to the Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Office of the 

Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 

Attention: Rules Docket No. 2004–SW–

13–AD, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Room 

663, Fort Worth, Texas 76137. You may 

also send comments electronically to 

the Rules Docket at the following 

address: 9-asw-adcomments@faa.gov. 

The service information referenced in 

this AD may be obtained from the 

following addresses: MD Helicopters 

Inc., Attn: Customer Support Division, 

4555 E. McDowell Rd., Mail Stop M615, 

Mesa, Arizona 85215–9734, telephone 

1–800–388–3378, fax 480–346–6813, or 

on the Web at http:// 

www.mdhelicopters.com and Helicopter 

Technology Company, LLC, 12902 

South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 

90061, telephone 310–523–2750, fax 

310–523–2745. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John 

Cecil, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 

Los Angeles Aircraft Certification 

Office, Airframe Branch, 3960 

Paramount Blvd., Lakewood, California 

90712–4137, telephone (562) 627–5228, 

fax (562) 627–5210.