9908 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 30 / Tuesday, February 13, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

Federal Reserve Bank Rate Effective

Richmond ............................................................................................................................................................ 5.0 January 31, 2001.

Atlanta ................................................................................................................................................................. 5.0 January 31, 2001.

Chicago ............................................................................................................................................................... 5.0 January 31, 2001.

St. Louis .............................................................................................................................................................. 5.0 February 1, 2001.

Minneapolis ......................................................................................................................................................... 5.0 January 31, 2001.

Kansas City ......................................................................................................................................................... 5.0 February 1, 2001.

Dallas ................................................................................................................................................................... 5.0 January 31, 2001.

San Francisco ..................................................................................................................................................... 5.0 January 31, 2001.

Dated: By order of the Board of Governors

of the Federal Reserve System, February 7,

2001.

Jennifer J. Johnson,

Secretary of the Board.

[FR Doc. 01–3564 Filed 2–12–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6210–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 2000–SW–56–AD; Amendment

39–12104; AD 2001–03–03]

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Bell

Helicopter Textron, Inc. Model 214B

and 214B–1 Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; request for

comments.

SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a

new airworthiness directive (AD) for

Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. (BHTI)

Model 214B and 214B–1 helicopters.

This action requires, within 10 hours

time-in-service (TIS), determining the

hours TIS for certain main rotor

outboard strap fitting assemblies and

creating appropriate records. This action

also requires, if any main rotor outboard

strap fitting assembly (strap fitting) is

determined to have 2,500 or more hours

TIS or the hours TIS cannot be

determined, replacing the strap fitting

with an airworthy strap fitting before

further flight. This action also

establishes a 2,500-hour retirement life

for the strap fitting and revises the

Airworthiness Limitations section

accordingly. This amendment is

prompted by fatigue testing that

indicates a fatigue crack may occur in

the strap fitting with resulting failure.

The actions specified in this AD are

intended to prevent failure of a strap

fitting, separation of a main rotor blade,

and subsequent loss of control of the

helicopter.

DATES: Effective February 28, 2001.

Comments for inclusion in the Rules

Docket must be received on or before

April 16, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in

triplicate to the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), Office of the

Regional Counsel, Southwest Region,

Attention: Rules Docket No. 2000–SW–

56–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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael Kohner, Aviation Safety

Engineer, FAA, Rotorcraft Directorate,

Rotorcraft Certification Office, Fort

Worth, Texas 76193–0111, telephone

(817) 222–5447, fax (817) 222–5783.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

amendment adopts a new AD for BHTI

Model 214B and 214B–1 helicopters.

This action requires, within 10 hours

TIS, determining the hours TIS for each

strap fitting, P/N 214–010–185–107, and

creating a component history card or

equivalent record for each strap fitting.

This action also requires that if a strap

fitting has 2,500 or more hours TIS or

if the hours TIS cannot be determined,

replacing the strap fitting with an

airworthy strap fitting before further

flight. This strap fitting is structurally

identical to strap fitting, P/N 214–010–

189–103, which currently has a

retirement life of 2,500 hours. The strap

fitting has been sold for spares since

approximately 1982. This amendment is

prompted by fatigue testing which

indicates that a fatigue crack may occur

in the strap fitting leading to failure of

the strap fitting if it is allowed to remain

in service in excess of 2,500 hours. The

actions specified in this AD are

intended to prevent a failure of a strap

fitting, separation of a main rotor blade,

and subsequent loss of control of the

helicopter.

The FAA has reviewed BHTI Alert

Service Bulletin 214–00–62, dated June

2, 2000, which describes procedures for

establishing a 2,500-hour airworthiness

life pending formal revision of the 214B

series Maintenance Manual and

provides information to determine

continued serviceability for strap fitting,

P/N 214–010–185–107.

We have identified an unsafe

condition that is likely to exist or

develop on other BHTI Model 214B and

214B–1 helicopters of the same type

design. Therefore, this AD is being

issued to require the following for each

strap fitting, P/N 214–010–185–107:

• Within 10 hours TIS, by referring to

the helicopter maintenance records,

create a component history card or

equivalent record for each strap fitting

and record the hours TIS and serial

number.

• If the hours TIS cannot be

determined, replace the strap fitting

with an airworthy strap fitting before

further flight.

• If the strap fitting has accumulated

2,500 or more hours TIS, replace it with

an airworthy strap fitting before further

flight.

• Continue to record the subsequent

hours TIS.

• Revise the Airworthiness

Limitations section of the maintenance

manual by establishing a retirement life

of 2,500 hours TIS for the strap fitting.

The short compliance time involved

is required because the previously

described critical unsafe condition can

adversely affect the controllability and

structural integrity of the helicopter.

Therefore, replacing any strap fitting,

P/N 214–010–185–107, that has 2,500 or

more hours TIS or a strap fitting for

which the hours TIS cannot be

determined is required within 10 hours

TIS, and this AD must be issued

immediately.

Since a situation exists that requires

the immediate adoption of this

regulation, it is found that notice and

opportunity for prior public comment

hereon are impracticable, and that good

cause exists for making this amendment

effective in less than 30 days.

The FAA estimates that 11 helicopters

will be affected by this proposed AD,

that it will take approximately 14 work

hours to replace each of the 2 strap

fittings, 2 work hours to create a new

component history card, and 10 work

hours annually to maintain the records,

and that the average labor rate is $60 per

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 30 / Tuesday, February 13, 2001 / Rules and Regulations 9909

work hour. Required parts will cost

approximately $4807 per helicopter.

Based on these figures, the total cost

impact of the AD on U.S. operators is

estimated to be $79,277 the first year

assuming all strap fittings will be

replaced.

Comments Invited

Although this action is in the form of

a final rule that involves requirements

affecting flight safety and, thus, was not

preceded by notice and an opportunity

for public comment, comments are

invited on this rule. Interested persons

are invited to comment on this rule by

submitting such written data, views, or

arguments as they may desire.

Communications should identify the

Rules Docket number and be submitted

in triplicate to the address specified

under the caption ‘‘ADDRESSES.’’ All

communications received on or before

the closing date for comments will be

considered, and this rule may be

amended in light of the comments

received. Factual information that

supports the commenter’s ideas and

suggestions is extremely helpful in

evaluating the effectiveness of the AD

action and determining whether

additional rulemaking action would be

needed.

Comments are specifically invited on

the overall regulatory, economic,

environmental, and energy aspects of

the rule that might suggest a need to

modify the rule. All comments

submitted will be available in the Rules

Docket for examination by interested

persons. A report that summarizes each

FAA-public contact concerned with the

substance of this AD will be filed in the

Rules Docket.

Commenters wishing the FAA to

acknowledge receipt of their mailed

comments submitted in response to this

rule must submit a self-addressed,

stamped postcard on which the

following statement is made:

‘‘Comments to Docket No. 2000–SW–

56–AD.’’ The postcard will be date

stamped and returned to the

commenter.

The regulations adopted herein 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. Therefore, it is

determined that this final rule does not

have federalism implications under

Executive Order 13132.

The FAA has determined that this

regulation is an emergency regulation

that must be issued immediately to

correct an unsafe condition in aircraft,

and that it is not a ‘‘significant

regulatory action’’ under Executive

Order 12866. It has been determined

further that this action involves an

emergency regulation under DOT

Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44

FR 11034, February 26, 1979). If it is

determined that this emergency

regulation otherwise would be

significant under DOT Regulatory

Policies and Procedures, a final

regulatory evaluation will be prepared

and placed in the Rules Docket. A copy

of it, if filed, may be obtained from the

Rules Docket at the location provided

under the caption ‘‘ADDRESSES.’’

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:

2001–03–03 Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc.:

Amendment 39–12104. Docket No.

2000–SW–56–AD.

Applicability: Model 214B and 214B–1

helicopters, with a main rotor outboard strap

fitting assembly (strap fitting), part number

(P/N) 214–010–185–107, installed,

certificated in any category.

Note 1: This AD applies to each helicopter

identified in the preceding applicability

provision, regardless of whether it has been

otherwise modified, altered, or repaired in

the area subject to the requirements of this

AD. For helicopters that have been modified,

altered, or repaired so that the performance

of the requirements of this AD is affected, the

owner/operator must request approval for an

alternative method of compliance in

accordance with paragraph (d) of this AD.

The request should include an assessment of

the effect of the modification, alteration, or

repair on the unsafe condition addressed by

this AD; and if the unsafe condition has not

been eliminated, the request should include

specific proposed actions to address it.

Compliance: Within 10 hours time-inservice (TIS), unless accomplished

previously.

To prevent failure of a strap fitting,

separation of a main rotor blade, and

subsequent loss of control of the helicopter,

accomplish the following:

Note 2: Bell Helicopter Textron Alert

Service Bulletin 214–00–62 dated June 2,

2000, pertains to the subject of this AD.

(a) By referring to the helicopter

maintenance records, create a component

history card or equivalent record for each

strap fitting, and record the hours TIS and

serial number.

(1) If the hours TIS cannot be determined,

replace the strap fitting with an airworthy

strap fitting before further flight.

(2) If the strap fitting has accumulated

2,500 or more hours TIS, replace it with an

airworthy strap fitting before further flight.

(b) After accomplishing paragraph (a) of

this AD, continue to record the subsequent

hours TIS.

(c) This AD revises the Airworthiness

Limitations section of the maintenance

manual by establishing a life limit of 2,500

hours TIS for the strap fitting,

P/N 214–010–185–107.

(d) An alternative method of compliance or

adjustment of the compliance time that

provides an acceptable level of safety may be

used if approved by the Manager, Rotorcraft

Certification Office, Rotorcraft Directorate,

FAA. Operators shall submit their requests

through an FAA Principal Maintenance

Inspector, who may concur or comment and

then send it to the Manager, Rotorcraft

Certification Office.

Note 3: Information concerning the

existence of approved alternative methods of

compliance with this AD, if any, may be

obtained from the Rotorcraft Certification

Office.

(e) Special flight permits may be issued in

accordance with 14 CFR 21.197 and 21.199

to operate the helicopter to a location where

the requirements of this AD can be

accomplished.

(f) This amendment becomes effective on

February 28, 2001.

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on February

1, 2001.

Eric Bries,

Acting Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate,,

Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 01–3179 Filed 2–12–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–U

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Airspace Docket No. 2001–ASW–03]

Establishment of Class E Airspace,

Sugar Land, TX

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Direct final rule; request for

comments.

SUMMARY: This amendment establishes

Class E airspace at Sugar Land, TX. This

action is prompted by a non-federal air

traffic control tower that currently