Document ID: FAA-2022-0992-0001
Agency: faa
Document Type: Proposed Rule
Title: Airworthiness Directives: Bell Textron Canada Limited (Type Certificate Previously Held by Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited) Helicopters
Posted Date: 2022-08-15T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 156 (Monday, August 15, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 50005-50009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-17140]

 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
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 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.
 
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 

  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 156 / Monday, August 15, 2022 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 50005]]

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2022-0992; Project Identifier MCAI-2022-00173-R]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited (Type 
Certificate Previously Held by Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited) 
Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 99-
23-18, AD 2005-03-07, AD 2013-12-07, and AD 2014-04-07, which apply to 
certain Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (now Bell Textron Canada 
Limited) Model 407 helicopters. AD 99-23-18 requires revising the life 
limits for certain parts, replacing each part that has exceeded its 
life limit, and revising the Airworthiness Limitation Section (ALS) of 
the existing maintenance manual. AD 2005-03-07 requires establishing a 
maximum accumulated Retirement Index Number (RIN) count for certain 
crosstube assemblies and revising the ALS of the existing maintenance 
manual. AD 2013-12-07 requires inspecting the tailboom assembly for a 
crack, loose rivet, or other damage and depending on the inspection 
results, replacing certain parts. AD 2014-04-07 requires preflight 
checking, repetitively inspecting for a crack in certain tailbooms, 
modifying and re-identifying certain tailbooms, installing an improved 
horizontal stabilizer assembly, and revising the ALS of the existing 
maintenance manual. Since the FAA issued those ADs, a report was 
received of a crack on the tailboom lower skin due to fatigue damage 
and new and more restrictive airworthiness limitations have been 
issued. This proposed AD would require incorporating into existing 
maintenance records requirements (airworthiness limitations) as 
specified in the ALS service information. 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 September 
29, 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 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 between 9 a.m. and 
5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    For service information that is identified in this NPRM, contact 
Bell Textron Canada Limited, 12,800 Rue de l'Avenir, Mirabel, Quebec 
J7J 1R4, Canada; telephone 1-450-437-2862 or 1-800-363-8023; fax 1-450-
433-0272; email [email protected]; or at 
www.bellflight.com/support/contact-support. You may view this service 
information at the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, Southwest 
Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Room 6N-321, Fort Worth, TX 76177. 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 www.regulations.gov by searching 
for and locating Docket No. FAA-2022-0992; 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, the Transport 
Canada AD, any comments received, and other information. The street 
address for Docket Operations is listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrea Jimenez, Aerospace Engineer, 
COS Program Management Section, Operational Safety Branch, Compliance & 
Airworthiness Division, FAA, 1600 Stewart Ave., Suite 410, Westbury, NY 
11590; telephone (516) 228-7330; email [email protected].

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-2022-0992; Project Identifier 
MCAI-2022-00173-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 
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 
Andrea Jimenez, Aerospace Engineer, COS Program Management Section, 
Operational Safety Branch, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, FAA, 
1600 Stewart Ave., Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; telephone (516) 228-
7330; email [email protected]. Any commentary that the FAA 
receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in 
the public docket for this rulemaking.

[[Page 50006]]

Background

    The FAA issued AD 99-23-18, Amendment 39-11414 (64 FR 61784, 
November 15, 1999) (AD 99-23-18) for all Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 
(now Bell Textron Canada Limited) Model 407 helicopters. AD 99-23-18 
was prompted by an engineering evaluation of additional flight test 
data, which resulted in redefining the service life for certain parts 
and revising the ALS of the existing maintenance manual AD 99-23-18 
requires before further flight, revising the life limits for certain 
parts, and replacing each part that has exceeded its life limit with an 
airworthy part. AD 99-23-18 also requires revising the ALS of the 
existing maintenance manual to reflect these new life limits and 
annotating the component history card or equivalent record with the 
revised life limits.
    The FAA issued AD 2005-03-07, Amendment 39-13963 (70 FR 7016, 
February 10, 2005) (AD 2005-03-07) for Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 
(now Bell Textron Canada Limited) Model 407 helicopters with landing 
gear crosstube assemblies, part number (P/N) 407-050-101-101 and -103; 
P/N 407-050-102-101 and -103; P/N 407-050-201-101 and -103; P/N 407-
050-202-101 and -103; P/N 407-704-007-119; P/N 407-722-101; P/N 407-
723-104; P/N 407-724-101; or P/N 407-725-104, installed. AD 2005-03-07 
was prompted by fatigue testing, analysis, and evaluation by the 
manufacturer that determined that run-on landings impose a high stress 
on landing gear or crosstubes and may cause cracking in the area above 
the skid tube saddle. AD 2005-03-07 requires before further flight, 
establishing a component history card or equivalent record, converting 
accumulated run-on landings to an accumulated RIN count, and 
establishing a maximum accumulated RIN for certain crosstube 
assemblies. AD 2005-03-07 also requires replacing any crosstube 
assembly before it exceeds the maximum RIN life limit and revising the 
ALS of the existing maintenance manual to reflect this new life limit.
    The FAA issued AD 2013-12-07, Amendment 39-17485 (78 FR 38546, June 
27, 2013) (AD 2013-12-07) for Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (now Bell 
Textron Canada Limited) Model 407 helicopters with tailboom assembly P/
N 407-030-801-201, 407-030-801-203, or 407-030-801-205, installed. AD 
2013-12-07 was prompted by a stress analysis of the tailboom skin that 
revealed that high-stress-concentration areas are susceptible to skin 
cracking. AD 2013-12-07 requires for tailboom assemblies with 8,600 or 
more hours time-in-service (TIS), or with an unknown number of hours 
TIS, before the first flight of each day, inspecting the tailboom 
assembly for a crack; or within 25 hours TIS, or 30 days, whichever 
comes first, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 50 hours TIS, 
inspecting for a crack around each fastener and above the edge of the 
upper stabilizer support. AD 2013-12-07 also requires for certain 
tailboom assemblies with 6,900 or more hours TIS, within 25 hours TIS 
or 30 days, whichever occurs first, inspecting the tailboom assembly 
for a crack by using either a 10X or higher power magnifying glass and 
thereafter inspecting at intervals not to exceed 150 hours TIS; or by 
eddy current inspecting and thereafter inspecting at intervals not to 
exceed 500 hours TIS.
    Additionally, AD 2013-12-07 requires, within 100 hours TIS or at 
the next tailboom inspection, whichever occurs first, and thereafter at 
intervals not to exceed 300 hours TIS, inspecting the tailboom assembly 
for a crack, loose rivet, or other damage. Depending on the inspection 
results, AD 2013-12-07 requires if there is a crack, before further 
flight replacing the tailboom assembly with an airworthy part.
    The FAA issued AD 2014-04-07, Amendment 39-17766 (79 FR 35481, June 
23, 2014) (AD 2014-04-07) for Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (now Bell 
Textron Canada Limited) Model 407 helicopters serial numbers (S/Ns) 
53000 through 53475, with tailboom P/N 407-030-801-101, -105, or -107, 
or 407-530-014-101 or -103, installed. AD 2014-04-07 was prompted by 
additional reports of cracked tailboom skins. AD 2014-04-07 requires 
for certain part-numbered tailbooms that have not been modified, 
conducting daily preflight checks of the tailboom for a crack; and for 
tailbooms with 600 or more hours TIS, within 25 hours TIS, and 
thereafter at intervals not to exceed 50 hours TIS, visually inspecting 
the tailboom for a crack using a 10X or higher power magnifying glass, 
and within 600 hours TIS but not later than 30 days modifying and re-
identifying certain part-numbered tailbooms, and installing an improved 
horizontal stabilizer assembly. AD 2014-04-07 also requires for certain 
part-numbered tailbooms, after the modification, before further flight, 
establishing a component history card or equivalent record, and 
revising the existing ALS of the maintenance manual to reflect a new 
life limit.
    AD 2014-04-07 also requires, for certain part-number tailbooms, 
within 25 hours TIS or 30 days, whichever occurs first, daily visual 
inspections of the tailboom for a crack, and within 100 hours TIS and 
thereafter at intervals not to exceed 100 hours TIS, using a 10X or 
higher power magnifying glass, inspecting each tailboom for a loose 
rivet, crack, skin corrosion, or any other damage. Depending on the 
inspection results, AD 2014-04-07 requires corrective actions, 
including, if there is a crack, replacing the tailboom assembly before 
further flight.

Actions Since AD 99-23-18, AD 2005-03-07, AD 2013-12-07, and AD 2014-
04-07 Were Issued

    Since the FAA issued AD 99-23-18, AD 2005-03-07, AD 2013-12-07, and 
AD 2014-04-07, Transport Canada, which is the aviation authority for 
Canada, issued AD CF-2021-34, dated October 22, 2021 (Transport Canada 
AD CF-2021-34), to correct an unsafe condition for Bell Textron Canada 
Limited Model 407 helicopters, S/N 53000 through 53900, 53911 through 
54166, and 54300 and subsequent. Transport Canada advises of a report 
of a crack on the tailboom lower skin due to fatigue damage, which 
could affect the structural integrity of the tailboom. Transport Canada 
advises that Bell Textron Canada Limited issued a revision to the ALS, 
which adds a new inspection zone for tailboom assemblies to address the 
unsafe condition.
    Accordingly, Transport Canada AD CF-2021-34 requires compliance 
with Bell BHT-407-MPI, Chapter 04, ALS, Issue 3, dated June 21, 2021, 
of Bell Model 407 Maintenance Planning Information, PMC-407-97499-
01000-00, Issue No. 005, dated July 6, 2022 (BHT-407-MPI, ALS Issue 3), 
which includes maintenance tasks and life limits for the tailboom and 
other parts. The FAA is proposing this AD to prevent failure of a part, 
which could result in loss of control of the helicopter.
    Additionally, although AD 99-23-18 and AD 2005-03-07 were prompted 
by unsafe conditions not related to the tailboom crack that prompted 
this proposed AD, the actions required to address the unsafe conditions 
in AD 99-23-18 and AD 2005-03-07 are included in BHT-407-MPI, ALS Issue 
3. Therefore, the FAA is superseding AD 99-23-18, AD 2005-03-07, AD 
2013-12-07, and AD 2014-04-07, in order to reduce the burden on 
operators by requiring compliance with a single AD in lieu of multiple 
FAA ADs.
    AD 99-23-18 requires reducing the life limit for drive ring set P/N 
406-010-126-107 from 49,000 RIN to 48,000 RIN, and replacing each part 
that has exceeded its life limit. BHT-407-MPI, ALS Issue 3 states the 
life limit for drive

[[Page 50007]]

ring set P/N 406-010-126-107 is 100,000 RIN.
    AD 2005-03-07 requires establishing a maximum accumulated RIN for 
certain crosstube assemblies of 5,000 RIN and replacing any crosstube 
assembly before it exceeds the maximum accumulated RIN. BHT-407-MPI, 
ALS Issue 3 adds an additional life limit to certain part-numbered 
crosstube assemblies of 2,500 landings or 5,000 RIN.
    AD 2013-12-07 requires for tailboom assemblies with P/N 407-030-
801-201, 407-030-801-203, or 407-030-801-205 and with 8,600 or more 
hours TIS, or with an unknown number of hours TIS, inspecting the 
tailboom assembly for a crack within 25 hours TIS or 30 days, whichever 
comes first; and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 50 hours TIS, 
inspecting for a crack. AD 2013-12-07 also requires for tailboom 
assemblies with 6,900 or more hours TIS, inspecting the tailboom 
assembly for a crack within 25 hours TIS or 30 days, whichever comes 
first. Thereafter AD 2013-12-07 requires either inspecting using a 10X 
or higher power magnifying glass and thereafter repeating that 
inspection at intervals not to exceed 150 hours TIS or eddy current 
inspecting and thereafter repeating the eddy current inspection at 
intervals not to exceed 500 hours TIS. AD 2013-12-07 also requires 
within 100 hours TIS or at the next tailboom inspection, whichever 
comes first, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 300 hours TIS, 
inspecting the tailboom assembly for a loose rivet, crack, or other 
damage.
    BHT-407-MPI, ALS Issue 3 adds tailboom assembly P/N 407-530-013-105 
and successive dash numbers, and also specifies for tailboom assembly 
P/N 407-530-013-105 and successive dash numbers and P/N 407-030-801-201 
and successive dash numbers, inspecting for a crack every 300 hours; 
and for tailbooms that have accumulated 6,900 or more hours in service 
inspecting every 150 hours using a 10X magnifying glass inspection 
method, or eddy current inspecting every 500 hours; and for tailboom 
assemblies that have accumulated 8,600 or more hours in service, or 
with total time unknown, inspecting for a crack either with a daily 
visual inspection or with a 10X magnifying glass inspection method at 
intervals not to exceed 50 hours. Additionally, BHT-407-MPI, ALS Issue 
3 specifies additional inspection zones, intervals, and criteria.
    AD 2014-04-07 requires modifying and re-identifying tailboom P/N 
407-030-801-101 as 407-530-014-101, and P/N 407-030-801-105 as P/N 407-
530-014-103. AD 2014-04-07 also requires for tailboom P/N 407-530-014-
101 and -103, and P/N 407-030-801-107, establishing a retirement life 
of 5,000 hours TIS, and daily checks for a crack and recurring 
inspections using a 10X or higher power magnifying glass at intervals 
not to exceed 100 hours TIS for a loose rivet, a crack, skin corrosion, 
or other damage. BHT-407-MPI, ALS Issue 3 specifies for tailboom P/N 
407-530-014-101 and successive dash numbers, and P/N 407-030-801-107 
and successive dash numbers, daily and recurring inspections for a 
crack every 100 hours TIS. BHT-407-MPI, ALS Issue 3 also revises the 
inspection areas.

FAA's Determination

    These helicopters have been approved by the aviation authority of 
Canada and are approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to 
the FAA's bilateral agreement with Canada, Transport Canada, its 
technical representative, has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition 
described in its AD. The FAA is proposing this AD after evaluating all 
known relevant information and determining that the unsafe condition 
described previously is likely to exist or develop on other helicopters 
of the same type design.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    The FAA reviewed BHT-407-MPI, ALS Issue 3, which specifies certain 
actions and associated thresholds and intervals, including life limits 
and maintenance tasks. These requirements (airworthiness limitations) 
include new inspection zones and new maintenance tasks (e.g., 
inspections for cracks) with new compliance times.
    This service information is reasonably available because the 
interested parties have access to it through their normal course of 
business or by the means identified in the ADDRESSES section.

Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM

    This proposed AD would supersede AD 99-23-18, AD 2005-03-07, AD 
2013-12-07, and AD 2014-04-07, and would require incorporating into 
existing maintenance records requirements (airworthiness limitations), 
which are identified in BHT-407-MPI, ALS Issue 3, as described 
previously.

ADs Mandating Airworthiness Limitations

    The FAA has previously mandated airworthiness limitations by 
mandating each airworthiness limitation task (e.g., inspections and 
replacements (life limits)) as an AD requirement or issuing ADs that 
require revising the ALS of the existing maintenance manual or 
instructions for continued airworthiness to incorporate new or revised 
inspections and life limits. This proposed AD, however, would require 
operators to incorporate into maintenance records required by 14 CFR 
91.417(a)(2) or 135.439(a)(2), as applicable for your rotorcraft, the 
requirements (airworthiness limitations) identified in the ALS service 
information, as described previously. The FAA does not intend this as a 
substantive change. For these ADs, the ALS requirements for operators 
are the same but are complied with differently. Requiring the 
incorporation of the new ALS requirements into the existing maintenance 
records, rather than requiring individual ALS tasks (e.g., repetitive 
inspections and replacements), requires operators to record AD 
compliance once after updating the maintenance records, rather than 
after every time the ALS task is completed.

Differences Between This Proposed AD and Transport Canada AD CF-2021-34 
or the Service Information

    Transport Canada AD CF-2021-34 does not supersede any previously 
issued Transport Canada ADs, whereas this proposed AD would supersede 
FAA AD 99-23-18, AD 2005-03-07, AD 2013-12-07, and AD 2014-04-07. The 
airworthiness limitations specified in Transport Canada AD CF-2021-34 
encompass the requirements of AD 99-23-18, AD 2005-03-07, AD 2013-12-
07, and AD 2014-04-07.
    Additionally, Transport Canada AD CF-2021-34 is applicable to 
certain serial-numbered Bell Textron Canada Limited Model 407 
helicopters, whereas this proposed AD would be applicable to all 
serial-numbered Model 407 helicopters.
    The service information specifies replacing each component before 
exceeding the applicable airworthiness life limit, accomplishing all 
applicable maintenance tasks within the defined thresholds and 
intervals, and performing the specified corrective action(s) if a 
defect is found during the inspection, whereas this proposed AD would 
require incorporating requirements (airworthiness limitations) into 
existing maintenance records within 30 days after the effective date of 
the AD.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would 
affect 791 helicopters of U.S. Registry. Labor rates are estimated at 
$85 per work-hour. Based on these numbers, the FAA

[[Page 50008]]

estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed AD.
    Incorporating requirements (airworthiness limitations) into 
existing maintenance records would take about 2 work-hours for an 
estimated cost of $170 per helicopter and $134,470 for the U.S. fleet.

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, 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

0
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.

Sec.  39.13  [Amended]

0
2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by:
0
a. Removing Airworthiness Directive 99-23-18, Amendment 39-11414 (64 FR 
61784, November 15, 1999); Airworthiness Directive 2005-03-07, 
Amendment 39-13963 (70 FR 7016, February 10, 2005); Airworthiness 
Directive 2013-12-07, Amendment 39-17485 (78 FR 38546, June 27, 2013); 
and Airworthiness Directive 2014-04-07, Amendment 39-17766 (79 FR 
35481, June 23, 2014); and
0
b. Adding the following new airworthiness directive:

Bell Textron Canada Limited (Type Certificate Previously Held by 
Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited): Docket No. FAA-2022-0992; 
Project Identifier MCAI-2022-00173-R.

(a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive 
(AD) by September 29, 2022.

(b) Affected ADs

    This AD replaces the ADs specified in paragraphs (b)(1) through 
(4) of this AD.
    (1) AD 99-23-18, Amendment 39-11414 (64 FR 61784, November 15, 
1999).
    (2) AD 2005-03-07, Amendment 39-13963 (70 FR 7016, February 10, 
2005).
    (3) AD 2013-12-07, Amendment 39-17485 (78 FR 38546, June 27, 
2013).
    (4) AD 2014-04-07, Amendment 39-17766 (79 FR 35481, June 23, 
2014).

    Note 1 to paragraph (b): The requirements of this AD capture the 
latest tasks and life limits required to prevent the unsafe 
conditions addressed by the ADs that are identified in paragraphs 
(b)(1) through (4) of this AD.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to all Bell Textron Canada Limited (type 
certificate previously held by Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 
Limited) Model 407 helicopters, certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) Code: 5300, Fuselage 
Structure.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by a report of a crack on the tailboom 
lower skin due to fatigue damage and the issuance of new and more 
restrictive airworthiness limitations. The FAA is issuing this AD to 
prevent failure of a part, which could result in loss of control of 
the helicopter.

(f) Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, 
unless already done.

(g) Required Actions

    Within 30 days after the effective date of this AD, incorporate 
into maintenance records required by 14 CFR 91.417(a)(2) or 
135.439(a)(2), as applicable for your helicopter, the requirements 
(airworthiness limitations) specified in Bell BHT-407-MPI, Chapter 
04, Airworthiness Limitations Schedule, Issue 3, dated June 21, 
2021, of Bell Model 407 Maintenance Planning Information, PMC-407-
97499-01000-00, Issue No. 005, dated July 6, 2022.

(h) Provisions for Alternative Requirements (Airworthiness Limitations)

    After the actions required by paragraph (g) of this AD have been 
done, no alternative requirements (airworthiness limitations) are 
allowed unless they are approved as an alternative method of 
compliance (AMOC) in accordance with the procedures specified in 
paragraph (j)(1) of this AD.

(i) Special Flight Permits

    Special flight permits may be issued in accordance with 14 CFR 
21.197 and 21.199, provided no passengers are onboard.

(j) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, International Validation Branch, 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 International Validation Branch, send 
it to the attention of the person identified in paragraph (k)(1) of 
this AD. Information may be emailed to: [email protected].
    (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.

(k) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Andrea Jimenez, 
Aerospace Engineer, COS Program Management Section, Operational 
Safety Branch, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, FAA, 1600 
Stewart Ave., Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; telephone (516) 228-
7330; email [email protected].
    (2) For service information identified in this AD, contact Bell 
Textron Canada Limited, 12,800 Rue de l'Avenir, Mirabel, Quebec J7J 
1R4, Canada; telephone 1-450-437-2862 or 1-800-363-8023; fax 1-450-
433-0272; email [email protected]; or at 
www.bellflight.com/support/contact-support. You may view this 
referenced service information at the FAA, Office of the Regional 
Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Room 6N-321, Fort 
Worth, TX 76177. For information on the availability of this 
material at the FAA, call (817) 222-5110.

[[Page 50009]]

    (3) The subject of this AD is addressed in Transport Canada AD 
CF-2021-34, dated October 22, 2021. You may view the Transport 
Canada AD on the internet at www.regualtions.gov in Docket No. FAA-
2022-0992.

    Issued on August 4, 2022.
Christina Underwood,
Acting Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-17140 Filed 8-12-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P