Federal Register, Volume 76 Issue 47 (Thursday, March 10, 2011)

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 47 (Thursday, March 10, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 13061-13063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4468]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2010-0866; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-065-AD;
Amendment 39-16586; AD 2011-03-03]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited
Model 427 Helicopters

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the
products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing
airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an aviation authority of
another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an
aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

Tail rotor driveshaft hanger bearing bracket part number (P/N)
427-044-223-101 has been found cracked due to fatigue. It has been
determined that the fatigue cracking was initiated by a tooling mark
left during manufacture.
The existence of tooling marks on the bracket could lead to
bracket failure, loss of tail rotor drive and, consequently, loss of
control of the helicopter.

We are issuing this AD to require actions to correct the unsafe
condition on these products.

DATES: This AD becomes effective April 14, 2011.
On April 14, 2011, the Director of the Federal Register approved
the incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in this
AD.

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov or in person at Document Management Facility, U.S.
Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC
20590.
For service information identified in this AD, contact Bell
Helicopter Textron, Inc., P.O. Box 482, Fort Worth, TX 76101;
telephone: (817) 280-2011; fax: (817) 280-2321; or at http://www.bellhelicopter.com. You may review copies of the referenced service
information at the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, Southwest
Region, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Room 663, Fort Worth, Texas 76137.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharon Miles, Aerospace Engineer, FAA,
Rotorcraft Directorate, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137;
telephone: (817) 222-5122; fax: (817) 222-5961.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

We issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR
part 39 to include an AD that would apply to the specified products.
That NPRM was published in the Federal Register on August 30, 2010 (75
FR 52912). That NPRM proposed to correct an unsafe condition for the
specified products. The MCAI states:

[[Page 13062]]

The MCAI requires you to rework the tail rotor driveshaft hanger
bearing bracket.

Comments

We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing
this AD. We received no comments on the NPRM or on the determination of
the cost to the public.

Conclusion

We reviewed the available data and determined that air safety and
the public interest require adopting the AD as proposed.

Differences Between This AD and the MCAI or Service Information

We have reviewed the MCAI and related service information and, in
general, agree with their substance. But we might have found it
necessary to use different words from those in the MCAI to ensure the
AD is clear for U.S. operators and is enforceable. In making these
changes, we do not intend to differ substantively from the information
provided in the MCAI and related service information.
We might also have required different actions in this AD from those
in the MCAI in order to follow FAA policies. Any such differences are
highlighted in a Note within the AD.

Costs of Compliance

We estimate that this AD will affect 30 products of U.S. registry.
We also estimate that it will take about 4 work-hours per product to
comply with the basic requirements of this AD. The average labor rate
is $85 per work-hour.
Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of this AD to the U.S.
operators to be $10,200 or $340 per product.
In addition, we estimate that any necessary follow-on actions would
require parts costing $5,034, for a cost of $5,034 per product. We have
no way of determining the number of products that may need these
actions.

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.

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 distribution of power and
responsibilities among the various levels of government.
For the reasons discussed above, I certify this AD:
(1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive
Order 12866;
(2) Is not a ``significant rule'' under 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 a regulatory evaluation of the estimated costs to
comply with this AD and placed it in the AD Docket.

Examining the AD Docket

You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov; or in person at the Docket Management Facility
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. The AD docket contains the NPRM, the regulatory evaluation,
any comments received, and other information. The street address for
the Docket Office (telephone (800) 647-5527) is in the ADDRESSES
section. Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after
receipt.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, 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

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 adding the following new AD:

2011-03-03 Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited: Amendment 39-
16586; Docket No. FAA-2010-0866; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-065-
AD.

Effective Date

(a) This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes effective April
14, 2011.

Affected ADs

(b) None.

Applicability

(c) This AD applies to Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited
Model 427 helicopters, all serial numbers (SNs), certificated in any
category.

Subject

(d) Air Transport Association of America (ATA) Code 65: Tail
Rotor Drive.

Reason

(e) The mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI)
states:
Tail rotor driveshaft hanger bearing bracket part number (P/N)
427-044-223-101 has been found cracked due to fatigue. It has been
determined that the fatigue cracking was initiated by a tooling mark
left during manufacture.
The existence of tooling marks on the bracket could lead to
bracket failure, loss of tail rotor drive and, consequently, loss of
control of the helicopter.

The MCAI requires you to rework the tail rotor driveshaft hanger
bearing bracket.

Actions and Compliance

(f) Unless already done, do the following actions:
(1) Applicable to SNs 56001 through 56073, and 56077: Within 30
days after April 14, 2011 (the effective date of this AD), inspect
both sides of the hanger bracket, P/N 427-044-223-101, for cracks
following Bell Helicopter Alert Service Bulletin No. 427-09-29, REV
A, dated November 17, 2009.
(i) If no cracks are found during the inspection required by
paragraph (f)(1) of this AD, before further flight, rework both
sides of the hanger bracket, P/N 427-044-223-101, following Bell
Helicopter Alert Service Bulletin No. 427-09-29, REV A, dated
November 17, 2009.
(ii) If cracks are found during the inspection required by
paragraph (f)(1) of this AD, before further flight, replace the
hanger bracket, P/N 427-044-223-101, with a new hanger bracket, P/N
427-044-223-101, that has been reworked following Bell Helicopter

[[Page 13063]]

Alert Service Bulletin No. 427-09-29, REV A, dated November 17,
2009.
(2) Applicable to all SNs: As of April 14, 2011 (the effective
date of this AD), you may not install replacement tail rotor
driveshaft hanger bracket, P/N 427-044-223-101, unless the bracket
has been inspected and found free of cracks and has been reworked
following Bell Helicopter Alert Service Bulletin No. 427-09-29, REV
A, dated November 17, 2009.

FAA AD Differences

Note: This AD differs from the MCAI and/or service information
as follows: No differences.

Other FAA AD Provisions

(g) The following provisions also apply to this AD:
(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager,
Standards Office, FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs for this
AD, if requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. Send
information to ATTN: Sharon Miles, Aerospace Engineer, FAA,
Rotorcraft Directorate, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137;
telephone: (817) 222-5122; fax: (817) 222-5961. Before using any
approved AMOC on any airplane to which the AMOC applies, notify your
appropriate principal inspector (PI) in the FAA Flight Standards
District Office (FSDO), or lacking a PI, your local FSDO.
(2) Airworthy Product: For any requirement in this AD to obtain
corrective actions from a manufacturer or other source, use these
actions if they are FAA-approved. Corrective actions are considered
FAA-approved if they are approved by the State of Design Authority
(or their delegated agent). You are required to assure the product
is airworthy before it is returned to service.
(3) Reporting Requirements: For any reporting requirement in
this AD, a federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person
is not required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a
penalty for failure to comply with a collection of information
subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless
that collection of information displays a current valid OMB Control
Number. The OMB Control Number for this information collection is
2120-0056. Public reporting for this collection of information is
estimated to be approximately 5 minutes per response, including the
time for reviewing instructions, completing and reviewing the
collection of information. All responses to this collection of
information are mandatory. Comments concerning the accuracy of this
burden and suggestions for reducing the burden should be directed to
the FAA at: 800 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20591, Attn:
Information Collection Clearance Officer, AES-200.

Related Information

(h) Refer to MCAI Transport Canada AD No. CF-2010-17, dated June
2, 2010; and Bell Helicopter Alert Service Bulletin No. 427-09-29,
REV A, dated November 17, 2009, for related information.

Material Incorporated by Reference

(i) You must use Bell Helicopter Alert Service Bulletin No. 427-
09-29, REV A, dated November 17, 2009, to do the actions required by
this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
(1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the
incorporation by reference of this service information under 5
U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
(2) For service information identified in this AD, contact Bell
Helicopter Textron, Inc., P.O. Box 482, Fort Worth, TX 76101;
telephone: (817) 280-2011; fax: (817) 280-2321; or at http://www.bellhelicopter.com.
(3) You may review copies of the referenced service information
at the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 2601
Meacham Blvd., Room 663, Fort Worth, Texas 76137. For information on
the availability of this material at the FAA, call 816-329-4148.
(4) You may also review copies of the service information
incorporated by reference for this AD at the National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability
of this material at NARA, call (202) 741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on January 13, 2011.
Kim Smith,
Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-4468 Filed 3-9-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P