AD 2017-11986

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 111 (Monday, June 12, 2017)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 26843-26846] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2017-11986]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2017-0573; Directorate Identifier 2017-SW-001-AD; Amendment 39-18919; AD 2017-12-04] RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters

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

ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We are superseding airworthiness directive (AD) 2016-20-04 for Airbus Helicopters Model SA341G and SA342J helicopters. AD 2016-20-04 prohibited autorotation training flights until the landing gear rear crosstube (crosstube) was inspected. This new AD adds additional part- numbered crosstubes to the applicability and revises the hardness criteria for the inspection. This AD is prompted by a determination that an additional part-numbered crosstube may have the same unsafe condition. The actions of this AD are intended to detect and prevent an unsafe condition on these helicopters.

DATES: This AD becomes effective June 27, 2017. The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain document listed in this AD as of June 27, 2017. We must receive comments on this AD by August 11, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Docket: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for sending your comments electronically. Fax: 202-493-2251. Mail: Send comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001. Hand Delivery: Deliver to the ``Mail'' address between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

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Examining the AD Docket

You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2017- 0573; or in person at the Docket Operations Office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains this AD, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, any incorporated by reference service information, the economic evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street address for the Docket Operations Office (telephone 800-647-5527) is in the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt. For service information identified in this final rule, contact Airbus Helicopters, 2701 N. Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75052; telephone (972) 641-0000 or (800) 232-0323; fax (972) 641-3775; or at http://www.airbushelicopters.com/website/technical-expert. You may review the referenced service information at the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Room 6N-321, Fort Worth, TX 76177. It is also available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2017- 0573.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt Fuller, Senior Aviation Safety Engineer, Safety Management Group, Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone (817) 222-5110; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

This AD is a final rule that involves requirements affecting flight safety, and we did not provide you with notice and an opportunity to provide your comments prior to it becoming effective. However, we invite you to participate in this rulemaking by submitting written comments, data, or views. We also invite comments relating to the economic, environmental, energy, or federalism impacts that resulted from adopting this AD. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the AD, explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. To ensure the docket does not contain duplicate comments, commenters should send only one copy of written comments, or if comments are filed electronically, commenters should submit them only one time. We will file in the docket all comments that we receive, as well as a report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA personnel concerning this rulemaking during the comment period. We will consider all the comments we receive and may conduct additional rulemaking based on those comments.

Discussion

On September 16, 2016, we issued AD 2016-20-04 (81 FR 67904, October 3, 2016), which prohibited autorotation training flights by amending the rotorcraft flight manual (RFM) and installing a placard on the instrument panel. AD 2016-20-04 also required, within 25 hours time-in-service (TIS), inspecting each crosstube with part-number (P/N) 341A415201.00 or P/N 341A415201.01 to determine whether the metal is coated and removing all coating if it is present. Once there is no coating, AD 2016-20-04 required determining the hardness of the crosstube, replacing the crosstube if it did not meet the specified hardness criteria, and then removing the autorotation training flight prohibition. AD 2016-20-04 was prompted by Emergency AD No. 2016-0073-E, dated April 13, 2016 (AD 2016-0073-E), issued by EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, to correct an unsafe condition for Airbus Helicopters Model SA341G and SA342J helicopters with a crosstube P/N 341A415201.00 or P/N 341A415201.01. EASA stated that two reported failures of a crosstube had occurred during maintenance and towing operations, which resulted in the helicopters dropping or tipping over. EASA further stated that excessive hardness of the crosstube material, combined with inter-granular corrosion initiation, may have affected the structural integrity of the crosstube. EASA advised that this condition could lead to failure of the crosstube and dropping or tipping over of the helicopter. To address the unsafe condition, EASA AD 2016-0073-E required identifying the affected crosstubes, implementing a temporary prohibition of autorotation training flights on affected helicopters by amending the RFM and installing a placard, inspecting the hardness of each affected crosstube, and replacing any crosstubes that do not meet the hardness criteria.

Actions Since AD 2016-20-04 Was Issued

Since we issued AD 2016-20-04, EASA has issued Emergency AD No. 2016-0131-E, dated July 5, 2016 (AD 2016-0131-E), which superseded AD 2016-0073-E. EASA advises that after AD 2016-0073-E was issued, Airbus Helicopters discovered that crosstubes with P/N 341A415201.02 could be affected by the same unsafe condition. EASA AD 2016-0131-E adds this crosstube P/N to the applicability and retains the requirements of AD 2016-0073-E. Additionally, we determined there is no unsafe condition in most autorotation training. An unsafe condition exists only if the helicopter touches the ground or a run-on landing (also called a running landing, where the helicopter slides to a stop on landing) is completed.

FAA's Determination

These helicopters have been approved by the aviation authority of France and are approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to our bilateral agreement with France, EASA, its technical representative, has notified us of the unsafe condition described in the EASA AD. We are issuing this AD because we evaluated all information provided by EASA and determined the unsafe condition exists and is likely to exist or develop on other helicopters of these same type designs.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

Airbus Helicopters has issued Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) No. SA341/342-32.08, Revision 2, dated October 18, 2016 (ASB 32.08), which specifies removing the crosstube, checking its hardness, and replacing the crosstube if it fails the hardness test. ASB 32.08 also specifies prohibiting autorotative landing training by installing a placard on the instrument panel. Finally, this revision of ASB 32.08 extends the permissible hardness values range for the Vickers test method from [email protected]. (2) For operations conducted under a 14 CFR part 119 operating certificate or under 14 CFR part 91, subpart K, we suggest that you notify your principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager of the local flight standards district office or certificate holding district office, before operating any aircraft complying with this AD through an AMOC.

(i) Additional Information

(1) Aerospatiale (now Airbus Helicopters) Flight Manuals SA 341G, Issue 2, dated December 1974, and SA 342J, Issue 1, dated April 27, 1976, which are not incorporated by reference, contain additional information about the subject of this AD. For service information identified in this AD, contact Airbus Helicopters, 2701 N. Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75052; telephone (972) 641-0000 or (800) 232-0323; fax (972) 641-3775; or at http://www.airbushelicopters.com/techpub. You may review the referenced service information at the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Room 6N-321, Fort Worth, TX 76177. (2) The subject of this AD is addressed in European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD No. 2016-0131-E, dated July 5, 2016. You may view the EASA AD on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating it in Docket No. FAA-2017-0573.

(j) Subject

Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) Code: 3213 Main Landing Gear Strut/Axel/Truck.

(k) Material Incorporated by Reference

(1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of the service information listed in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. (2) You must use this service information as applicable to do the actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise. (i) Airbus Helicopters Alert Service Bulletin No. SA341/342- 32.08, Revision 2, dated October 18, 2016. (ii) Reserved. (3) For Airbus Helicopters service information identified in this AD, contact Airbus Helicopters, 2701 N. Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75052; telephone (972) 641-0000 or (800) 232-0323; fax (972) 641-3775; or at http://www.airbushelicopters.com/website/technical-expert. (4) You may view this service information at 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. (5) You may view this service information that is incorporated by reference 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/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on May 26, 2017. Scott A. Horn, Acting Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. [FR Doc. 2017-11986 Filed 6-9-17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-13-P