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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 53 / Monday, March 22, 2021 / Proposed Rules DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 39
Docket No. FAA20171036; Product Identifier 2018SW015AD
RIN 2120AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters Federal Aviation Administration FAA, DOT.
ACTION: Supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking SNPRM;
reopening of comment period.
AGENCY:

The FAA is revising a notice of proposed rulemaking NPRM that applied to certain Airbus Helicopters Model AS365N2, AS 365 N3, SA
365N, and SA365N1 helicopters. The NPRM proposed to require either replacing the main gearbox MGB or as an alternative, replacing the epicyclic reduction gear module for certain serial numbered planet gear assemblies installed on the MGB. The NPRM also proposed to require inspecting the MGB
magnetic plugs and oil filter for particles and, depending on the outcome of the inspection, further inspections and replacing certain parts.
The NPRM was prompted by the failure of an MGB second stage planet gear.
This action revises the NPRM by expanding the applicability to include all Airbus Helicopters Model AS
365N2, AS 365 N3, SA365N, and SA
365N1 helicopters. Since these actions impose an additional burden over that proposed in the NPRM, the FAA is reopening the comment period to allow the public the chance to comment on these proposed changes.
DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this SNPRM by May 6, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Docket: Go to https www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for sending your comments electronically.
Fax: 2024932251.
Mail: Send comments to the U.S.
Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12140, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC
205900001.
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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SUMMARY:

Examining the AD Docket You may examine the AD docket on the internet at https

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www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA2017
1036; 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 proposed AD, the European Aviation Safety Agency now European Union Aviation Safety Agency EASA AD, any comments received, and other information. The street address for Docket Operations is listed above.
Comments will be available in the AD
docket shortly after receipt.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rao Edupuganti, Aviation Safety Engineer, Dynamic Systems Section, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, FAA, 10101
Hillwood Pkwy., Fort Worth, TX 76177;
telephone 8172225110; email rao.edupuganti@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited The FAA invites you to participate in this rulemaking by submitting written comments, data, or views. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, 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 only one time.
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 https
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. The agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact received about this proposed AD.
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 SNPRM
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 SNPRM, 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
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confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public docket of this SNPRM. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Rao Edupuganti, Aviation Safety Engineer, Dynamic Systems Section, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, FAA, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone 8172225110; email rao.edupuganti@
faa.gov. Any commentary that the FAA
receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this rulemaking Discussion The FAA issued an NPRM to amend 14 CFR part 39 to include an AD that would apply to Airbus Helicopters Model AS365N2, AS 365 N3, SA
365N, and SA365N1 helicopters with at least one Type X or Y planet gear assembly with a serial number S/N
listed in Appendices 4.A. through 4.B of Airbus Helicopters Alert Service Bulletin No. AS36505.00.78, Revision 3, dated March 2, 2018 ASB AS365
05.00.78 installed on the MGB. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on August 7, 2020 85 FR
47925. The NPRM proposed to require replacing the MGB or as an alternative, replacing the epicyclic reduction gear module for certain serial numbered planet gear assemblies installed on the MGB. The NPRM also proposed to require inspecting the MGB magnetic plugs and oil filter for particles.
Depending on the outcome of those inspections, the NPRM proposed to require further inspections and replacing certain parts.
The NPRM was prompted by EASA
AD No. 20170116, Revision 2, dated March 2, 2018, EASA AD 2017
01162R2, 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 AS 365 N2, AS 365 N3, SA 365
N, and SA 365 N1 helicopters. EASA
advises that after an accident on a Model EC225 helicopter, an investigation revealed the failure of a second stage planet gear of the MGB.
EASA states that one of the two types of planet gear assemblies used in the MGB epicyclic module is subject to higher outer race contact pressures and therefore is more susceptible to spalling and cracking. Airbus Helicopters reviewed its range of helicopters with regard to this issue and provided instructions to improve the reliability of the installed MGB. Therefore, EASA AD
201701162R2 requires repetitive inspections of the MGB magnetic plugs and corrective action if any particles are detected. EASA AD 201701162R2 also requires, if certain MGB planet gear
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