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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 119 / Thursday, June 24, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
final rule, the Transport Canada AD, any comments received, and other information. The street address for Docket Operations is U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt Fuller, AD Program Manager, General Aviation & Rotorcraft Unit, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, FAA, 10101
Hillwood Pkwy., Fort Worth, TX 76177;
telephone 817 2225110; email matthew.fuller@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
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The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking NPRM to amend 14 CFR
part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to Bell Model 429 helicopters, serial numbers 57001 and subsequent.
The NPRM published in the Federal Register on April 8, 2021 86 FR 18218.
In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to require establishing a life limit for certain part-numbered tail rotor outboard flapping bearings and a certain part-numbered hoist kit cable cutter cartridge. The NPRM also proposed to require establishing recurring CMR tasks for a certain part-numbered wheeled landing gear system, float/life raft kit, and hoist kit, and depending on the results of the CMR tasks, corrective action. The NPRM was prompted by Canadian AD CF201716, dated May 17, 2017, issued by Transport Canada, which is the aviation authority of Canada, to correct an unsafe condition for Bell Model 429 helicopters, serial numbers 57001 and subsequent.
Transport Canada advises that Bell has established life limits and CMR tasks for various parts and accordingly revised Chapter 4Airworthiness Limitations Schedule of Bell Helicopter 429
Maintenance Manual BHT429MM1
to Revision 26, dated September 9, 2016
BHT429MM1. Transport Canada states that failure to replace life-limited parts or perform CMR tasks as specified could result in an unsafe condition.
Accordingly, the Transport Canada AD requires updating the maintenance schedule for the parts affected with the airworthiness life limits and CMR tasks in Revision 26 of BHT429MM1.
Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive Comments The FAA received comments from one commenter. The commenter was Bell. The following presents the
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comments received on the NPRM and the FAAs response to each comment.
Request To Change the Compliance Time of the Hoist Cable Anti-Foul Assembly Operational Check Bell requested changing the compliance time of the hoist cable antifoul assembly operational check from before the first flight of the day involving a hoist operation to after the last flight of the day. Bell requested this change to avoid the potential to suspend critical operations in order to accomplish the check and any required corrective maintenance because according to Bell, hoist equipment serves an essential service and may be required for critical missions with minimal notice. Bell further stated that this task was established based on the system safety assessment for the Bell Model 429 helicopter hoist installation and exposure based on a daily check after the last flight was considered in that assessment to conservatively meet acceptable reliability targets for its Major hazard classification.
The FAA disagrees with the request to change the compliance time to after the last flight of the day. The compliance time of before the first flight of the day is standard practice in rotorcraft AD
actions for enforceability purposes.
However, this wording does not imply that the operational check and corrective action must be done on the same calendar day as the first flight of the day involving a hoist operation. In light of this, the FAA has made no changes based on this request.
Conclusion These helicopters have been approved by the aviation authority of Canada and are approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to the FAAs bilateral agreement with Canada, Transport Canada has notified the FAA about the unsafe condition described in its AD.
The FAA reviewed the relevant data, considered the comments received, and determined that air safety requires adopting this AD as proposed.
Accordingly, the FAA is issuing this AD
to address the unsafe condition on these helicopters. Except, since issuance of the NPRM, Bell has updated its contact information to obtain service documentation by changing its website address and adding an email address.
This final rule reflects those changes and this AD is otherwise adopted as proposed in the NPRM. None of the changes increase the economic burden on any operator.

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Related Service Information The FAA reviewed Chapter 4
Airworthiness Limitations Schedule of BHT429MM1. This service information specifies airworthiness life limits, inspection intervals, and CMR
requirements for parts installed on Model 429 helicopters. Revision 26 of this service information establishes life limits for a certain part-numbered tail rotor flapping outboard bearing and hoist kit cartridge cable cutter and CMR
requirements for a certain partnumbered wheeled landing gear system, float/life raft kit, and hoist kit.
Additionally, the FAA reviewed Chapter 9647600-Pound External Hoist Electrical SystemOperational Check, of Bell 429 Maintenance Manual Supplement For 600-Pound External Hoist Kit, BHT429MMS4, Revision 1, dated March 14, 2014. This service information specifies inspection procedures and corrective action for various components of the hoist system.
Lastly, the FAA reviewed Testing and Fault Isolation, pages 101117/118, Cleaning, pages 401405/406, and Scheduled Maintenance, pages 609
611/612, of Goodrich Rescue Hoist System Component Maintenance Manual 2500381, dated July 15, 2009, for rescue hoist assembly part number 4431612102. This service information specifies maintenance procedures and lists replacement parts for this part-numbered Goodrich rescue hoist assembly.
Differences Between This AD and the Transport Canada AD
This AD requires corrective action for failed CMR tasks, whereas the Transport Canada AD does not. The Transport Canada AD requires accomplishing an operational check of the hoist cable antifoul assembly daily after the last flight, whereas this AD requires this action before the first flight of the day involving a hoist operation instead.
Costs of Compliance The FAA estimates that this AD
affects 110 helicopters of U.S. Registry.
Labor rates are estimated at $85 per work-hour. Based on these numbers, the FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD.
Replacing a tail rotor outboard flapping bearing takes about 4 workhours and parts cost about $7,500 for an estimated cost of $7,840 per helicopter and $862,400 for the U.S. fleet, per replacement cycle. Replacing a hoist kit cable cutter cartridge takes about 3
work-hours and parts cost about $5,200
for an estimated cost of $5,455 per helicopter and $600,050 for the U.S.
fleet, per replacement cycle.

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