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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 7, 2021 / Proposed Rules
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 39
Docket No. FAA20210505; Project Identifier 2018SW004AD
RIN 2120AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Leonardo S.p.a. Helicopters Federal Aviation Administration FAA, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking NPRM.
AGENCY:

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive AD for certain Leonardo S.p.a. Model AB139
and AW139 helicopters. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of spurious in-flight disconnections of the automatic flight control system AFCS. This proposed AD would require updating certain Primus Epic system software, as specified in a European Aviation Safety Agency now European Union Aviation Safety Agency EASA AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference IBR. 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 August 23, 2021.
SUMMARY:

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 https www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: 202 4932251.
Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M
30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
For EASA material that is proposed for IBR in this AD, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668
Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221
8999 000; email ADs@easa.europa.eu;
internet www.easa.europa.eu. You may find this IBR material on the EASA
website at https ad.easa.europa.eu.
You may view EASA material at the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Room 6N321, Fort Worth, TX
76177. For information on the availability of EASA material at the FAA, call 817 2225110. The EASA

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ADDRESSES:

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material is also available at https
www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA2021
0505.
Examining the AD Docket You may examine the AD docket at https www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No.
FAA20210505; 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 EASA AD, any comments received, and other information. The street address for Docket Operations is listed above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hal Jensen, Aerospace Engineer, Operational Safety Branch, Compliance &
Airworthiness Division, FAA, 950
LEnfant Plaza N SW, Washington, DC
20024; telephone 202 2679167; email hal.jensen@faa.gov.
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.
FAA20210505; Project Identifier 2018SW004AD 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 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 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
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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 Hal Jensen, Aerospace Engineer, Operational Safety Branch, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, FAA, 950 LEnfant Plaza N SW, Washington, DC 20024; telephone 202
2679167; email hal.jensen@faa.gov.
Any commentary that the FAA receives that is not specifically designated as CBI
will be placed in the public docket for this rulemaking.
Background EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued EASA AD 20180002, dated January 4, 2018 EASA AD 2018
0002, to correct an unsafe condition for certain Leonardo S.p.a. Model AB139
and AW139 helicopters.
This proposed AD was prompted by reports of spurious in-flight disconnections of the AFCS. The investigation revealed that these AFCS
disconnect events relate to uncommanded single channel autopilot disengagement for most of the cases, and to some instances of untimely dual channel autopilot disengagement. The disconnections occurred in random flight conditions and appeared to be temporary disruptions of the AFCS full availability because all functionalities could be restored by re-engaging the complete system through the AFCS
control panel. The FAA is proposing this AD to address spurious degradation or unavailability of the full availability of the AFCS. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in temporary impairment of the automated flight aid for control of the helicopter and increase the flightcrews workload. See EASA AD 20180002 for additional background information.
FAAs Determination These helicopters have been approved by EASA and are approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to the FAAs bilateral agreement with the European Union, EASA has notified the FAA about 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 these same type designs.

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