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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 136 / Tuesday, July 20, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
Issued on July 2, 2021.
Gaetano A. Sciortino, Deputy Director for Strategic Initiatives, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification Service.

Fort Worth, TX 76177. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 817 2225110. It is also available at https www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No.
FAA20210348.

FR Doc. 202115391 Filed 71521; 4:15 pm BILLING CODE 491013P

Examining the AD Docket
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 39
Docket No. FAA20210348; Project Identifier 2018SW076AD; Amendment 3921645; AD 20211418
RIN 2120AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Leonardo S.p.a. Type Certificate Previously Held by Agusta S.p.A. Helicopters Federal Aviation Administration FAA, DOT.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive AD 201118
52 for certain Agusta S.p.A. now Leonardo S.p.a. Model AB139 and AW139 helicopters. AD 20111852
required revising the life limit for certain part-numbered tail rotor T/R
blades, updating the helicopters historical records, repetitively inspecting each T/R blade for a crack or damage, and depending on the results, replacing the T/R blade. This AD was prompted by the manufacturer developing improved T/R blades using different materials and establishing life limits for each improved blade. This AD
retains certain requirements from AD
20111852, revises certain requirements from AD 20111852, and expands the applicability to include the newly-designed T/R blades. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
DATES: This AD is effective August 24, 2021.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in this AD
as of August 24, 2021.
ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this final rule, contact Leonardo S.p.A. Helicopters, Emanuele Bufano, Head of Airworthiness, Viale G.Agusta 520, 21017 C. Costa di Samarate Va Italy; telephone +39
0331225074; fax +390331229046; or at https www.leonardocompany.com/
en/home. You may view this service information at the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Room 6N321,
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with RULES

SUMMARY:

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You may examine the AD docket at https www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No.
FAA20210348; 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 final rule, the European Aviation Safety Agency now European Union Aviation Safety Agency EASA AD, any comments received, and other information. The address for Docket Operations is U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M
30, 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 The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking NPRM to amend 14 CFR
part 39 to supersede AD 20111852, Amendment 3917020 77 FR 23109, April 18, 2012 AD 20111852. AD
20111852 applied to Agusta S.p.A.
now Leonardo S.p.a. Model AB139
and AW139 helicopters with a T/R
blade part number P/N 3G6410A00131
or P/N 4G6410A00131 installed. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on May 10, 2021 86 FR 24780.
AD 20111852 required, within 5
hours time-in-service TIS, establishing a life limit of 600 hours TIS or 1,500
takeoff and landing cycles cycles, whichever occurs first, on the affected T/R blades and updating the helicopters historical records. If a T/R
blades total number of cycles was unknown, determining the T/R blade cycles by multiplying the T/R blades hours TIS by 4 was required. For a T/
R blade that, on the effective date of AD
20111852, had already exceeded 600
hours TIS or 1,500 cycles, the AD
required replacing the T/R blade with an airworthy T/R blade within 5 hours TIS.
AD 20111852 also required, within 25 hours TIS, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 25 hours TIS, inspecting
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the T/R blade for a crack or damage that exceeds the limits of the applicable maintenance manual. The inspection was required to be accomplished using a mirror, magnifying glass 5X or greater, and light source; or borescope.
If there was a crack, or if there was damage that exceeded the limits of the applicable maintenance manual, AD
20111852 required, before further flight, replacing the T/R blade with an airworthy T/R blade.
AD 20111852 was prompted by a fatal accident involving an Agusta Model AW139 helicopter, which may have been caused by cracks in a T/R
blade. EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, issued EASA
Emergency AD 20110156E, dated August 25, 2011 EASA AD 20110156
E to require repetitive inspections and reducing the life limit of the T/R blades.
According to EASA, this condition, if not detected and corrected, could result in failure of a T/R blade and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
After the FAA issued AD 20111852, EASA issued a series of ADs as follows:
EASA AD 20120030, dated February 17, 2012 EASA AD 2012
0030, which superseded Emergency AD
20110156E, advised that the manufacturer developed improved, newly-designed T/R blades P/N
3G6410A00132 and P/N
4G6410A00132, established life limits for each improved T/R blade, added repetitive inspections for the improved T/R blades, and advised that each T/R
blade P/N had its own individual life limit.
EASA AD 20120076, dated May 2, 2012 EASA AD 20120076, which superseded EASA AD 20120030 and was issued after the manufacturer developed another version of improved T/R blades P/N 3G6410A00133 and P/
N 4G6410A00133 with different materials. AD 20120076 required interim life limits for the new improved version of the T/R blades while also retaining the inspection requirements of EASA AD 20120030.
EASA AD 20120076R1, dated July 13, 2012 EASA AD 20120076R1, which revised EASA AD 20120076
after a modification was developed to allow installation of certain partnumbered T/R blades under certain conditions.
EASA AD 20120076R2, dated February 20, 2014 EASA AD 2012
0076R2, which revised EASA AD
20120076R1, was issued after another modification was developed. EASA AD
20120076R2 requires removing the 25
hours TIS inspection of certain partnumbered T/R blades, extending the life
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