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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 184 / Monday, September 27, 2021 / Rules and Regulations www.airbus.com/helicopters/services/
technical-support.html.
4 You may view this service information 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 this material at the FAA, call 817 2225110.
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, email: fr.inspection@nara.gov, or go to:
https www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/
ibr-locations.html.
Issued on August 30, 2021.
Lance T. Gant, Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
FR Doc. 202120824 Filed 92421; 8:45 am BILLING CODE 491013P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 39
Docket No. FAA20210507; Project Identifier 2018SW117AD; Amendment 3921712; AD 20211811
RIN 2120AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Leonardo S.p.a. Helicopters Federal Aviation Administration FAA, DOT.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive AD for certain Leonardo S.p.a. Model AB139 and AW139 helicopters. This AD was prompted by a report that, during a post-flight inspection of an in-service helicopter, a tail rotor slider assembly was found fractured, and the bushing and the actuator rod in the tail rotor servo were partially damaged. This AD
requires an inspection of the rail rotor tail rotor slider assembly for corrosion and signs of circumferential refinishing and, depending on the findings, replacement of the tail rotor slider assembly with a serviceable part or repetitive inspections of the tail rotor slider assembly for corrosion and signs of circumferential refinishing, as specified in a European Aviation Safety Agency now European Union Aviation Safety Agency EASA AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
DATES: This AD is effective November 1, 2021.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference
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SUMMARY:

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of a certain publication listed in this AD
as of November 1, 2021.
ADDRESSES: For material incorporated by reference 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 this material at the 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 2225110. It is also available in the AD docket at https
www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA2021
0507.
Examining the AD Docket You may examine the AD docket at https www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No.
FAA20210507; 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 mandatory continuing airworthiness information MCAI, 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:
Andrea Jimenez, Aerospace Engineer, COS Program Management Section, Operational Safety Branch, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, FAA, 1600
Stewart Ave., Suite 410, Westbury, NY
11590; telephone 516 2287330; email andrea.jimenez@faa.gov. nyaco-cos@
faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background The EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued EASA AD
20180292, dated December 28, 2018
EASA AD 20180292 also referred to as the MCAI, to correct an unsafe condition for Leonardo S.p.a. formerly Finmeccanica S.p.A, AgustaWestland S.p.A., Agusta S.p.A.; AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation, formerly Agusta Aerospace Corporation Model AB139 and AW139 helicopters, all serial numbers. Although EASA AD
20180292 applies to all Model AB139
and AW139 helicopters, this AD applies to helicopters with an affected part installed instead.

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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 certain Leonardo S.p.a. Model AB139 and AW139 helicopters. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on June 24, 2021 86 FR 33149.
The NPRM was prompted by a report that, during a post-flight inspection of an in-service helicopter, a tail rotor slide assembly was found fractured, and the bushing and the actuator rod in the tail rotor servo were partially damaged. The subsequent investigation revealed that the failure was due to fatigue, initiated from corroded areas corrosion craters on the surface of the tail rotor slider assembly characterized by signs of circumferential refinishing. The corrosion craters originated along finishing signs consistent with low grit sanding operations, which can remove the passivation corrosion protection from the tail rotor slider assembly.
Sanding is a maintenance activity that is not included in the maintenance manual for Leonardo S.p.a. Model AB139 and AW139 helicopters and is not allowed on in-service helicopters.
The NPRM proposed to require an inspection of the rail rotor tail rotor slider assembly for corrosion and signs of circumferential refinishing and, depending on the findings, replacement of the tail rotor slider assembly with a serviceable part or repetitive inspections of the tail rotor slider assembly for corrosion and signs of circumferential refinishing, as specified in EASA AD
20180292.
The FAA is issuing this AD to address corrosion in the tail rotor slider assembly caused by improper refinishing characterized by signs of circumferential refinishing consistent with sanding. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in fatigue crack and fracture of the tail rotor slider assembly, resulting in failure of the tail rotor controls and consequent loss of yaw control of the helicopter. See EASA
AD 20180292 for additional background information.
Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive Comments The FAA gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing this final rule. The FAA received no comments on the NPRM or on the determination of the cost to the public.
Conclusion The FAA reviewed the relevant data and determined that air safety requires adopting this AD as proposed. Except for minor editorial changes, this AD is
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