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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 198 / Monday, October 18, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
November 29, 2021. The DNFSB
received one comment. The DNFSB
evaluated the comment against the criteria described in the direct final rule and determined that the comment was not significant and adverse. Specifically, the commentator opposed the legal authority granted in the NDAA, not the implementation of said authority in the DNFSBs regulations. The comment was therefore out of scope, and the direct final rule will become effective as scheduled. The comment is publicly available as part of the rulemaking docket at https www.dnfsb.gov/officegeneral-counsel.
Dated: October 13, 2021.
Joyce Connery, Chair.
FR Doc. 202122665 Filed 101521; 8:45 am BILLING CODE 367001P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 39
Docket No. FAA20210453; Project Identifier MCAI202100377R; Amendment 3921754; AD 20212016
RIN 2120AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters Federal Aviation Administration FAA, DOT.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive AD 202104
15, which applied to all Airbus Helicopters Model AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, AS355N, and AS355NP helicopters; and certain Model AS350B3 helicopters. AD 2021
0415 required repetitive visual inspections of the right-hand side of the vertical fin spar for discrepancies cracking, and corrective action if necessary. This AD retains the requirements of AD 20210415, and requires repetitive cleaning and repetitive detailed inspections for cracking of the vertical fin spar and vertical fin upper attachments, and corrective action if necessary, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency EASA AD, which is incorporated by reference. This AD also expands the applicability to include additional Model AS350B3 helicopters.
This AD was prompted by a report that, during an unscheduled post-flight inspection of the tail cone area, a crack was found in the spar of the upper part of the vertical fin and fractures were
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found in the two front attachment screws. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
DATES: This AD is effective November 22, 2021.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in this AD
as of November 22, 2021.
ADDRESSES: For material incorporated by reference IBR in this AD, contact the 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 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 6N321, Fort Worth, TX 76177. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 8172225110. It is also available in the AD docket on the internet at https www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No.
FAA20210453.
Examining the AD Docket You may examine the AD docket on the internet at https
www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA2021
0453; 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, 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:
Kathleen Arrigotti, Program Manager, Large Aircraft Section, International Validation Branch, Compliance &
Airworthiness Division, FAA, 2200
South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198;
telephone and fax 2062313218; email kathleen.arrigotti@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background The EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued EASA AD
20210099, dated April 9, 2021 EASA
AD 20210099 also referred to as the Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information, or the MCAI, to correct an unsafe condition for all Airbus Helicopters Model AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, AS355N, and AS355NP helicopters; and all Model
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AS350B3 helicopters except those that have that embodied Airbus Helicopters Modification 073148 in production.
EASA stated that recent analysis identified that AS350B3 helicopters modified through Eurocopter AS350
Service Bulletin 55.00.14 any revision in service might also be affected by the identified unsafe condition.
The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking NPRM to amend 14 CFR
part 39 to supersede AD 20210415, Amendment 3921437 86 FR 13165, March 8, 2021 AD 20210415. AD
20210415 applied to all Airbus Helicopters Model AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, AS355N, and AS355NP helicopters; and certain Model AS350B3 helicopters. The NPRM
published in the Federal Register on June 8, 2021 86 FR 30395. Since the FAA issued AD 20210415, the FAA
has determined that additional actions are required to address the unsafe condition. The NPRM proposed to retain the requirements of AD 202104
15, and require repetitive cleaning and repetitive detailed inspections for cracking of the vertical fin spar and vertical fin upper attachments, and corrective action if necessary, as specified in an EASA AD. The NPRM
also proposed to expand the applicability to include additional Airbus Helicopters Model AS350B3
helicopters.
The FAA is issuing this AD to address cracking in the spar of the upper part of the vertical fin and fractures in the front attachment screws. This condition could lead to in-flight separation of the upper part of the vertical fin, resulting in loss of control of the helicopter. See the MCAI for additional background information.
Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive Comments The FAA received one comment from a commenter. The following presents the comment received on the NPRM and the FAAs response.
Request To Allow Pilots To Do Visual Inspection The commenter requested that pilots be allowed to perform the proposed repetitive visual inspections of the righthand side of the vertical fin spar for cracking at intervals not to exceed 10
hours time-in-service. The commenter suggested that only if a crack is suspected that a mechanic be notified.
The commenter stated that it is a burden on operators to get a mechanic to a helicopter every 10 hours time-inservice to do the inspection. The
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