Federal Register - November 26, 2021
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Source: Federal Register
67301
Rules and Regulations
Federal Register Vol. 86, No. 225
Friday, November 26, 2021
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains regulatory documents having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 39
Docket No. FAA20210572; Project Identifier MCAI202100391R; Amendment 3921778; AD 20212205
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 all Leonardo S.p.a. Model A119 and AW119 MKII helicopters. This AD was prompted by reports of abnormal play on the collective torque tube on two Model AW119 MKII helicopters. This AD requires repetitive inspections of affected torque tube assemblies for any deficiency and corrective action if necessary; and the replacement of any affected part with a serviceable part, which is terminating action for the repetitive inspections, as specified in a 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 January 3, 2022.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in this AD
as of January 3, 2022.
ADDRESSES: For EASA material incorporated by reference IBR in this AD, contact EASA, Konrad-AdenauerUfer 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
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SUMMARY:
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the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Room 6N 321, Fort Worth, TX 76177. For information on the availability of the EASA 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.
FAA20210572.
Examining the AD Docket You may examine the AD docket at https www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No.
FAA20210572; 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., Mail Stop: Room 410, Westbury, NY 11590; telephone 516
2287330; email andrea.jimenez@
faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued EASA AD 20210096, dated March 31, 2021 EASA AD 2021
0096, to correct an unsafe condition for Leonardo S.p.A. Helicopters, formerly Finmeccanica S.p.A., AgustaWestland S.p.A., Agusta S.p.A.; and AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation, formerly Agusta Aerospace Corporation, Model A119 and AW119
MKII helicopters, all serial numbers.
The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking NPRM to amend 14 CFR
part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to all Leonardo S.p.a. Model A119
and AW119 MKII helicopters. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on July 20, 2021 86 FR 38242.
The NPRM was prompted by reports of abnormal play on the collective torque tube on two Model AW119 MKII
helicopters. Investigations revealed that
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these events were due to an erroneous manufacturing process, affecting certain collective torque tube assemblies. The affected batch numbers were identified.
Leonardo S.p.a. Model A119 helicopters are similar in design and may be subject to the same unsafe condition revealed on the Model AW119 MKII helicopters.
The NPRM proposed to require repetitive inspections of affected torque tube assemblies for any deficiency and corrective action if necessary; and the replacement of any affected part with a serviceable part, which is terminating action for the repetitive inspections, as specified in EASA AD 20210096.
The FAA is issuing this AD to address abnormal play on the collective torque tube, which could result in reduced control of the helicopter, resulting in a forced landing and consequent damage to the helicopter and injury to occupants. See EASA AD 20210096 for additional background information.
Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive Comments The FAA received one comment from Air Methods Corporation Air Methods.
The following presents the comment received on the NPRM and the FAAs response to that comment.
Request To Apply Inspection and Replacement Criteria to Additional Torque Tube Batch Numbers Air Methods requested that paragraph h6 in the Exceptions to EASA AD
20210096 paragraph of the proposed AD be revised to allow additional appropriate actions for torque tubes that have batch numbers that are doubted.
The commenter stated that applying the Group 1 inspection and replacement criteria to any torque tube, regardless of batch number, is the most conservative action possible within the scope of the service information referenced in EASA
AD 20210096.
The FAA does not agree with the commenters request. The intent of this AD is match the intent of EASA AD
20210096, which does not include torque tube batch numbers that are unknown or in doubt within the Group 1 helicopters. Also, if a doubted torque tube batch number is ultimately determined not to be within the number ranges designated as Group 1 or Group 2 in EASA AD 20210096, then it would be unnecessary to subject
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