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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 231 / Monday, December 6, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 39
Docket No. FAA20210697; Project Identifier MCAI202001540R; Amendment 3921802; AD 20212304
RIN 2120AA64

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

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 A109E
helicopters. This AD was prompted by reports of cracking in the center fuselage frame assembly in the intersection of the lateral pylon and floor spar at station STA 1815 on the leftand right-hand sides. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the intersection of the lateral pylon and floor spar at STA 1815
for cracking and, depending on the findings, repair, 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 10, 2022.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in this AD
as of January 10, 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 the EASA 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 817 222
5110. It is also available in the AD
docket at https www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No.
FAA20210697.
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SUMMARY:

Examining the AD Docket You may examine the AD docket at https www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No.
FAA20210697; or in person at Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
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holidays. The AD docket contains this final rule, the EASA AD, any comments received, and other information. The address for Docket Operations is U.S.
Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12140, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC
20590.
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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued EASA AD 20200256, dated November 17, 2020 EASA AD
20200256, to correct an unsafe condition for Leonardo S.p.A., formerly Finmeccanica S.p.A., AgustaWestland S.p.A., and Agusta S.p.A., Model A109E
helicopters, serial numbers 11001
through 11674 inclusive.
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 A109E helicopters. The NPRM
published in the Federal Register on August 26, 2021 86 FR 47608. The NPRM was prompted by reports of cracking in the center fuselage frame assembly in the intersection of the lateral pylon and floor spar at STA 1815
on the leftand right-hand sides. The NPRM proposed to require repetitive inspections of the intersection of the lateral pylon and floor spar at STA 1815
for cracking and, depending on the findings, repair, as specified in EASA
AD 20200256.
The FAA is issuing this AD to address cracking in the intersection of the lateral pylon and floor spar at STA 1815 on the leftand right-hand sides, which, if not addressed, could affect the structural integrity of the helicopter. See EASA
AD 20200256 for additional background information.
Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive Comments The FAA received a comment from one commenter. The commenter was an individual. The following presents the comment received on the NPRM and the FAAs response to that comment.

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Request for Terminating Action An individual requested that the NPRM include a terminating action for the repetitive inspections once an operator has completed the repairs using the procedures in Parts II and III
of the Accomplishment Instructions of Leonardo Helicopters Alert Service Bulletin 109EP173, dated November 10, 2020. The commenter did not provide justification for this request, but the FAA infers that it is because the NPRM does not provide a terminating action for the repetitive inspections.
The FAA does not agree with the commenters request. Neither EASA AD
20200256, nor Leonardo Helicopters Alert Service Bulletin 109EP173, dated November 10, 2020, provide terminating action for the repetitive inspections specified in Paragraph 1, Repetitive Inspection, of EASA AD 20200256.
Paragraph 4, Terminating Action, of EASA AD 20200256 states None.
Paragraph 3, Corrective Actions, of EASA AD 20200256 specifies that, after accomplishing a repair in an affected area using Parts II for the lefthand side and III for the right-hand side of the Accomplishment Instructions of Leonardo Helicopters Alert Service Bulletin 109EP173, dated November 10, 2020, the next inspection can be deferred, but the repetitive inspections of the affected area must continue. Leonardo Helicopters has not provided a modification to the affected area that eliminates the unsafe condition identified in this AD;
therefore, the FAA cannot include a terminating action in this AD. The FAA
has not changed this AD in regard to this issue.
Conclusion 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 reviewed the relevant data, considered the comment received, and determined that air safety requires adopting this AD as proposed. Accordingly, the FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these helicopters. Except for minor editorial changes, this AD is adopted as proposed in the NPRM.
None of the changes will increase the economic burden on any operator.
Related Service Information Under 1
CFR Part 51
EASA AD 20200256 requires repetitive inspections of STA 1815 for cracking, fluorescent liquid penetrant
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