[Federal Register: February 10, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 27)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 7057-7059]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10fe05-22]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2005-20291; Directorate Identifier 2004-SW-25-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Agusta S.p.A. Model A119 Helicopters
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: This document proposes adopting a new airworthiness directive
(AD) for Agusta S.p.A. (Agusta) Model A119 helicopters. This proposal
would require visually inspecting each main transmission support
fitting (fitting) attachment bolt (bolt) for a fracture, a crack, or
looseness, and verifying the torque on each fitting bolt. This proposal
is prompted by two incidents of fatigue failure of the bolts that
secure the transmission rear support fittings to the helicopter. The
actions specified by this proposed AD are intended to detect a
fracture, a crack, or looseness of a fitting bolt, and prevent fatigue
failure of a fitting bolt and subsequent loss of control of the
helicopter.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 11, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Use one of the following addresses to submit comments on
this proposed AD:
DOT Docket Web site: Go to http://dms.dot.gov and follow
the instructions for sending your comments electronically;
Government-wide rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov
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and follow the instructions for sending your comments electronically;
Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401,
Washington, DC 20590;
Fax: 202-493-2251; or
Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
You may get the service information identified in this proposed AD
from Agusta, 21017 Cascina Costa di Samarate (VA) Italy, Via Giovanni
Agusta 520, telephone 39 (0331) 229111, fax 39 (0331) 229605-222595.
You may examine the comments to this proposed AD in the AD docket
on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharon Miles, Aviation Safety
Engineer, FAA, Rotorcraft Directorate, Regulations and Guidance Group,
Fort Worth, Texas 76193-0111, telephone (817) 222-5122, fax (817) 222-
5961.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
We invite you to submit any written data, views, or arguments
regarding this proposed AD. Send or deliver your comments to the
address listed under the caption ADDRESSES. Include the docket number
``FAA-2005-20291, Directorate Identifier 2004-SW-25-AD'' at the
beginning of your comments. We specifically invite comments on the
overall regulatory, economic, environmental, and energy aspects of the
proposed AD. We will consider all comments received by the closing date
and may amend the proposed AD in light of those comments.
We will post all comments we receive, without change, to http://dms.dot.gov
, including any personal information you provide. We will
also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact with FAA
personnel concerning this proposed rulemaking. Using the search
function of our docket Web site, you can find and read the comments to
any of our dockets, including the name of the individual who sent or
signed the comment. You may review the DOT's complete Privacy Act
Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR
19477-78) or you may visit http://dms.dot.gov.
Examining the Docket
You may examine the docket that contains the proposed AD, any
comments, and other information in person at the Docket Management
System (DMS) Docket Office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. The Docket Office (telephone 1-800-
647-5227) is located at the plaza level of the Department of
Transportation NASSIF Building in Room PL-401 at 400 Seventh Street,
SW., Washington, DC. Comments will be available in the AD docket
shortly after the DMS receives them.
Discussion
The Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile (ENAC), the airworthiness
authority for Italy, notified the FAA that an unsafe condition may
exist on Agusta Model A119 helicopters. ENAC advises of the need to
check the bolts that secure the transmission support fittings to the
structure by following the manufacturer's Bollettino Tecnico 119-8,
dated April 7, 2004.
Agusta has issued Bollettino Tecnico No. 119-8, dated April 7,
2004, which specifies a periodic visual inspection to verify the
condition (visible damage) of the airframe mounted main transmission
fittings attaching hardware, and successively checking the torque of
the bolts to exclude the possible presence of looseness and/or a
fracture or a crack. ENAC classified this bollettino tecnico as
mandatory and issued AD No. 2004-108, dated April 8, 2004, to ensure
the continued airworthiness of these helicopters in Italy.
This helicopter model is manufactured in Italy and is type
certificated for operation in the United States under the provisions of
14 CFR 21.29 and the applicable bilateral agreement. Pursuant to the
applicable bilateral agreement, ENAC has kept us informed of the
situation described above. We have examined the findings of ENAC,
reviewed all available information, and determined that AD action is
necessary for products of this type design that are certificated for
operation in the United States.
This previously described unsafe condition is likely to exist or
develop on other helicopters of the same type design registered in the
United States. Therefore, the proposed AD would require inspecting each
fitting bolt, part number (P/N) NAS625-14 and P/N NAS625-18, for a
fracture, a crack, or looseness, within 5 hours time-in-service (TIS)
and then at intervals not to exceed 10 hours TIS until accomplishing a
torque inspection of each fitting bolt, which would have to be
accomplished before further flight if looseness is found, or within 25
hours TIS if looseness is not found. If a fracture or a crack is found
on any bolt in a fitting, replacing all 4 of the bolts in the fitting
would be required. If looseness is detected on any fitting bolt, a
torque inspection would be required. If any torque inspection reveals
that the torque of any bolt in a fitting is not between 11.3-15.8 Nm
(100-140 inch-pounds), all 4 of the bolts in the fitting would have to
be replaced with airworthy fitting bolts before further flight. The
actions would have to be accomplished in accordance with the bolletino
tecnico described previously.
We estimate that this proposed AD would affect 21 helicopters of
U.S. registry. The three inspections (one initial, one repetitive, and
the torque inspection) would take approximately 4 work hours to
accomplish at an average labor rate of $65 per work hour. (The
manufacturer states that it shall recognize a reimbursement of $120 per
helicopter for the labor.) Required parts would cost approximately
$1,600 per helicopter ($100 per fitting bolt for 16 fitting bolts).
Based on these figures, we estimate the total cost impact of the
proposed AD on U.S. operators to be $39,060, assuming that no warranty
credit is available and that all affected fitting bolts are replaced.
Regulatory Findings
We have determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism
implications under Executive Order 13132. Additionally, this proposed
AD would not have a substantial direct effect on the States, on the
relationship between the national Government and the States, or on the
distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of
government.
For the reasons discussed above, I certify that the proposed
regulation:
1. Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order
12866;
2. Is not a ``significant rule'' under the DOT Regulatory Policies
and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979); and
3. Will not have a significant economic impact, positive or
negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
We prepared a draft economic evaluation of the estimated costs to
comply with this proposed AD. See the DMS to examine the draft economic
evaluation.
Authority for This Rulemaking
Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to
issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, Section 106, describes the
authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII, Aviation Programs,
describes in more
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detail the scope of the Agency's authority.
We are issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in
Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701, ``General
requirements.'' Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with
promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing
regulations for practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator
finds necessary for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within
the scope of that authority because it addresses an unsafe condition
that is likely to exist or develop on products identified in this
rulemaking action.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Safety.
The Proposed Amendment
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the Federal Aviation Administration proposes to amend
part 39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) as
follows:
PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
2. Section 39.13 is amended by adding a new airworthiness directive
to read as follows:
Agusta S.p.A.: Docket No. FAA-2005-20291; Directorate Identifier
2004-SW-25-AD.
Applicability: Model A119 helicopters, serial numbers 14001
through 14037, except serial number 14036, certificated in any
category.
Compliance: Required as indicated, unless accomplished
previously.
To detect a fracture, a crack, or looseness of a main
transmission support fitting (fitting) attachment bolt (bolt) and
prevent fatigue failure of a fitting bolt and subsequent loss of
control of the helicopter, accomplish the following:
(a) Within 5 hours time-in-service (TIS), and then at intervals
not to exceed 10 hour TIS until a torque inspection of each fitting
bolt is accomplished in accordance with paragraph (b) of this AD,
inspect each fitting bolt, part number NAS625-14 and NAS625-18, for
a fracture, a crack, or looseness, using a light and a mirror.
(1) On each of the 4 fittings, if a fracture or a crack is found
in any bolt, replace all 4 bolts in the fitting with airworthy
fitting bolts before further flight.
(2) If looseness is found in any bolt in any fitting, inspect
each of the 4 bolts on each of the 4 fittings (16 bolts total) to
determine if the torque is between 11.3-15.8 Nm (100-140 inch-
pounds). If the indicated torque is not within the acceptable range
on any bolt in a fitting, before further flight, remove all 4 bolts
in the fitting and replace them with airworthy fitting bolts in
accordance with Part II, steps 4.1 through 5., of Agusta Bollettino
Tecnico No. 119-8, dated April 7, 2004 (BT).
(b) Within 25 hours TIS, inspect each bolt in each fitting to
determine if the torque is between 11.3-15.8 Nm (100-140 inch-
pounds). If the indicated torque is not within the acceptable range
on any bolt, before further flight, remove all 4 bolts in the
fitting and replace them with airworthy fitting bolts in accordance
with Part II, steps 4.1 through 5., of the BT.
(c) Accomplishing the inspections specified in paragraphs (a)
and (b) constitute terminating actions for the requirements of this
AD.
(d) To request a different method of compliance or a different
compliance time for this AD, follow the procedures in 14 CFR 39.19.
Contact the Safety Management Group, Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA,
for information about previously approved alternative methods of
compliance.
(e) Special flight permits may be issued in accordance with 14
CFR 21.197 and 21.199 to operate the helicopter to a location where
the requirements of this AD can be accomplished, provided that no
fracture, crack, or looseness was found during the inspections
required by this AD.
Note: The subject of this AD is addressed in Ente Nazionale per
l'Aviazione Civile (Italy) AD No. 2004-108, dated April 8, 2004.
Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on February 1, 2005.
David A. Downey,
Manager, Rotorcraft Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 05-2588 Filed 2-9-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P