AD 2013-03-18

AD Final Rules - 2013-03-18.pdf
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AD Number:
2013-03-18
Document Type:
AD Final Rules
Docket Number:
FAA-2012-0773
Subject Heading:
Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH Helicopters
Subject:
Tail Rotor Drive Shaft
Status:
Current
Citation:
Federal Register Volume 78, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 1, 2013)
Citation Publish Date:
05/01/2013
Effective Date:
06/05/2013
Make:
Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH
Model:
MBB-BK 117 C-2
Product Type:
Aircraft
Product Subtype:
Rotorcraft
Affected AD:
Superseded AD:
Affected By:
Superseded By:
Service/Office:
Office of Primary Responsibility:
CFR Part Reference:
Part 39
Comments:
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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 1, 2013)]


[Rules and Regulations]


[Pages 25361-25363]


From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[FR Doc No: 2013-09433]


––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION


Federal Aviation Administration


14 CFR Part 39


[Docket No. FAA-2012-0773; Directorate Identifier 2009-SW-71-AD; Amendment 39-17352;


AD 2013-03-18]


RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH Helicopters


AGENCY:
 
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.


ACTION:
 
Final rule.


––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


SUMMARY:
 
We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter Deutschland


GmbH (Eurocopter) Model MBB-BK 117 C-2 helicopters. This AD requires inspecting the long tail


rotor drive shaft assembly for blind rivets, and if any blind rivets are installed, replacing that shaft


assembly. This AD was prompted by the discovery that some helicopters have blind rivets installed in


the place of solid rivets in the long tail rotor drive shaft. The actions of this AD are intended to detect


blind rivets installed in the long tail rotor drive shaft, which could lead to failure of the tail rotor drive


shaft and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.


DATES:
 
This AD is effective June 5, 2013.


The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain


document listed in this AD as of June 5, 2013.


ADDRESSES:
 
For service information identified in this AD, contact American Eurocopter


Corporation, 2701 N. Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, Texas 75052; telephone (972) 641-0000 or (800)


232-0323; fax (972) 641-3775; or at http://www.eurocopter.com/techpub. You may review the


referenced service information at the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 2601


Meacham Blvd., Room 663, Fort Worth, Texas 76137.


Examining the AD Docket


You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov or in person at


the Docket Operations Office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal


holidays. The AD docket contains this AD, any incorporated-by-reference service information, the


economic evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street address for the


Docket Operations Office (phone: 800-647-5527) is U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket
2


Operations Office, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue


SE., Washington, DC 20590.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
 
Jim Grigg, Manager, Safety Management Group,


Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137; telephone (817) 222-


5110; email jim.grigg@faa.gov.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:


Discussion


On July 26, 2012, at 77 FR 43736, the Federal Register published our notice of proposed


rulemaking (NPRM), which proposed to amend 14 CFR part 39 to include an AD that would apply to


Eurocopter Model MBB-BK 117 C-2 helicopters. That NPRM proposed to require, within 100 hours


time-in-service (TIS), inspecting the long tail rotor drive shaft assembly for blind rivets. If there are


no blind rivets installed on the shaft assembly, no further action would be required by the AD. If


there are one or more blind rivets installed on the shaft assembly, the NPRM proposed to require


replacing the shaft assembly of the long tail rotor drive with an airworthy shaft assembly before


further flight. The proposed requirements were intended to prevent failure of the tail rotor drive shaft


and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.


The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member


States of the European Union, issued EASA AD No. 2009-0119, dated June 4, 2009, to correct an


unsafe condition for the Eurocopter Model MBB-BK 117 C-2 helicopters. EASA advises that an


error was discovered in the Eurocopter aircraft maintenance manual (AMM), which erroneously


specifies replacing the solid rivets on the long tail rotor drive shaft with blind rivets. All delivered


helicopters had the long tail rotor drive shafts installed during production fitted with the correct solid


rivets. The long tail rotor drive shafts repaired in-service in accordance with the AMM may have


blind rivets installed. This condition, if not corrected, could lead to a significant reduction of the life


of the long tail rotor drive shaft, failure of the long tail rotor drive shaft, and subsequent loss of


control of the helicopter.


Comments


We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing this AD, but we did not receive


any comments on the NPRM (77 FR 43736, July 26, 2012).


FAA's Determination


This helicopter has been approved by the aviation authority of Germany and is approved for


operation in the United States. Pursuant to our bilateral agreement with Germany, EASA, its


technical representative, has notified us of the unsafe condition described in the EASA AD. We are


issuing this AD because we evaluated all information provided by EASA and determined the unsafe


condition exists and is likely to exist or develop on other helicopters of the same type design and that


air safety and the public interest require adopting the AD requirements as proposed except we are


incorporating a figure by reference instead of including it in our AD to meet current publication


requirements. This change is consistent with the intent of the proposals in the NPRM (77 FR 43736,


July 26, 2012) and will not increase the economic burden on any operator nor increase the scope of


the AD.


Differences Between This AD and the EASA AD


This AD uses the term ''TIS'' instead of ''flight hours.''