AD 2013-17-01

AD Final Rules - 2013-17-01.pdf
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AD Number:
2013-17-01
Document Type:
AD Final Rules
Docket Number:
FAA-2013-0240
Subject Heading:
Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Helicopters
Subject:
Tail rotor control system
Status:
Current
Citation:
Federal Register Volume 78, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 4, 2013)
Citation Publish Date:
09/04/2013
Effective Date:
10/09/2013
Make:
Airbus Helicopters
Model:
AS355E | AS355F | AS355F1 | AS355F2 | AS355N | AS355NP | AS350B | AS350B1 ...Show more
Product Type:
Aircraft
Product Subtype:
Rotorcraft
Affected AD:
Superseded AD:
Affected By:
Superseded By:
Service/Office:
AIR-700: Compliance & Airworthiness Division
Office of Primary Responsibility:
AIR-730: International Validation Branch
CFR Part Reference:
Part 39
Comments:
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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 4, 2013)]


[Rules and Regulations]


[Pages 54380-54383]


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


[FR Doc No: 2013-20238]


––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION


Federal Aviation Administration


14 CFR Part 39


[Docket No. FAA-2013-0240; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-060-AD; Amendment 39-17565;


AD 2013-17-01]


RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Helicopters


AGENCY:
 
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.


ACTION:
 
Final rule.


––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


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


(Eurocopter) Model AS350 and AS355 helicopters. This AD requires inspecting the tail rotor control


stop screws to determine if they are correctly aligned and adjusting the screws if they are misaligned.


This AD is prompted by the discovery of a loose nut on the tail rotor control stop and a misaligned


tail rotor control stop screw. The actions of this AD are intended to detect a loose nut or a misaligned


stop screw, which, if not corrected, could limit yaw authority, and consequently, result in a loss of


helicopter control.


DATES:
 
This AD is effective October 9, 2013.


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


documents listed in this AD as of October 9, 2013.


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


Corporation, 2701 N. Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 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, the foreign authority's 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
2


Transportation, Docket Operations Office, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140,


1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
 
Matt Fuller, Aviation Safety Engineer, Continued


Operational Safety, Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137;


telephone 817-222-5110; email matthew.fuller@faa.gov.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:


Discussion


On March 14, 2013, at 78 FR 16200, 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 AS350B, AS350BA, AS350B1, AS350B2, AS350C, AS350D, AS350D1,


AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, and AS355F2 helicopters with an autopilot installed; Model AS350B3


helicopters with an autopilot or modification 073252 installed; and Model AS355N and AS355NP


helicopters with an autopilot or modification 071908 installed. The NPRM proposed to require


inspecting the tail rotor control stop screws to determine if they are correctly aligned and adjusting


the screws if they are misaligned. The proposed requirements were intended to detect a loose nut or a


misaligned stop screw, which, if not corrected, could limit yaw authority, and consequently, result in


a loss of helicopter control.


The NPRM was prompted by AD No. 2011-0164, dated August 31, 2011, issued by the


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


the European Union. EASA issued AD No. 2011-0164 to correct an unsafe condition for Eurocopter


Model AS350B, AS350BA, AS350BB, AS350B1, AS350B2, AS350B3, AS350D, AS355E,


AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, AS355N, and AS355NP helicopters with either an autopilot or certain


modifications installed. EASA advises that during take-off with a sling load, the pilot of a Model


AS350B3 helicopter reached one of the yaw stops before its usual position. The inspection that


followed revealed that a tail rotor control stop nut was loose and that the corresponding tail rotor


control stop screw was ''out of adjustment.'' EASA states that this condition, if not detected and


corrected, ''can lead to the loss of adjustment of the affected stop and consequently limit yaw


authority, possibly resulting in loss of control of the helicopter.''


Comments


After our NPRM (78 FR 16200, March 14, 2013), was published, we received comments from


one commenter.


Request


The commenter suggested that an AD is unnecessary because operators should have already


tightened the screw.


We disagree that an AD is not needed. More than one tightening of a screw is necessary to


correct this unsafe condition. This AD also requires monitoring the stop screws through repetitive


inspections to determine whether a screw has become loose. Without these inspections, if a screw


becomes loose and is not corrected, yaw authority could be limited, resulting in loss of helicopter


control.


FAA's Determination


These helicopters have been approved by the aviation authority of France and are approved for


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