AD 2016-05-09

AD Final Rules - 2016-05-09.pdf
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AD Number:
2016-05-09
Document Type:
AD Final Rules
Docket Number:
FAA-2015-3658
Subject Heading:
Airworthiness Directives; MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) Helicopters
Subject:
Fuel Quantity Indicating System
Status:
Current
Citation:
Federal Register Volume 81, Number 48 (Friday, March 11, 2016)
Citation Publish Date:
03/11/2016
Effective Date:
04/15/2016
Make:
MD Helicopters, Inc.
Model:
369A | 369D | 369E | 369F | 369FF | 369H | 369HE | 369HM ...Show more
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Superseded AD: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Superseded By: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 81, Number 48 (Friday, March 11, 2016)]


[Rules and Regulations]


[Pages 12802-12804]


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


[FR Doc No: 2016-04982]


––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION


Federal Aviation Administration


14 CFR Part 39


[Docket No. FAA-2015-3658; Directorate Identifier 2014-SW-039-AD; Amendment 39-18427;


AD 2016-05-09]


RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) Helicopters


AGENCY:
 
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.


ACTION:
 
Final rule.


––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


SUMMARY:
 
We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain MDHI Model 369A


(Army OH-6A), 369H, 369HE, 369HM, 369HS, 369D, 369E, 369F, 369FF, and 500N helicopters.


This AD requires inspecting the auxiliary fuel pump (fuel pump) wire routing in the left-hand fuel


cell and corrective action, if necessary. This AD also requires installing a warning decal on the left-


hand fuel cell access cover. This AD was prompted by accidents resulting from incorrectly positioned


fuel pump wiring within the fuel tank interfering with the operation of the fuel quantity sensor float,


which caused an erroneous fuel quantity indication in the cockpit. The actions are intended to detect


and correct routing of the fuel pump wiring to prevent interference with the fuel quantity sensor float,


an erroneous fuel quantity indication in the cockpit, and subsequent fuel exhaustion and emergency


landing.


DATES:
 
This AD is effective April 15, 2016.


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


documents listed in this AD as of April 15, 2016.


ADDRESSES:
 
For service information identified in this final rule, contact MD Helicopters, Inc.,


Attn: Customer Support Division, 4555 E. McDowell Rd., Mail Stop M615, Mesa, AZ 85215-9734;


telephone 1-800-388-3378; fax 480-346-6813; or at http://www.mdhelicopters.com. You may review


a copy of the referenced service information at the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, Southwest


Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy, Room 6N-321, Fort Worth, TX 76177. It is also available on the


Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2015-3658.
2


Examining the AD Docket


You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for


and locating Docket No. FAA-2015-3658; 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 Operations Office, M-30, West Building Ground Floor,


Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
 
Danny Nguyen, Aerospace Engineer, Los


Angeles Aircraft Certification Office, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 3960 Paramount Blvd.,


Lakewood, California 90712; telephone (562) 627-5247; email danny.nguyen@faa.gov.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:


Discussion


On September 2, 2015, at 80 FR 53030, the Federal Register published our notice of proposed


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


certain MDHI Model 369A (Army OH-6A), 369H, 369HE, 369HM, 369HS, 369D, 369E, 369F,


369FF, and 500N helicopters. The NPRM proposed to require inspecting the routing of the fuel pump


wiring to determine whether the fuel pump wire is properly wrapped around the fuel inlet hose and


correcting the routing of the wiring if it is not. The NPRM also proposed to require installing a decal


regarding correct installation of the fuel pump wiring. The NPRM was prompted by two accidents


and one incident that occurred on Model 369D helicopters resulting from an incorrectly positioned


fuel pump wire within the fuel tank interfering with the operation of the fuel quantity sensor float,


which caused an erroneous fuel quantity reading in the cockpit. Because the fuel pump is installed on


all the affected model helicopters, we are including them in the applicability. According to MDHI,


because maintenance personnel caused the incorrect wire routing by failing to follow procedures for


installing the fuel pump, it is also necessary to install a decal on the left-hand fuel cell access cover to


refer maintenance personnel to the appropriate manual procedures. The proposed requirements were


intended to detect and correct routing of the fuel pump wiring to prevent interference with the fuel


quantity sensor float, an erroneous fuel quantity indication in the cockpit, and subsequent fuel


exhaustion and emergency landing.


Comments


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


any comments on the NPRM (80 FR 53030, September 2, 2015).


FAA's Determination


We have reviewed the relevant information and determined that an unsafe condition exists and is


likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type designs and that air safety and the public


interest require adopting the AD requirements as proposed.


Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51


MD Helicopters issued one service bulletin on April 30, 2014, with five different numbers:


SB369H-255, SB369E-111, SB500N-049, SB369D-213, and SB369F-098. The service bulletin


specifies a one-time inspection of the routing of the fuel pump wire in the left-hand fuel cell and