AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Agusta
S.p.A. (Agusta) Model AB412 and AB412 EP, and Bell Helicopter Textron
(Bell) Model 412, 412CF, and 412EP helicopters with certain DART
Aerospace Ltd. (Dart) high gear aft crosstubes (crosstube) installed.
This AD requires adding a life limit of 10,000 landings to the
crosstube and removing from service any crosstubes with more than
10,000 accumulated landings. This AD is prompted by five separate
reports of crosstube failures. The actions in this AD are intended to
prevent failure of the crosstube and subsequent collapse of the landing
gear.

DATES: This AD is effective September 17, 2013.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact Dart
Aerospace LTD., 1270 Aberdeen St, Hawkesbury, ON, K6A 1K7, Canada;
telephone: 1 613 632 5200; Fax: 1 613 632 5246; or at www.dartaero.com.
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 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: Jeffrey Zimmer, Airframe Engineer, New
York Aircraft Certification Office, Engine and Propeller Directorate,
FAA, 1600 Stewart Ave., Suite 410, Westbury, New York 11590; telephone
(516) 228-7306; email jeffrey.zimmer@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

On February 25, 2013, at 78 FR 12646, 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 Agusta Model
AB412 and AB412 EP, and Bell Model 412, 412CF, and 412EP helicopters
with certain Dart crosstubes installed. The NPRM proposed to require
establishing a component history card for each crosstube, P/N D412-664-
203; revising the airworthiness limitations of the maintenance manual
to establish a life limit of 10,000 landings for each crosstube; and
removing from service any crosstube with more than 10,000 landings. The
proposed requirements were intended to prevent failure of the crosstube
and subsequent collapse of the landing gear.
The NPRM was prompted by AD No. CF-2012-14R1, dated May 9, 2012,
issued by Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), which is the aviation
authority for Canada. TCCA issued AD No. CF-2012-14R1 to correct an
unsafe condition for the Dart high gear aft crosstube assembly, part
number (P/N) D412-664-203, approved under TCCA Supplemental Type
Certificate (STC) SH01-9, FAA STC No. SR01298NY, and European Aviation
Safety Agency STC IM.R.S.01304, and installed on Agusta Model AB412 and
AB412 EP and Bell Model 412, 412EP, and 412CF helicopters. TCCA advises
that they have received five reports of these crosstubes failing.
According to TCCA, based on these reports, the affected crosstube
requires a life limitation of 10,000 landings. As a result, TCCA issued
AD No. CF-2012-14R1, which requires amending the instructions for
continued airworthiness (ICA) to establish the new life limitation, and
removing from service all crosstubes with more than 10,000 landings.

Comments

We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing
this AD, but we did not receive any comments on the NPRM (78 FR 12646,
February 25, 2013).

FAA's Determination

These helicopters have been approved by the aviation authority of
Canada and are approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to
our bilateral agreement with Canada, TCCA, its technical
representative, has notified us of the unsafe condition described in
the TCCA AD. We are issuing this AD because we evaluated all
information provided by TCCA and determined the unsafe condition exists
and is likely to exist or develop on other helicopters of these same
type designs and that air safety and the public interest require
adopting the AD requirements as proposed.

Related Service Information

We reviewed Dart ICA No. ICA-D212-664, Revision 8, dated October
20, 2011, which contains the airworthiness limitations, inspection
requirements, proper placards and markings, and maintenance procedures
for crosstube P/N D212-664 and D412-664. Revision 8 establishes a life
limit of 10,000 landings for crosstube P/N D412-664-203.

Costs of Compliance

We estimate that this AD will affect 76 helicopters of U.S.
Registry. Based on an average labor cost of $85 per hour, we estimate
that operators may incur the following costs in order to comply with
this AD. Creating a component history card and amending the ICA
requires about 1 work-hour, for a cost per helicopter of $85 and a
total cost to U.S. operators of $6,460. Replacing a crosstube that has
exceeded its life-limit requires about 6 work-hours and required parts
will cost about $10,351, for a total cost per helicopter of $10,861.

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 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 helicopters identified in this
rulemaking action.

Regulatory Findings

This AD will not have federalism implications under Executive Order
13132. This AD will 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 this AD:
(1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive
Order 12866;
(2) Is not a ``significant rule'' under DOT Regulatory Policies and
Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979);
(3) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska to the extent
that it justifies making a regulatory distinction; and
(4) 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 an economic evaluation of the estimated costs to comply
with this AD and placed it in the AD docket.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by
reference, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the FAA amends 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. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness
directive (AD):