DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2017-0142; Product Identifier 2016-SW-013-AD; Amendment
39-18979; AD 2017-16-02]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Agusta S.p.A. Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Agusta
S.p.A. Model A109S helicopters. This AD requires adding limitations to
the rotorcraft flight manual (RFM). This AD was prompted by a report of
a cabin liner detaching from the helicopter and hitting the main rotor
(M/R) blades during flight. The actions of this AD are intended to
prevent an unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective September 5, 2017.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this final rule,
contact AgustaWestland, Product Support Engineering, Via del Gregge,
100, 21015 Lonate Pozzolo (VA) Italy, ATTN: Maurizio D'Angelo;
telephone 39-0331-664757; fax 39 0331-664680; or at http://www.agustawestland.com/technical-bulletins. You may review the
referenced service information at the FAA, Office of the Regional
Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Room 6N-321, Fort
Worth, TX 76177.

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-2017-
0142; 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 European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, 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: Matt Fuller, Senior Aviation Safety
Engineer, Safety Management Section, Rotorcraft Standards Branch, FAA,
10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone (817) 222-5110;
email matthew.fuller@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

On April 10, 2017, at 82 FR 17156, 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 Agusta S.p.A. Model
A109S helicopters. The NPRM proposed to require, within 15 hours time-
in-service, revising the Limitations section of the RFM by inserting a
copy of this AD or by making pen-and-ink changes to add several
limitations: Prohibiting flight with a passenger cabin sliding door
opened or removed for helicopters with Internal Arrangement part number
(P/N) 109-0814-21-101 installed; prohibiting flight with a passenger
cabin sliding door open unless modification P/N 109-0814-35 is
installed; prohibiting flight with a passenger cabin sliding door open
unless the doors are locked; establishing a maximum VNE with
a passenger cabin sliding door opened or removed; establishing a
maximum airspeed for opening or closing a passenger cabin sliding door
during flight; and prohibiting instrument flight rule operation with
any door opened or removed.
The NPRM was prompted by AD No. 2015-0227, dated November 19, 2015,
issued by EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of
the European Union, to correct an unsafe condition for the
AgustaWestland S.p.A. Model A109S helicopters. EASA advises of a report
that the right-hand lower cabin liner of Internal Arrangement P/N 109-
0814-21-101 detached and hit three M/R blades during a landing with the
right-hand door removed. EASA states that this condition, if not
corrected, could lead to further occurrences of in-flight lower cabin
liner detachment, possibly resulting in damage to or loss of control of
the helicopter. Therefore, the EASA AD requires revising the RFM to
provide limitations on flights with a passenger cabin sliding door
opened or removed. EASA considers its AD an interim action and states
further AD action may follow.

Comments

We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing
this AD, but we did not receive any comments on the NPRM.

FAA's Determination

This helicopter has been approved by the aviation authority of
Italy and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to
our bilateral agreement with Italy, 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.

Interim Action

We consider this AD to be an interim action. The design approval
holder is currently developing a modification that will address the
unsafe condition identified in this AD. Once this modification is
developed, approved, and available, we might consider additional
rulemaking.

Related Service Information

We reviewed AgustaWestland A109S RFM, Document No. 109G0040A013,
Issue 2, Revision 3, dated April 23, 2015, which adds several
limitations regarding flight with a passenger cabin sliding door opened
or removed.

Costs of Compliance

We estimate that this AD affects 19 helicopters of U.S. Registry.
We estimate that operators may incur the following costs in order to
comply with this AD. At an average labor rate of $85 per work-hour,
revising the RFM takes about 0.5 work-hour, for an estimated cost of
$43 per helicopter, or $817 for the U.S. fleet.

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):