DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2021-0308; Project Identifier MCAI-2020-00594-R]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH
(AHD) Helicopters
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive
(AD)
for certain Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (AHD) Model BO-105A,
BO-105C, BO-105S, and BO-105LS A-3 helicopters equipped with a certain
hoist system. This AD was prompted by an uncommanded activation of the
hoist cable cutter function on an MBB-BK117 C-1 helicopter, which
prompted a design review of the BO105 hoist control grip with coiled
cable. This proposed AD would require inspections of the hoist control
grip with coiled cable and deactivation of the hoist cuter function, as
specified in a European Aviation Safety Agency (now European Union
Aviation Safety Agency) (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation
by reference (IBR). The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe
condition on these products.
DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by June
3,
2021.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in
14 CFR
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow
the
instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: 202-493-2251.
Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590.
Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
For material that is proposed for IBR in this AD, contact the EASA,
Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 8999
000; email ADs@easa.europa.eu; internet www.easa.europa.eu. You may
find this material on the EASA website at https://ad.easa.europa.eu.
You may view this material at the FAA, Office of the
Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Room 6N-321,
Fort Worth, TX 76177. For information on the availability of this
material at the FAA, call 817-222-5110. It is also available in the AD
docket on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for
and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-0308.
Examining the AD Docket
You may examine the AD docket on the internet at https://www.regulations.
gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-0308;
or in person at Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains
this NPRM, any comments received, and other information. The street
address for Docket Operations is listed above. Comments will be
available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Blaine Williams, Aerospace Engineer,
Cabin Safety & Environmental Systems Section, Los Angeles ACO Branch,
Compliance & Airworthiness Division, 3960 Paramount Blvd., Lakewood, CA
90712; telephone (562) 627-5371; email blaine.williams@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or
arguments about this proposal. Send your comments to an address listed
under ADDRESSES. Include "Docket No. FAA-2021-0308; Project Identifier
MCAI-2020-00594-R" at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful
comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, explain the
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. The FAA
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend
this proposal because of those comments.
Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in
the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR
11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to
https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you
provide. The agency will also post a report summarizing each
substantive verbal contact received about this proposal.
Confidential Business Information
CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily
and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public
disclosure. If your comments responsive to this NPRM contain commercial
or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that
you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to
this NPRM, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing
CBI as "PROPIN." The FAA will treat such marked submissions as
confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public
docket of this NPRM. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to
Blaine Williams, Aerospace Engineer, Cabin Safety & Environmental
Systems Section, Los Angeles ACO Branch, Compliance & Airworthiness
Division, 3960 Paramount Blvd., Lakewood, CA 90712; telephone (562)
627-5371; email blaine.williams@faa.gov. Any commentary that the FAA
receives that is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in
the public docket for this rulemaking.
Discussion
The EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the
European Union, has issued EASA AD 2015-0017, dated February 4, 2015
(EASA AD 2015-0017) to correct an unsafe condition for all Airbus
Helicopters Deutschland GmbH Model BO105 A, BO105 C, BO105 D, BO105 S
and BO105 LS A-3 helicopters.
This proposed AD was prompted by uncommanded activation of the
hoist cable cutter function on an MBB-BK117 C-1 helicopter which
prompted a design review of the BO105 hoist control grip with coiled
cable. It was determined that mechanical damage in the harness of the
control grip could cause an uncommanded deployment of the cable cutter
function. The FAA is proposing this AD to prevent uncommanded cutting
of the hoist cable and subsequent injury to persons being lifted by the
hoist and injury to persons on the ground. See the EASA AD for
additional background information.
Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51
For Model BO105 C, BO105 D, BO105 S and BO105 LS A-3 helicopters,
EASA AD 2015-0017 specifies to perform an initial and recurring
inspections of the hoist control grip with coiled cable of the hoist
and depending on the results, replacing the hoist control grip with
coiled cable with a serviceable part. EASA also specifies to replace
any hoist control grip with coiled cable that has exceeded 10 years
since first installation or since last overhaul and to deactivate the
cable cutter function in accordance with referenced service
information.
EASA AD 2015-0017 also specifies to not operate the hoist on any of
the model BO105 A, BO105 D, variant BO105 D, and BO105 DS helicopters.
For most BO105 model helicopters, except for BO105 D, variant BO105 D,
and BO105 DS model helicopters, EASA specifies to amend the helicopter
flight manual (FM) to incorporate the temporary revision as specified
in Table 1 of the EASA AD.
This material is reasonably available because the interested
parties have access to it through their normal course of business or by
the means identified in the ADDRESSES section.
FAA's Determination and Requirements of This Proposed AD
These products have been approved by the aviation authority of
another country, and is approved for operation in the United States.
Pursuant to the bilateral agreement with the State of Design Authority,
the FAA has been notified of the unsafe condition described in the EASA
AD referenced above. The FAA is proposing this AD after evaluating all
the relevant information and determining the unsafe condition described
previously is likely to exist or develop in other products of these
same type designs.
Proposed AD Requirements
This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified
in EASA AD 2015-0017, described previously, as incorporated by
reference, except for any differences identified as exceptions in the
regulatory text of this proposed AD and except as discussed under
"Differences Between this Proposed AD and the EASA AD." Additionally,
the owner/operator (pilot) may perform the required visual checks but
must enter compliance with the applicable paragraph of this AD in the
helicopter maintenance records in accordance with 14 CFR 43.9(a)(1)
through (4) and 91.417(a)(2)(v). A pilot may perform these checks
because they only involve visually checking affected control grips with
coiled cable. This action can be performed equally well by a pilot or
a
mechanic. This check is an exception to the FAA's standard maintenance
regulations.
Explanation of Required Compliance Information
In the FAA's ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of the AD
process, the FAA initially worked with Airbus and EASA to develop a
process to use certain EASA ADs as the primary source of information for
compliance with requirements for corresponding FAA ADs. The FAA has since
coordinated with other manufacturers and civil aviation authorities (CAAs)
to use this process. As a result, EASA AD 2015-0017 will be incorporated
by reference in the FAA final rule. This proposed AD would, therefore,
require compliance with EASA AD 2015-0017 in its entirety, through that
incorporation, except for any differences identified as exceptions in
the regulatory text of this proposed AD. Using common terms that are
the same as the heading of a particular section in the EASA AD does not
mean that operators need comply only with that section. For example,
where the AD requirement refers to "all required actions and
compliance times," compliance with this AD requirement is not limited
to the section titled "Required Action(s) and Compliance Time(s)" in
the EASA AD. Service information specified in EASA AD 2015-0017 that is
required for compliance with EASA AD 2015-0017 will be available on the
internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating
Docket No. FAA-2021-0308 after the FAA final rule is published.
Differences Between This Proposed AD and the EASA AD
Where EASA AD 2015-0017 refers to its effective date, this proposed
AD requires using the effective date of the FAA AD. Where EASA AD 2015-
0017 specifies this unsafe condition for Airbus Helicopters Deutschland
GmbH Model BO105 A, BO105 C, BO105 D, BO105 S and BO105 LS A-3
helicopters, this proposed AD will not include Model BO-105 D
helicopters, because this model is not FAA type-certificated. Where
EASA AD 2015-0017 specifies replacing an affected part, this proposed
AD requires removing the part from service. Where the service
information referenced in the EASA AD refers to calendar time for
certain actions, this proposed AD uses hours time-in-service instead.
The EASA AD allows a tolerance to certain compliance times, whereas
this proposed AD does not. The EASA AD requires using service
information to accomplish the preflight checks of the control grip with
coil cable, whereas this proposed AD would require visually checking
the condition of the control grip and coiled cable for mechanical
damage including deformed or damaged switches, damaged housing,
abrasion, cracks, and cuts instead.
Interim Action
The FAA considers this proposed AD interim action. If final action
is later identified, the FAA might consider further rulemaking then.
Costs of Compliance
The FAA estimates that this AD affects 20 helicopters of U.S.
Registry. Labor rates are estimated at $85 per work-hour. Based on
these numbers, the FAA estimates that operators may incur the following
costs in order to comply with this proposed AD.
Inspecting the hoist control grip with coiled cable would take up
to one quarter work-hour(s) for an estimated cost of $21 per helicopter
and $420 for the U.S. fleet, per inspection cycle.
Replacing the hoist control grip would take about 1 work-hour and
parts cost $1,956 for an estimated cost of $2,041 per helicopter.
Replacing the coiled cable would take about 2 work-hours and parts
cost $1,858 for an estimated cost of $2,028 per helicopter.
Deactivation of the cable cutter function would take about 1 work
hour and parts would cost about $26 for an estimated cost $111 per
hoist control grip.
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.
The FAA is 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 products identified in this rulemaking action.
Regulatory Findings
The FAA determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism
implications under Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD would 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 this proposed
regulation:
(1) Is not a "significant regulatory action" under Executive
Order 12866,
(2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
(3) 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.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by
reference, Safety.
The Proposed Amendment
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the FAA proposes to amend 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:
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