DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2021-1066; Project Identifier AD-2021-01189-R;
Amendment 39-21859; AD 2021-26-01]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for
certain Bell Textron Canada Limited Model 505 helicopters. This AD was
prompted by a report of chafing of the right forward tail rotor (T/R)
control cable. This AD requires inspecting the right forward T/R cable
and, depending on the results, removing the cable assembly from
service. This AD also requires measuring the clearance between the
right forward T/R control cable and the roller bracket cut out and,
depending on the results, adjusting the height of the roller bracket
assembly position. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe
condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective December 28, 2021.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of December 28,
2021.
The FAA must receive comments on this AD by January 27, 2022.

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 Bell service information identified in this final rule, contact
Bell Textron Canada Limited, 12,800 Rue de l'Avenir, Mirabel, Quebec J7J 1R4,
Canada; telephone 1-450-437-2862 or 1-800-363-8023; fax 1-450-433-0272;
email productsupport@bellflight.com; or at https://www.bellflight.com/support/
contact-support. For S-TEC Corporation service information
identified in this final rule, contact S-TEC Corporation, One S-TEC
Way, Mineral Wells Municipal Airport, Mineral Wells, TX 76067;
telephone (817) 215-7600. You may view this service information 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 (812) 222-5110. Service
information that is incorporated by reference is also available at
https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No.
FAA-2021-1066.

Examining the AD Docket

You may examine the AD docket at https://www.regulations.gov by
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-1066; 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 final rule, any
comments received, and other information. The street address for the
Docket Operations is listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hye Yoon Jang, Aerospace Engineer,
Delegation Oversight Section, DSCO Branch, Compliance & Airworthiness
Division, FAA, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone
(817) 222-5190; email hye.yoon.jang@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The FAA is adopting a new AD for certain serial-numbered Bell
Textron Canada Limited Model 505 helicopters that have S-TEC
Corporation HeliSAS stability augmentation system and autopilot
installed under Supplemental Type Certificate SR09758DS. The FAA
received a report that, during an inspection, chafing was discovered on
the right forward T/R control cable due to contact with the autopilot
yaw servo bracket, which is part of the HeliSAS stability augmentation
system. Additional review revealed that the installation instructions
did not include a minimum clearance limit between the right forward T/R
control cable and the autopilot yaw servo bracket, which allowed the
positioning of the autopilot yaw servo bracket such that it did not
prevent contact and chafing. Since this discovery, S-TEC revised the
installation instructions to specify a minimum cable clearance limit.
This condition, if not addressed, could result in failure of the
right forward T/R control cable, loss of T/R control, and subsequent
loss of control of the helicopter. The FAA is issuing this AD to
address the unsafe condition on these products.

FAA's Determination

The FAA is issuing this AD because the agency has determined the
unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop in
other products of the same type design.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

The FAA reviewed Bell Alert Service Bulletin 505-21-27, dated
October 7, 2021 (ASB). This ASB specifies inspecting the right forward
T/R control cable in the area of the roller bracket assembly for any
signs of contact and ensuring there is minimum clearance between the
right forward T/R control cable and the roller bracket cut out.
Depending on the results, this ASB specifies reporting information to
Bell, replacing the cable assembly, and adjusting the height of the
roller bracket assembly position.
This service information is reasonably available because the
interested parties have access to it through their normal course of
business or by the means identified in ADDRESSES.

Other Related Service Information

The FAA reviewed S-TEC Corporation Installation Instructions ST-
974-II-0001, Revision 2, dated October 6, 2021. This service
information contains information necessary for installing a HeliSAS
stability augmentation system and autopilot, including information for
adjusting the height of the roller bracket assembly position.

AD Requirements

This AD requires inspecting the right forward T/R control cable in
the area of the roller bracket assembly for any signs of chafing and,
if there is any chafing, removing the cable assembly from service. This
AD also requires measuring the clearance between the right forward T/R
control cable and the roller bracket cut out and, depending on the
results, adjusting the height of the roller bracket assembly position.

Differences Between This AD and the Service Information

If there is chafing, the ASB specifies reporting certain
information to Bell, whereas this AD does not.

Justification for Immediate Adoption and Determination of the Effective
Date

Section 553(b)(3)(B) of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5
U.S.C. 551 et seq.) authorizes agencies to dispense with notice and
comment procedures for rules when the agency, for ``good cause,'' finds
that those procedures are ``impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to
the public interest.'' Under this section, an agency, upon finding good
cause, may issue a final rule without providing notice and seeking
comment prior to issuance. Further, section 553(d) of the APA
authorizes agencies to make rules effective in less than thirty days,
upon a finding of good cause.
An unsafe condition exists that requires the immediate adoption of
this AD without providing an opportunity for public comments prior to
adoption. The FAA has found that the risk to the flying public
justifies foregoing notice and comment prior to adoption of this rule
because the affected components are part of an assembly that is
critical to the control of a helicopter. In addition, chafing could
lead to instantaneous failure before detection. As the FAA has no
information pertaining to the extent of chafing of the right forward T/
R control cable that may currently exist in helicopters or how quickly
the condition may propagate to failure, the actions required by this AD
must be accomplished within 25 hours time-in-service or 30 days,
whichever occurs first. This compliance time is shorter than the time
necessary for the public to comment and for publication of the final
rule. Accordingly, notice and opportunity for prior public comment are
impracticable and contrary to the public interest pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
553(b)(3)(B).
In addition, the FAA finds that good cause exists pursuant to 5
U.S.C. 553(d) for making this amendment effective in less than 30 days,
for the same reasons the FAA found good cause to forego notice and
comment.

Comments Invited

The FAA invites you to send any written data, views, or arguments
about this final rule. Send your comments to an address listed under
ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2021-1066 and Project Identifier
AD-2021-01189-R'' at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful
comments reference a specific portion of the final rule, 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 final rule 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 final rule.

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 AD 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 AD, 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 AD. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Hye
Yoon Jang, Aerospace Engineer, Delegation Oversight Section, DSCO
Branch, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, FAA, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy.,
Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone (817) 222-5190; email
hye.yoon.jang@faa.gov. Any commentary that the FAA receives which is
not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket
for this rulemaking.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

The requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) do not
apply when an agency finds good cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 to adopt
a rule without prior notice and comment. Because FAA has determined
that it has good cause to adopt this rule without prior notice and
comment, RFA analysis is not required.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this AD affects up to 76 helicopters of U.S.
Registry. Labor rates are estimated at $85 per work-hour. Based on
these numbers, the FAA estimates the following costs to comply with
this AD.
Inspecting the T/R control cable and measuring the clearance takes
about 1 work-hour, for an estimated cost of $85 per helicopter and up
to $6,460 for the U.S. fleet. Replacing the cable assembly, if
required, takes about 8 work-hours and parts cost about $427 for an
estimated cost of $1,107 per helicopter. If required, adjusting the
height of the roller bracket assembly position takes about 1 work hour
for an estimated cost of $85 per helicopter.

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

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, and
(2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

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

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: