AD 2016-03-02

This AD becomes effective March 15, 2016.

The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of March 15, 2016.

For service information identified in this AD, contact Turbomeca S.A., 40220 Tarnos, France; phone: 33 (0)5 59 74 40 00; fax: 33 (0)5 59 74 45 15. You may view this service information at the FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 781-238-7125. It is also available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2015-3805.

Brian Kierstead, Aerospace Engineer, Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803; phone: 781-238-7772; fax: 781-238-7199; email: brian.kierstead@faa.gov.

We issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to the specified products. The NPRM was published in the Federal Register on November 5, 2015 (80 FR 68475). The NPRM proposed to correct an unsafe condition for the specified products. The MCAI states:

Several cases of torque conformation box (TCB) failures have been reported on engines incorporating mod TU34 or mod TU34A. Investigation concluded that these failures were caused by cracks on soldered joints of TCB resistors.

This condition, if not corrected, could lead to limited power availability in a One Engine Inoperative (OEI) case, possibly resulting in reduced control of the helicopter.

We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing this AD. We received no comments on the NPRM (80 FR 68475, November 5, 2015).

We reviewed the available data and determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting this AD as proposed.

Turbomeca S.A. has issued Mandatory Service Bulletin (MSB) No. 292 72 2860, Version A, dated July 15, 2015. The MSB describes procedures for checking TCB resistance values. 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 the ADDRESSES section of this final rule.

We estimate that this AD affects 300 engines installed on helicopters of U.S. registry. We estimate that it would take about 1 hour to perform an inspection. We also estimate that 20% of these engines would fail the inspection and require TCB removal, which would take about 1 hour. The average labor rate is $85 per hour. Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of this AD on U.S. operators to be $30,600.

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 products identified in this rulemaking action.

We determined that 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 this AD:

(1) Is not a “significant regulatory action” under Executive Order 12866,

(2) Is not a “significant rule” under the 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.

Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows:

1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:

2. The FAA amends § 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness directive (AD):