AD 2021-19-07

This AD is effective November 4, 2021.

The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain document listed in this AD as of November 4, 2021.

For service information identified in this final rule, contact Hélicoptères Guimbal, 1070, rue du Lieutenant Parayre, Aérodrome d'Aix-en-Provence, 13290 Les Milles, France; telephone 33-04-42-39-10-88; email support@guimbal.com; or at https://www.guimbal.com. You may view the referenced 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 (817) 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-2021-0574.

Darren Gassetto, Aerospace Engineer, COS Program Management Section, Operational Safety Branch, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, FAA, 1600 Stewart Ave., Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; telephone (516) 228-7323; email Darren.Gassetto@faa.gov.

The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to certain Hélicoptères Guimbal Model CABRI G2 helicopters. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on July 23, 2021 (86 FR 38943). In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to require replacing an affected MR non-rotating scissor link with a serviceable part. The NPRM was prompted by EASA AD 2019-0186, dated July 30, 2019 (EASA AD 2019-0186), issued by EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, to correct an unsafe condition for certain Hélicoptères Guimbal Model CABRI G2 helicopters. EASA advises that, during scheduled maintenance on two helicopters, cracks were found on the MR non-rotating scissor link, part number (P/N) G41-10-200. The suspected root cause for the cracking is corrosion due to stress induced by the mounting of the metal bushings inside the lug hole. To address this issue the manufacturer modified the design of the MR non-rotating scissor link to reinforce the lugs and replace the metal bushings with plastic bushings. Cracking of a MR non-rotating scissor link, if not addressed, could result in failure of that scissor link, resulting in reduced control of the helicopter.

Accordingly, EASA AD 2019-0186 requires replacement of affected MR non-rotating scissor links with serviceable parts.

The FAA gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing this final rule. The FAA received no comments on the NPRM or on the determination of the cost to the public.

These helicopters have been approved by EASA and are approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to the FAA's bilateral agreement with the European Union, EASA has notified the FAA about the unsafe condition described in its AD. The FAA reviewed the relevant data and determined that air safety requires adopting this AD as proposed. Accordingly, the FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these helicopters. Except for minor editorial changes, this AD is adopted as proposed in the NPRM.

The FAA reviewed Guimbal Service Bulletin SB 15-015, Revision C, dated August 27, 2019. This service information specifies procedures for, among other actions, modifying the helicopter by replacing the MR nonrotating scissor link, P/N G41-10-200, with a serviceable part, P/N G41-10-201 (by installing scissor link assembly, P/N G41-12-100, which includes MR non-rotating scissor link, P/N G41-10-201) and torqueing the bolts. 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.

The FAA also reviewed Guimbal Service Bulletin SB 15-015, Revision A, dated July 20, 2015 (SB 15-015, Revision A); and SB 15-015, Revision B, dated July 12, 2019 (SB 15-015, Revision B). SB 15-015, Revision A, describes procedures for replacing a MR non-rotating scissor link, P/N G41-10-200, with P/N G41-12-100, which has a new, improved design. SB 15-015, Revision B, describes the same procedures as SB 15-015, Revision A, and includes a revised compliance time, an updated Situation section, and added an action.

The FAA estimates that this AD affects 32 helicopters of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD:

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 helicopters identified in this rulemaking action.

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) 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.

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: