Department of Transportation November 20, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes special conditions for the Embraer S.A. Model EMB-550 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with pitch and roll limiting functions, specifically an electronic flight control system which contains fly-by- wire control laws, including envelope protections. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

This action proposes special conditions for the Bombardier Aerospace Model BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature, specifically sidestick controllers designed to be operated with only one hand. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

This action proposes special conditions for the Embraer S.A. Model EMB-550 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature, specifically sidestick controllers designed to be operated with only one hand. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH (ECD) Model EC135 P1, EC135 P2, EC135 P2+, EC135 T1, EC135 T2, and EC135 T2+ helicopters. This is the Federal Register publication of an Emergency AD (EAD) that was previously sent to all known owners and operators of these helicopters. That EAD superseded an earlier related EAD. This AD requires, before further flight and at specified intervals, checking and inspecting the upper and lower main rotor hub (MRH) shaft flanges for a crack, and inspecting the lower hub-shaft flange bolt attachment areas for a crack. This AD is prompted by three reported incidents of cracking on the lower hub-shaft flanges of EC135 model helicopters. These actions are intended to detect a crack on the hub-shaft flange, which if not corrected could result in failure of the MRH and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH (ECD) Model MBB-BK117 C-2 helicopters with certain Generator Control Units (GCU) installed. This AD requires replacing the GCUs. This AD was prompted by reports of internal short circuits in certain GCUs. These actions are intended to prevent a short circuit, which could result in a loss of electrical generating power, loss of systems required for continued safe flight and landing, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.