Federal Aviation Administration October 27, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes to modify Class D airspace at Santa Monica Municipal Airport, CA, to accommodate aircraft departing and arriving under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) at Santa Monica Municipal Airport. This action is a result of the FAA's biennial review, along with a study of the Santa Monica Municipal Airport airspace area that would further enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations at the airport.

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Sikorsky Model S-92A helicopters. This action requires making pen and ink changes, inserting a copy of this AD, or inserting specified temporary revisions into the Limitations section of the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM) limiting the maximum rolling groundspeed for a normal landing or takeoff from 65 knots to 50 knots for helicopters with a certain serial-numbered landing gear retract actuator (actuator). Instead of limiting the groundspeed, replacing the affected actuator with a modified actuator is terminating action for the requirements of this AD. This amendment is prompted by a report of a main landing gear that would not retract. The manufacturer reports that certain actuators were manufactured with down-lock keys that did not meet the specified minimum hardness requirements. This condition, if not corrected, could lead to a landing gear collapse following a roll- on landing that exceeds 50 knots groundspeed. These actions are intended to prevent collapse of a landing gear and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

This action proposes special conditions for the Gulfstream Aerospace LP (GALP) Model G280 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with operation without normal electrical power. 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 document publishes in the Federal Register an amendment adopting Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2011-15-51, which was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of the specified Bell Model 407 and 427 helicopters by individual letters. This AD requires inspecting certain hydraulic servo actuators to determine whether the shaft turns independently of the nut or the clevis assembly. If the shaft turns independently, this AD requires replacing the servo with an airworthy servo. If the shaft does not turn independently, the AD requires inspecting to determine the condition of the lock washers. Based on the condition of the lock washers, the AD requires either replacing the servo with an airworthy servo, or if any tab of the lock washer is not flush against a flat surface of the nut or clevis assembly, bending it flush against a flat surface. The AD also requires reidentifying the servo by metal-impression stamping or by vibro- etching ``67.01'' onto the modification plate. Also, the AD requires before installing a servo with a part number or serial number identified in this AD, not identified by ``67-01'' on the modification plate, inspecting it by following the requirements of this AD. This AD is prompted by a report that a quality escape by a supplier has occurred and certain servos may have a loose nut, shaft, and clevis assembly due to improper lock-washer installation. An investigation after an accident revealed the clevis nut on the servo was loose. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent a malfunction of a servo in the flight control system and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Eurocopter model helicopters. This action requires inspecting the upper end fitting ball joints of the main rotor servocontrols for lateral play, and depending on the findings either repetitively inspecting the ball joint or replacing the servocontrol. This amendment is prompted by reports of noncompliant swaging of the end fitting ball joints on main rotor servocontrols. Investigation has shown that the swaging load applied to the ball joints was 1.3 metric tons instead of the specified 13 metric tons. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent failure of the upper end fitting ball joints of the main rotor servocontrols, failure of the upper end fittings, and loss of control of the helicopter.