Federal Aviation Administration March 29, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Airworthiness Directives; Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Helicopters
Document Number: 2012-7542
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2012-03-29
Agency: Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation
We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited (BHTC) Model 407 helicopters. This proposed AD is prompted by a review of the tailboom-attachment installation, which revealed that the torque value of the bolts specified in the BHTC Model 407 Maintenance Manual and applied during manufacturing was incorrect and exceeded the torque range recommended for the bolts. This proposed AD would require you to replace tailboom- attachment hardware (attachment hardware), and perform initial and recurring determinations of the torque on the nuts of the tailboom-attachment bolts (bolts) at all four attachment locations. The actions required by this proposed AD are intended to prevent an over-torque of a bolt, bolt failure, loss of the tailboom, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
Airworthiness Directives; Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Helicopters
Document Number: 2012-7541
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2012-03-29
Agency: Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation
We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S-76C helicopters. This proposed AD is prompted by a bird-strike to the windshield that resulted in unintended movement of the engine control levers from the forward position and towards the flight-idle position, which reduced power on both engines. These actions are intended to prevent unintended movement of the ECLs, resulting in main rotor speed decay and subsequent loss of control of the aircraft.
Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Helicopters
Document Number: 2012-7540
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2012-03-29
Agency: Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation
We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model SA.315B Alouette III, SE.3160 Alouette III, SA.316B Alouette III, SA.316C Alouette III, SA.319B Alouette III, SA 3180-Alouette Astazou, SA 318B-Alouette Astazou, and SA 318C-Alouette Astazou helicopters. This proposed AD was prompted by incorrect positioning of the roller drive pocket recesses on the tail rotor drive shaft free-wheel cage, which caused a pilot to experience a heavy jerk in the yaw control during in-flight autorotation training. This condition, if not corrected, could lead to a temporary loss of tail rotor drive and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Helicopters
Document Number: 2012-7538
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2012-03-29
Agency: Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation
We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter France Model SA341G helicopters. This proposed AD is prompted by an analysis and tests performed by the manufacturer that indicate that the life limit of the rotating star should be 12,000 hours time-in-service (TIS). The proposed actions are intended to prevent failure of the rotating star and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
Airworthiness Directives; MD Helicopters, Inc.
Document Number: 2012-7535
Type: Proposed Rule
Date: 2012-03-29
Agency: Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation
We propose to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) Model MD900 helicopters. The existing AD requires a visual inspection, and if necessary, an eddy current inspection of the main rotor lower hub assembly (lower hub) for a crack. If a crack exists, the AD requires replacing the lower hub with an airworthy lower hub before further flight. Because that AD was immediately effective, we did not include in its requirements certain long-term actions that did not necessitate adoption prior to public comment. This proposed AD would require those long-term actions. This proposed AD would require the same inspections as the existing AD but would also require recurring inspections and replacing the lower hub with an airworthy lower hub. We are proposing this AD to detect a crack in the lower hub and prevent failure of the lower hub and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
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