Federal Aviation Administration April 24, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action gives notice to the American public and aviation industry of the FAA's Aviation Safety Office's (AVS) furlough implementation. Under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011 and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, across-the-board budget cuts require the FAA to implement furloughs. AVS and its Services/Offices will implement the required 11 days of furlough beginning April 21, 2013 and continuing through September 30, 2013. AVS will continue to focus resources on those initiatives that would have the highest safety and economic value for the American public and aviation industry. The furlough days vary, with each office scheduling those days in accordance with mission requirements, workload considerations, and applicable collective bargaining agreements. For specific information, please see the FAA Web site at https://www.faa.gov/about/officeorg/ headquartersoffices/avs/operationssequestration.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

We are superseding an existing emergency airworthiness directive (EAD) for Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model AS350B3 helicopters with certain part-numbered laminated half-bearings (bearings) and tail rotor (T/R) blades installed. The existing EAD currently requires installing two placards and revising the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM). The EAD also requires certain checks and inspecting and replacing, if necessary, all four bearings. Finally, the EAD requires a one-time removal and inspection of the bearings, and replacing the bearings if necessary. Since we issued that EAD, we have determined that newly-designed helicopters with other part-numbered T/R blades may be affected by this unsafe condition and that the requirements should allow the bearing removal and inspection to be performed before the last flight of the day. This superseding AD removes the bearing and T/R blade part numbers (P/N) from the applicability paragraph and clarifies when the bearing removal and inspection is required. The actions are intended to prevent vibration due to a failed bearing, failure of the T/R, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.