2026-12480: Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited Helicopters

Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 118 (Monday, June 22, 2026) [Federal Register Volume 91, Number 118 (Monday, June 22, 2026)] [Proposed Rules] [Pages 37057-37059] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2026-12480] ======================================================================== Proposed Rules Federal Register ________________________________________________________________________ This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules. ======================================================================== Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 118 / Monday, June 22, 2026 / Proposed Rules [[Page 37057]] DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 39 [Docket No. FAA-2026-4658; Project Identifier MCAI-2026-00014-R] RIN 2120-AA64 Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited Helicopters

Agency

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

Action

Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bell Textron Canada Limited Model 505 helicopters. This proposed AD was prompted by reports that the identification plate affixed to certain tail cone assemblies contains an incorrect part number (P/N), which may not accurately convey the life limit. This proposed AD would require verifying the tail cone assembly part number and, if necessary, replacing the incorrect tail cone assembly identification plate with a new tail cone assembly identification plate containing the correct P/N and updating the existing log card or equivalent record for the helicopter. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

Dates

The FAA must receive comments on this NPRM by August 6, 2026.

Addresses

You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Fax: (202) 493-2251. Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2026-4658; or in person at Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains this NPRM, the mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The street address for Docket Operations is listed above. Material Incorporated by Reference: For Transport Canada material identified in this AD, contact Transport Canada, Transport Canada National Aircraft Certification, 159 Cleopatra Drive, Nepean, Ontario, K1A 0N5, Canada; phone: (888) 663-3639; email: [email protected]; website: tc.canada.ca/en/aviation. You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call (817) 222-5110.

For Further Information Contact

Brande Ali-Turner, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: (847) 294-7132; email: [email protected].

Supplementary Information

Comments Invited The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or arguments about this proposal. Send your comments using a method listed under ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2026-4658; Project Identifier MCAI-2026-00014-R'' at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend this proposal because of those comments. Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR 11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. The agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact received about this NPRM. Confidential Business Information CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to this NPRM contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to this NPRM, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public docket of this NPRM. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Brande Ali-Turner, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590. Any commentary that the FAA receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this rulemaking. Background Transport Canada, which is the aviation authority for Canada, has issued Transport Canada AD CF-2026-01, dated January 26, 2026 (Transport Canada AD CF-2026-01) (also referred to as the MCAI), to correct an unsafe condition on certain Bell Textron Canada Limited Model 505 helicopters. The MCAI states that there are reports that the identification plate affixed to some Bell 505 helicopter tail cone assemblies (P/N SLS-030-600-007 and P/N SLS-030-600-009) mistakenly contains an incorrect P/N. The MCAI further states that the tail cone assembly is subject to a life limit published in the Airworthiness Limitations Schedule, and if the P/N on the identification plate remains uncorrected, it could be incorrectly determined that the tail cone assembly has an unlimited airworthiness life. If the tail cone assembly is not replaced because of the incorrect identification plate, it could lead to fatigue cracking of the tailboom and loss of control of the helicopter. You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2026-4658. [[Page 37058]] Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51 The FAA reviewed Transport Canada AD CF-2026-01, dated January 26, 2026, which specifies procedures for verifying and, if necessary, replacing the tail cone assembly identification plate with a new plate marked with the correct part number. This material 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. FAA's Determination These products have been approved by the civil aviation authority (CAA) of another country and are approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design Authority, that authority has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI referenced above. The FAA is issuing this NPRM after determining that the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type design. Proposed AD Requirements in this NPRM This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified in the material already described, as incorporated by reference, except for any differences identified as exceptions in the regulatory text of this AD. Explanation of Required Compliance Information In the FAA's ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of the AD process, the FAA developed a process to use some CAA ADs as the primary source of information for compliance with requirements for corresponding FAA ADs. The FAA has been coordinating this process with manufacturers and CAAs. As a result, the FAA proposes to incorporate Transport Canada AD CF-2026-01 by reference in the FAA final rule. This proposed AD would, therefore, require compliance with Transport Canada AD CF-2026-01 in its entirety through that incorporation, except for any differences identified as exceptions in the regulatory text of this proposed AD. Material required by Transport Canada AD CF-2026-01 for compliance will be available at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA- 2026-4658 after the FAA final rule is published. Costs of Compliance The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would affect 182 helicopters of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed AD: Estimated Costs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cost per Cost on U.S. Action Labor cost Parts cost product operators ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Verify tail cone assembly part number. 1 work-hour x $85 per $0 $85 $15,470 hour = $85. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The FAA estimates the following costs to do any replacement that would be required based on the results of the proposed inspection. The agency has no way of determining the number of helicopters that might need this replacement. On-Condition Costs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cost per Action Labor cost Parts cost product ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Replace tail cone assembly identification 2 work-hours x $85 per hour = $5 $175 plate. $170. Update existing log card...................... 1 work-hour x $85 per hour = $85 0 85 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The FAA has included all known costs in its cost estimate. According to the manufacturer, however, some of the costs of this proposed AD may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on affected operators. Authority for This Rulemaking 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 products identified in this rulemaking action. Regulatory Findings The FAA determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism implications under Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD would 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 this proposed regulation: (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 12866, (2) Would not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and (3) Would not have a significant economic impact, positive or negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by reference, Safety. The Proposed Amendment Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the FAA proposes to amend 14 CFR part 39 as follows: [[Page 37059]] PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES 0