AD/Ecureuil/71 Amdt 1 Tail Rotor Blade Trailing Edge (Cth)
AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE
On the effective date specified below, and for the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below revokes Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/ECUREUIL/71 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.001(1) of CASR 1998. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.
Eurocopter AS 350 (Ecureuil) Series Helicopters
| AD/ECUREUIL/71 Amdt 1 | Tail Rotor Blade Trailing Edge | 10/2006 DM |
Applicability: | Model AS 350 helicopters, versions B, BA, B1, B2, B3, BB, and D, equipped with a tail rotor blade part number listed below: 355A12-0031-01, -02, -03, -04, -05, -06, -07, -08, -09, -11, -12, -13, -14. |
Requirement: | Visually inspect the tail rotor blades in accordance with Paragraph 2.B. of Eurocopter AS 350 Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) No. 05.00.40 Revision 1, or later EASA approved revision. If a crack is detected during any inspection, before further flight, accomplish the instructions specified in Paragraph 2.B. of ASB No. 05.00.40 Revision 1, or later EASA approved revision. On tail rotor blades held as spares, accomplish the instructions specified in Paragraph 2.B. of ASB No. 05.00.40 Revision 1, or later EASA approved revision, before installation on a helicopter. Note: EASA Emergency AD 2006-0235-E refers. |
Compliance: | After the last flight of the day (ALF check), without exceeding 10 flight hours between successive checks. This Directive shall be entered on the Maintenance Release as maintenance required. The required visual inspection may be performed and certified by a Pilot in Command who has been trained to do the inspection by an appropriately qualified person. In this case, a copy of the Requirement document and this Directive is to be carried in the aircraft. |
| This Amendment becomes effective on 16 August 2006. | |
Background: | The DGAC received a report of separation of a tail rotor blade trailing edge section due to crack growth in the blade skin. The unbalance caused by the loss of a blade section can cause tail rotor gearbox separation. |
| Amendment 1 is issued in response to a revision of the Requirement document and a new EASA AD, which introduce certain actions to rotors installed on version B3 helicopters that are fitted with a 30mm trailing edge tab. |
David Villiers
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
14 August 2006
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