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/AS 355/66 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.1 (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 355 (Twin Ecureuil) Series Helicopters
AD/AS 355/66
Amdt 1
Sliding Door 1/2005
Applicability: AS 355 helicopters, versions E, F, F1, F2, and N fitted with sliding doors.
Requirement: 1. Check the diameter of the sliding door roller and the dimension of the front end opening of the middle rail, in accordance with paragraph 2.B.1 of Eurocopter AS 355 Alert Service Bulletin No. 05.00.39 Revision 1.
2. As a result of the Requirement 1 check, action paragraph 2.B.2 of the Requirement document:
- If criterion C1 is equal to or greater than 5mm, and criterion C2 is equal to or greater than 1.5mm, door operation in flight is allowed.
b. If criterion C1 is less than 5mm and/or criterion C2 is less than 1.5mm, door operation in flight is prohibited. A placard specifying this restriction is to be affixed to the instrument panel of the helicopter.
Note: DGAC AD F-2002-345-070 R1 refers.
Compliance: Before further flight after 3 July 2002; and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 100 flight hours.
The initial compliance time remains unchanged by this issue. This Amendment becomes effective on 20 January 2005.
Background: The DGAC received a report of sliding door aft roller dislodgement in flight due to severe wear on the rail. If this deficiency is evident and not corrected, loss of the sliding door could occur during flight.
Eurocopter AS 355 (Twin Ecureuil) Series Helicopters
AD/AS 355/66 Amdt 1 (continued)
Amendment 1 is issued in response to a revision of the related DGAC AD, which converts the previous Alert Telex to an Alert Service Bulletin, with no change in technical content; but introducing an additional check criterion in order to prevent the risk of the aft guide roller coming out of the middle rail when the door is opened in flight.
David Villiers
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 3 December 2004
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 22 December 2004.