AD/BELL 205/55 - Pitch Change Link Universal

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Australian Parliament, serve to regulate and ensure safety standards in civil aviation across the nation. One specific legislative instrument under this Act, F2006B04391, addresses safety directives concerning certain aircraft components. This instrument, introduced to rectify a safety issue identified with Bell Helicopter Textron 205 Series Helicopters, specifically targets the pitch change link universal component. The problem it addresses is the potential for hydrogen embrittlement causing cracks around the staking marks used to retain bearings within the universal, as detected by the U.S. Army. The policy objective of this directive is to ensure that defective new universals are not installed on civil aircraft, thereby preventing safety hazards associated with the identified issue. Compliance with this directive is mandated by a specific deadline, ensuring timely inspection and removal of affected components.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, applies to all Bell Helicopter Textron 205 Series helicopters fitted with universal parts number 204-011-128-1 after 1 April 1989. This legislation mandates a one-time inspection of the specified universal to check for six staking marks around each bearing face. If the universal exhibits six staking marks, it must be removed from service and destroyed. This directive aims to prevent the use of defective components on civil aircraft, following reports of cracks due to hydrogen embrittlement around the staking marks detected by the U.S. Army. Compliance with this airworthiness directive is mandatory and must be completed by 30 September 1989 and before any subsequent installation. The regulation operates under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s authority and ensures adherence to safety standards across the Commonwealth of Australia.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105 and the Schedule of Airworthiness Directives for Bell Helicopter Textron 205 Series Helicopters, includes an important directive concerning the pitch change link universal (section AD/BELL 205/55). This directive is applicable to all models fitted with the universal P/N 204-011-128-1 after 1 April 1989. The requirement outlined in this directive is a one-time inspection of the specified universal to check for staking marks around each bearing face. If a universal is found to have six staking marks around each bearing, it must be removed from service and destroyed (section 11/89DM). This directive aims to address the issue of hydrogen embrittlement, which has been detected as causing cracks around the staking marks in similar models used by the U.S. Army. Entities and parties governed by this directive must ensure compliance by conducting the required inspection and taking appropriate action if the specified condition is met. The directive specifies a compliance deadline of 30 September 1989 for the initial inspection and mandates that such inspections must be performed before any subsequent installation of the universal (section 11/89DM). Additionally, the directive references Bell OSN 205-89-17, which provides further guidance or supporting information on the matter. Failure to comply with this directive may result in the use of defective components, potentially leading to safety hazards during flight. Although specific penalties are not outlined in the directive, non-compliance with airworthiness directives can generally result in significant regulatory actions, including fines, enforcement actions, or other penalties as determined by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). The directive's primary goal is to ensure the safety of civil aviation by preventing the use of potentially defective components that could compromise the structural integrity and safety of the aircraft.