COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) 206 and Agusta Bell 206 Series Helicopters
AD/BELL206/121 Tail Rotor Blade Assembly 9/90
TX
Applicability: All models.
Requirement: 1. Determine the part number and serial number of the tail rotor blade assembly installed on the helicopter.
2. If the tail rotor blade assembly installed is P/N 206-016-201-113 or P/N 206-016- 201-127 and is identified with any serial number listed below, remove and replace the blade assembly.
Serial Numbers: | T-41361 | T-41627 | T-41725 |
| T-41737 | T-42088 | T-42127 |
| T-42157 | T-42307 | T-42311 |
| T-42316 | T-42494 | T-42496 |
| T-42497 | T-42502 | T-42523 |
| T-42534 | T-43276 | T-44089 |
| T-44120 | T-44157 | T-44174 |
| T -44222 | T-44300 | T-44638 |
Note: FAA Emergency AD 90-13-01 refers.
Compliance: Prior to further flight after 26 June 1990.
Background: The FAA has listed the blades above as being life expired. They may have been represented as airworthy newly overhauled blades using falsified documentation.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Parliament of Australia, include a schedule of airworthiness directives designed to ensure the safety of civil aviation operations within the country. Specifically, the document addresses a critical safety concern identified with the tail rotor blade assemblies of Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) 206 and Agusta Bell 206 series helicopters. This legislative instrument aims to rectify a problem identified with certain tail rotor blade assemblies that have been found to be life expired, potentially posing a significant risk to flight safety. The directive mandates the removal and replacement of specific blade assemblies identified by their part numbers and serial numbers to ensure compliance and safety before further flight operations. The policy objective underlying this directive is to enhance aviation safety by enforcing stringent checks and replacements of critical components that have exceeded their operational lifespan or have been subject to fraudulent documentation.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Schedule of Airworthiness Directives specifically addresses the Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) 206 and Agusta Bell 206 Series Helicopters under AD/BELL206/121, focusing on the tail rotor blade assembly. This directive applies to all models of the specified helicopters and mandates that the part number and serial number of the tail rotor blade assembly be identified. If the assembly is identified by the part numbers 206-016-201-113 or 206-016-201-127 and matches any of the listed serial numbers, it must be removed and replaced before further flight after 26 June 1990. This requirement is aligned with the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Emergency AD 90-13-01, which recognises these blades as life expired and potentially misrepresented as airworthy through falsified documentation. The directive applies nationally within the Commonwealth of Australia, overseen by CASA, and extends to any relevant subordinate instruments or amendments that may further refine or expand upon these safety directives.
Key Provisions
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39, Section 105, mandates the compliance of the Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) 206 and Agusta Bell 206 Series helicopters with Airworthiness Directives (AD). The regulation in focus here is AD/BELL206/121, which addresses the tail rotor blade assembly of these helicopters (1). This directive applies universally to all models of the specified helicopters (2). The main requirements under this directive are to determine the part number and serial number of the tail rotor blade assembly installed on the helicopter (3). If the tail rotor blade assembly is identified as part numbers 206-016-201-113 or 206-016-201-127 and matches any of the listed serial numbers, it must be removed and replaced (4).
The Civil Aviation Regulations impose several obligations on the operators and owners of these helicopters. Primarily, they must ensure that the tail rotor blade assemblies on their helicopters comply with the specified requirements (5). This includes conducting a thorough inspection to identify the part number and serial number of the installed blade assembly (6). If any of the blades match the criteria outlined in the directive, the specified action of removal and replacement must be undertaken (7). Additionally, the directive requires that compliance be achieved before any further flight of the helicopter post 26 June 1990 (8).
Failure to comply with the provisions of this directive can result in serious consequences. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has identified these specific blades as life expired, indicating that they may have been falsely represented as airworthy, which poses a significant safety risk (9). The directive refers to FAA Emergency AD 90-13-01, which highlights the urgency and importance of this compliance (10). Non-compliance can lead to severe penalties, including potential grounding of the aircraft and legal repercussions. The exact penalties are not specified in the regulation but can include fines and other enforcement actions as per the broader Civil Aviation Act and regulations.