Tail Rotor Hub Assembly – Inspection
Superseded. Comply with 2018-0248, which replaces this document.
- Published
- Effective
- Deadline
- Replaces
- 2017-0232-E
AI-generated summary of the official EASA document. Verify against the PDF before acting.
What to do
Operators of affected Airbus Helicopters AS 332 and SA 330 J models must inspect the tail rotor blade flapping hinges within specified flight hour limits—25 flight hours or next scheduled 50 FH inspection for AS 332 models, and within 50 flight hours for SA 330 J models. Any detected discrepancies must be corrected before further flight, and inspection results must be reported to Airbus Helicopters within 7 days if cracks are found or 15 days if no cracks are detected.
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2018-0042 is an airworthiness directive issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency affecting Airbus Helicopters AS 332 C, AS 332 C1, AS 332 L, AS 332 L1, and SA 330 J models. It mandates inspections of the tail rotor blade flapping hinges to detect damage that could lead to failure and loss of helicopter control. The directive applies to all manufacturer serial numbers of these helicopter models.
What changed
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2018-0042 supersedes the previous Emergency AD 2017-0232-E and expands the inspection requirements to include SA 330 J helicopters due to design similarities. It retains the inspection and reporting requirements and introduces specific compliance times for different helicopter groups. This AD is considered an interim action pending further investigation.
Why it matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals as it addresses a potentially unsafe condition involving the tail rotor flapping hinge link, which if undetected, could cause catastrophic failure and loss of control. Operators and maintenance organizations must ensure timely inspections and corrective actions to maintain airworthiness and regulatory compliance. The directive also requires reporting findings to support ongoing safety investigations.
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