Main Rotor – Hydraulic Damper / Belt Tension Shaft Rod End Assembly – Inspection
Superseded. Comply with 2018-0286, which replaces this document.
- Published
- Effective
- Deadline
AI-generated summary of the official EASA document. Verify against the PDF before acting.
What to do
Operators must perform inspections of the affected parts within 100 flight hours or at the next scheduled annual inspection following the previous FAA AD inspection, and repeat these inspections every 100 flight hours or annually thereafter. If corrosion is detected, the affected part must be replaced before the next flight. Inspection results must be reported to Enstrom Product Support within 30 days. Installation of affected parts is only allowed if they are new or have passed inspection with no corrosion.
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2018-0067 is an airworthiness directive issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency affecting Enstrom Helicopter Corporation models F-28, 280, and 480 helicopters. It mandates repetitive inspections of the main rotor hydraulic damper and belt tension shaft rod end bearing assemblies to detect corrosion and requires replacement if corrosion is found. The directive references specific part numbers including 01-824-08E-011 and others, and aligns with FAA AD 2017-26-03.
What changed
This directive introduces a requirement for repetitive inspections of affected rod end bearing assemblies every 100 flight hours or during each annual inspection, which is more stringent than the FAA AD that only required a one-time inspection. It also mandates reporting inspection results to Enstrom Product Support and allows installation of affected parts only if new or inspected and found free of corrosion. No terminating action is provided in this AD.
Why it matters
This directive is critical for operators and maintenance organizations to prevent potential failure of the main rotor rod end bearing assemblies due to corrosion, which could lead to loss of a main rotor blade and loss of helicopter control. Compliance ensures continued airworthiness and safety of affected Enstrom helicopter models. It also requires documentation and reporting, impacting maintenance tracking and regulatory compliance processes.
More for Enstrom Helicopter Corporation 280
All 5- EASA AD 2018-0286Main Rotor — Hydraulic Damper / Belt Tension Shaft Rod End Assembly — InspectionDec 20, 2018
- EASA AD 2016-0221-CNCANCELLED: Main Rotor — Main Rotor Spindle — InspectionJan 24, 2018
- EASA AD US-2018-02-01Main Rotor — Main Rotor Spindle — Recurring InspectionJan 24, 2018
- EASA AD US-2017-26-03Main Rotor - Rod End Bearing Assemblies - InspectionDec 21, 2017
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