Fuselage — Envelope Vertical Load Tapes — Inspection
- Published
- Effective
- Deadline
AI-generated summary of the official EASA document. Verify against the PDF before acting.
What to do
Operators of the affected BB hot air balloons must inspect all envelope vertical load tapes within 30 days from 2018-09-03, following the instructions in Service Bulletin No. BB/52. If any weaving defects are found during inspection, the defective load tapes must be replaced before the balloon is flown again. Alternative methods of compliance may be requested and approved by EASA if properly substantiated.
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2018-0181 is an airworthiness directive issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency affecting Balóny Kubíček spol. s r.o. BB hot air balloons with serial numbers 1292, 1331, 1360, 1364, and 1397. The directive mandates inspection of the envelope vertical load tapes to detect weaving defects that could compromise balloon safety. It provides instructions based on Service Bulletin No. BB/52 for inspecting and repairing affected load tapes.
What changed
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2018-0181 introduces a new mandatory one-time inspection requirement for the envelope vertical load tapes on specified BB hot air balloons. It requires operators to inspect the load tapes within 30 days of the effective date and to repair any tapes found with weaving defects before further flight. This directive does not supersede any previous ADs.
Why it matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals as it addresses a safety risk identified after an accident involving a failure of an envelope vertical load tape. Detecting and repairing defective load tapes prevents potential envelope tears that could lead to uncontrolled descents, thereby protecting balloon occupants and people on the ground. Operators and maintenance teams must ensure compliance to maintain airworthiness and regulatory conformity.
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