Rotors Flight Control — Tail Rotor Gearbox Actuating Rod — Inspection
- Published
- Effective
- Deadline
- Replaces
- 2018-0287
AI-generated summary of the official EASA document. Verify against the PDF before acting.
What to do
Operators must perform a dye penetrant inspection of all affected tail rotor gearbox actuating rods within 165 flight hours or 13 months after 3 January 2019. Additionally, all affected parts must be marked within 10 months after the effective date of 3 April 2019. If cracks are found, the affected parts must be replaced before the next flight, and specific concurrent actions must be taken when replacing certain part numbers. Inspection results must be reported to Airbus Helicopters within 30 days.
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2019-0060 is an official directive addressing inspection requirements for the tail rotor gearbox actuating rods on Airbus Helicopters AS 350 and AS 355 models. It mandates dye penetrant inspections and marking of specific tail rotor gearbox actuating rods to detect cracks and prevent loss of yaw control. The directive applies to all serial numbers of the affected helicopter models and includes detailed part numbers and manufacturing dates for inspection.
What changed
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2019-0060 supersedes the previous AD 2018-0287 by adding more affected tail rotor gearbox actuating rod part numbers and introducing a new requirement to mark these parts after inspection. It retains the original inspection and corrective action requirements but expands the scope to include additional parts and updated inspection procedures as per revised Airbus Helicopters Alert Service Bulletins.
Why it matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals as it addresses a safety issue that could lead to loss of yaw control due to structural failure of the tail rotor gearbox actuating rod. Operators and maintenance organizations must comply to ensure continued airworthiness and safe operation of affected helicopters. Failure to detect and correct cracks in these parts could result in hazardous flight conditions, making timely inspections and part marking essential.
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