Tail Rotor — Blades — Inspection

Published: Mar 17, 2021
Effective: Mar 31, 2021
Deadline: Mar 31, 2021

Airbus Helicopters EC 120 B

AI-generated summary of the official EASA document. Verify against the PDF before acting.

What to do

Operators of EC 120 B helicopters with affected tail rotor blades must perform a dimensional inspection within the specified compliance times, which depend on accumulated flight hours but must occur within 24 months of 31 March 2021. Any blade classified as Category B must be replaced before the next flight. No rework or modification of the critical blade root area is allowed after the effective date.

Summary

EASA Airworthiness Directive 2021-0079 is an airworthiness directive issued for Airbus Helicopters EC 120 B models. It mandates inspection of specific forged tail rotor blades with certain part numbers to detect geometrical non-conformities that could lead to cracks and potential failure. The directive provides detailed inspection and replacement instructions to ensure continued airworthiness.

What changed

This new airworthiness directive introduces a one-time dimensional inspection requirement for affected tail rotor blades on EC 120 B helicopters. It prohibits any rework, repair, or modification of the critical blade root section and allows installation only of serviceable parts. The directive also defines affected and serviceable parts and groups helicopters based on installed parts.

Why it matters

This directive is critical for aviation professionals as it addresses a potential unsafe condition that could cause tail rotor blade failure and loss of helicopter control. Operators and maintenance organizations must comply to prevent accidents and ensure safety. Compliance teams need to track affected parts and ensure inspections and replacements are performed within specified timeframes.

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