Equipment / Furnishings — Main Rotor Flight Controls / Shear-Button Safety-Cap — Operational Check
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AI-generated summary of the official EASA document. Verify against the PDF before acting.
What to do
Operators of affected Airbus Helicopters must perform an operational check of the hoist shear-button safety-cap within 50 flight hours for helicopters with hoist removable parts or before installing such parts on helicopters with only fixed hoist parts. If deficiencies are found, the spring must be replaced before the next flight or within 150 flight hours if a night hoist use limitation placard is installed. Additionally, any installation of affected handles must be preceded by a successful check or use of new parts.
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2022-0220 is an airworthiness directive issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency addressing the operational check of the main rotor flight controls' hoist shear-button safety-cap on Airbus Helicopters models AS 355, AS 365, SA 365, EC 155, AS 332, and EC 225 LP. The directive targets helicopters equipped with hoist provisions and focuses on ensuring the proper functioning of the safety-cap spring to prevent inadvertent activation of the hoist shear-button. It applies to specific collective pitch handles identified by part numbers listed in the directive.
What changed
This new airworthiness directive introduces mandatory operational checks of the hoist shear-button safety-cap on affected collective pitch handles to detect spring ageing issues that could impair safety-cap function. It requires replacement of springs found deficient during checks and mandates checks before installation of affected handles. The directive also allows a temporary operational limitation if corrective action is deferred.
Why it matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals because it addresses a safety risk of unintended hoist cable shearing, which could cause injury to hoisted persons. Operators and maintenance organizations must ensure compliance to maintain airworthiness and avoid operational hazards. The directive also impacts parts installation procedures and requires awareness of specific part numbers and helicopter configurations.
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