Tail Rotor Drive — Transmission Inclined and Horizontal Drive Shaft — Inspection
- Published
- Effective
- Deadline
AI-generated summary of the official EASA document. Verify against the PDF before acting.
What to do
Operators must perform an initial visual inspection of the affected drive shafts within 100 flight hours or 6 months after 14 September 2023, whichever occurs later, and repeat inspections every 1,100 flight hours or 37 months. Any corroded parts found must be replaced with serviceable parts before the next flight. Only serviceable affected parts may be installed from the effective date onward.
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2023-0168 is an airworthiness directive addressing Airbus Helicopters SA 341 G and SA 342 J (commercial name 'GAZELLE') helicopters. It mandates inspections of the tail rotor drive's inclined and horizontal drive shafts, specifically those with certain part numbers, to detect corrosion and prevent potential failure. The directive applies to all serial numbers of these helicopter models.
What changed
This new airworthiness directive introduces mandatory repetitive visual inspections of specified inclined and horizontal drive shafts for corrosion. It requires replacement of any corroded parts before further flight and restricts installation to only serviceable parts as defined in the directive. No previous AD is superseded by this directive.
Why it matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals because corrosion in the tail rotor drive shafts can lead to failure and loss of helicopter control. Operators and maintenance organizations must ensure compliance to maintain aircraft airworthiness and safety. It also affects parts management by limiting installation to parts meeting specific serviceability criteria.
More for Airbus Helicopters SA 341
All 7- EASA SIB 2023-11Hand Fire Extinguisher (HFE) / Check of the absence of discharge of the HFEOct 24, 2023
- EASA AD 2023-0155Main Rotor — Main Rotor Blade Leading Edge Protection — InspectionJul 31, 2023
- EASA AD 2023-0128-ETail Rotor — Tail Rotor Blades — Inspection / ReplacementJun 26, 2023
- EASA AD 2023-0002Rotors Flight Control — Pilot Collective Pitch Stick Handle Grip — ReplacementJan 5, 2023
- EASA AD 2022-0169-ETail Rotor – Tail Rotor Blades – Inspection/Replacement
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