EASA AD 2024-0184
Landing Gear — Nose Landing Gear A-Frame / Airframe Junctions — Inspection / Modification
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2024-0184 is an airworthiness directive affecting Airbus Helicopters EC 175 B models. It addresses inspection and modification requirements for the nose landing gear A-frame and airframe junctions, specifically targeting tab washers and trailing arm pins to prevent potential detachment of the nose landing gear A-frame. The directive mandates inspections and modifications to ensure continued airworthiness and safe landing capability.
What Changed
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2024-0184 supersedes the previous AD 2019-0009, reducing the applicability to exclude helicopters with certain production modifications. It retains inspection requirements but introduces a mandatory design modification replacing affected trailing arm pins with pintle pins to provide a permanent locking function and prevent unscrewing of the nose landing gear couplings.
Why It Matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals because it addresses a safety risk involving potential failure of the nose landing gear attachment, which could lead to compromised landing capability and possible injury. Operators and maintenance teams must ensure timely inspections and modifications to avoid unsafe conditions and maintain regulatory compliance. The modification also terminates the need for repetitive inspections, improving long-term maintenance efficiency.
What To Do
Operators of EC 175 B helicopters must inspect the nose landing gear A-frame and affected parts within 60 landing cycles or 30 days after 5 February 2019, and then at intervals not exceeding 60 landing cycles. If defects are found, affected parts must be replaced or temporarily repaired before the next flight, with permanent modification required within six months. All helicopters must be modified according to the service bulletin within 1760 flight hours or two years from the effective date of 4 October 2024, whichever occurs first.