EASA AD CF-2023-63: Tail Rotor Blade — Missing Adhesive between Upper Skin and Core | RegNotify

Airworthiness DirectiveEASA AD CF-2023-63

Tail Rotor Blade — Missing Adhesive between Upper Skin and Core

Published: Aug 18, 2023
Effective: Aug 19, 2023
Deadline: Sep 2, 2023

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

What to do

Operators must determine if affected tail rotor blades are installed and perform the required inspection within 10 flight hours or 14 days from August 19, 2023, whichever occurs first. If voids exceeding limits are found, the tail rotor blade must be replaced before further flight. Only serviceable tail rotor blades are allowed as replacements from the effective date onward.

Summary

Canadian Airworthiness Directive CF-2023-63 is an emergency directive addressing Bell Textron Canada Limited model 407 helicopters with specific serial numbers. It mandates inspection and possible replacement of tail rotor blades, part number 406-016-100-119, due to missing adhesive between the upper skin and core. This issue can cause severe vibration and potential tail rotor failure.

What changed

This new Airworthiness Directive introduces a mandatory one-time inspection of affected tail rotor blades for skin-to-core voids as per Bell Alert Service Bulletin 407-23-132. It requires replacement of any tail rotor blades found with voids exceeding specified limits and restricts the use of only serviceable blades as replacements from the effective date.

Why it matters

This directive is critical for aviation professionals to prevent severe vibration and possible tail rotor blade failure, which could lead to loss of tail rotor control. Operators, maintenance organizations, and compliance teams must ensure timely inspections and replacements to maintain airworthiness and flight safety. Non-compliance could result in grounding of affected helicopters.

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