AD/ECUREUIL/30 Amdt 3 - Main Rotor Sleeve Beams (Cth)

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE On the effective date specified below, and for the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below revokes Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/ECUREUIL/30 Amdt 2 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.001(1) of CASR 1998. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.

Eurocopter AS 350 (Ecureuil) Series Helicopters AD/ECUREUIL/30 Amdt 3 Main Rotor Sleeve Beams 8/2009

Applicability: All model AS 350 helicopters with main rotor head roving sleeve, upper and lower beams part numbers:

350A31.1830.00 and .01; 350A31.1831.00, .01, .04, .05, .06 and .07.

Requirement: Remove main rotor blades and visually check that sleeve bushes are not separated. If any bush separation is found, remove and replace the sleeve beams concerned. Requirement document is French AD 86-57-44 (B), paragraph C; or USA AD 86-19-15, paragraph C.

Note: Aerospatiale Telex Service Bulletin No. 01.16 refers (no longer distributed.)

Compliance: Before further flight in the event of a sudden or repeated occurrence of a severe tracking defect.

Compliance with Amendment 2 of this directive constitutes compliance with this Amendment.

This Amendment becomes effective on 30 July 2009.

Background: The manufacturer reports cracking in the blade attachment area of the main rotor sleeve beams of a Dauphin SA 365C helicopter. The original issue of this Airworthiness Directive became effective in May 1986.