AD NUMBER: PL2003-08-51 MANUFACTURER: MDHC SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive
PL2003-08-51 SUMMARY: This Emergency Airworthiness
Directive (EAD) covering certain Model 369 and 500
helicopters is prompted by two reports of cracked tail rotor blade
pitch horns (pitch horns) that failed during flight. In both
occurrences, the pilot was able to land the helicopter without
further incident. Investigation revealed that the cause of the
failures was a fatigue crack in the pitch horns that developed
before the tail rotor blade reached its retirement life. This
condition, if not corrected, could result in a pitch horn
separating from the tail rotor blade leading to an unbalanced
condition, vibration, loss of tail rotor pitch control, and loss of
directional control of the helicopter. This unsafe condition is
likely to exist or develop on other helicopters of the same type
designs. Therefore, this EAD requires, before further flight,
reducing the retirement life of certain tail rotor blades from
5,140, 5,200, or 10,000 hours time-in-service (TIS) to 400 hours
TIS, performing a onetime visual inspection of each pitch horn for
a crack or corrosion, and replacing unairworthy tail rotor blades
with airworthy tail rotor blades. This EADalso requires revising
the Airworthiness Limitations section of the helicopter maintenance
manual to reflect the reduced retirement life, and reporting
information to the FAA within 24 hours following the one-time
inspection.
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