AD 2022-04-06 Retains Certain Requirements Of AD 2021-06-06

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2021-06-06, which applied to certain Bell Textron Canada Limited Model 505 helicopters.

AD 2021-06-06 required repetitive fluorescent penetrant inspections (FPIs) of the pilot collective stick and grip assembly and revising the existing Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM) for your helicopter. Since the FAA issued AD 2021-06-06, the pilot collective stick and grip assembly has been redesigned. This AD retains certain requirements of AD 2021-06-06, requires modifying your helicopter to include the improved pilot collective stick tube and adds a terminating action for the repetitive FPIs. This AD also prohibits installing any pilot collective stick and grip assembly unless certain requirements of this AD are met. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective April 4, 2022.

Supplementary Information: The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 to supersede AD 2021-06-06, Amendment 39-21473 (86 FR 14366, March 16, 2021) (AD 2021-06-06), for Bell Textron Canada Limited Model 505 helicopters, serial number (S/N) 65011 and subsequent. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on September 14, 2021 (86 FR 51035). In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to retain some of the requirements of AD 2021-06-06, including, before further flight, revising Section 1, the Limitations section of the existing RFM for your helicopter to prohibit single pilot operations from the right crew seat, require the pilot in command (PIC) to occupy the left crew seat for dual pilot operations, and depending on configuration, prohibit the use of SPLIT-COM mode.

The NPRM also proposed to require, before further flight, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 25 hours time-in-service (TIS), removing the pilot collective stick and grip assembly and performing an FPI for a crack and depending on the inspection results, removing a certain part from service. The NPRM proposed to require, within 12 months, removing a certain part-numbered pilot collective stick tube from service and installing an improved pilot collective stick tube in accordance with the manufacturers service information and thereafter, removing a certain part-numbered pilot collective stick tube from service before it accumulates 300 total hours TIS.

Additionally, the NPRM would consider certain proposed actions to be a terminating action for other actions proposed in the NPRM. The NPRM also proposed to prohibit installing any pilot collective stick and grip assembly unless certain proposed actions were accomplished. Finally, the NPRM proposed to require revising the Limitations section of the existing RFM for your helicopter; the owner/operator (pilot) may incorporate the RFM revisions and the owner/operator must enter compliance with the applicable paragraphs of the AD into the aircraft records in accordance with 14 CFR 43.9(a)(1) through (4) and 14 CFR 91.417(a)(2)(v). This is an exception to the FAA's standard maintenance regulations.

The NPRM was prompted by Transport Canada AD CF-2021-05R3, dated March 19, 2021 (Transport Canada AD CF-2021-05R3), issued by Transport Canada, which is the aviation authority for Canada, to correct an unsafe condition for Bell Textron Canada Limited Model 505 helicopters, S/Ns 65011 through 65347. Transport Canada advises that the pilot collective stick and grip assembly has been redesigned to address the root cause of the cracking. Accordingly, Transport Canada AD CF-2021-05R3 retains the requirements of Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-2021-05R2, dated March 4, 2021 (Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-2021-05R2), which prompted AD 2021-06-06, and requires installing the newly designed pilot collective stick and grip assembly, which is a terminating action for the requirements of Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-2021-05R2. Transport Canada AD CF-2021-05R3 also revises the applicability to include only helicopters that have not incorporated the redesigned pilot collective stick and grip assembly during production.

Therefore, the FAA determined that it is necessary to supersede AD 2021-06-06 and the required actions as proposed in the NPRM include a terminating action for the repetitive FPI inspections.

FMI: www.regulations.gov