AD 2022-01-05 Prompted By An Additional Report Of Loose Rivet Heads On The Outside Face Of The Tail Boom Corner Support

The FAA is superseding airworthiness directive (AD) 2021-24-06, which applied to certain Airbus Helicopters Model EC130T2 helicopters.

AD 2021-24-06 required repetitive visual inspections of the rivets on the rear transmission shaft bearing support and of the local structure for cracking and missing, loose, or sheared rivets and accomplishment of applicable corrective actions. This AD retains those requirements and adds repetitive visual inspections of the rivet heads on the left-hand and right-hand sides of the rear transmission shaft bearing support, revises a corrective action, and adds a reporting requirement, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. This AD also revises the special flight permit limitation from AD 2021-24-06. This AD was prompted by an additional report of loose rivet heads on the outside face of the tail boom corner support. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

Supplementary Information: The FAA issued AD 2021-24-06, Amendment 39-21827 (86 FR 66934, November 24, 2021) (AD 2021-24-06), for certain Airbus Helicopters Model EC130T2 helicopters.

AD 2021-24-06 required repetitive visual inspections of the rivets on the rear transmission shaft bearing support and of the local structure for cracking and missing, loose, or sheared rivets and accomplishment of applicable corrective actions. AD 2021-24-06 was prompted by EASA Emergency AD 2021-0235-E, dated October 28, 2021 (EASA AD 2021-0235-E), issued by EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, to correct an unsafe condition for Airbus Helicopters (formerly Eurocopter) Model EC 130 T2 helicopters, all serial numbers, on which Airbus Helicopters Modification 074581 had been embodied in production. EASA advised of a report of degradation of the rear transmission shaft bearing support on a Model EC 130 T2 helicopter and the determination that all of the attachment rivets of the transmission shaft bearing support were sheared. EASA also advised that the investigation was on-going to identify the root cause of this degradation. This condition, if not addressed, could lead to failure of the tail rotor drive shaft and subsequent loss of yaw control of the helicopter.

FMI: www.regulations.gov