AD 2021-11-22 Continues To Require Revising The Life Limits For Certain Parts

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2016-11-21 for Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (Airbus Helicopters) Model EC135P1, EC135P2, EC135P2+, EC135T1, EC135T2, and EC135T2+ helicopters.

AD 2016-11-21 required revising the life limit of certain parts and removing each part that has reached its life limit. This AD continues to require revising the life limits for certain parts and removing each part that has reached or exceeded its life limit and expands the applicability to include Model EC135P3 and EC135T3 helicopters. This AD was prompted by the certification of new helicopter models since AD 2016-11-21 was issued. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective July 16, 2021.

Supplementary Information: The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 to supersede AD 2016-11-21, Amendment 39-18548 (81 FR 36137, June 6, 2016), (AD 2016-11-21) which applied to Airbus Helicopters Model EC135P1, EC135P2, EC135P2+, EC135T1, EC135T2, and EC135T2+ helicopters. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on March 8, 2021 (86 FR 13237). In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to require, before further flight, establishing a life limit for the tail rotor hub body of 27,400 hours time-in-service (TIS) or using Airbus  Helicopters service information if the history of the tail rotor hub body is not known or cannot be identified. The NPRM also proposed to require establishing life limits for certain swashplate and mixing lever gear unit parts in the Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS) of the existing maintenance manual for your helicopter, and recording the revised life limit on the component history card or equivalent record.

Additionally, the NPRM proposed to require continuing to record the life limit of certain parts that have not reached their life limit. Finally, the NPRM proposed to require removing from service any part that reached or exceeded its life limit.

The NPRM was prompted by EASA AD 2017-0243, dated December 6, 2017 (EASA AD 2017-0243), issued by EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, to correct an unsafe condition Airbus Helicopters Model EC135P1, EC135P2, EC135P2+, EC135P3, EC135T1, EC135T2, EC135T2+, EC135T3, EC635P2+, EC635P3, EC635T1, EC635T2+, and EC635T3 helicopters. EASA AD 2017-0243 superseded EASA AD 2013-0178, dated August 7, 2013 (EASA AD 2013-0178), which was prompted by Airbus Helicopters revising the airworthiness limitations for the Model EC135 and EC635 helicopters' type design as published in the Master Servicing Manual (MSM) EC135 Chapter 04–ALS documents. Revision 14 of the MSM contains these new airworthiness limitations. EASA stated that failure to comply with these limitations could result in failure of a critical part, which could result in loss of control of the helicopter. Accordingly, EASA AD 2013-0178 required revising the ALS to include the new life limits and replacing each part that has reached its life limit. Superseding EASA AD 2017-0243 expands the applicability to include Airbus Helicopters Model EC135P3, EC135T3, EC635P3, and EC635T3 helicopters. New life limits were also added for some parts.

FMI: www.regulations.gov