AD NUMBER: 2019-11-05

PRODUCT: Certain Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited (Bell) Model 429 helicopters.

ACTION: Final Rule.

SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2015-22-02 for the products listed above.

AD 2015-22-02 required inspecting the tail rotor (TR) pitch link assemblies.

This AD retains the inspections of AD 2015-22- 02 and requires replacing certain pitch link bearings.

This AD was prompted by a new design bearing introduced by Bell.

DATES: This AD is effective July 12, 2019.

COST: The FAA estimates that this AD affects 90 helicopters of U.S. Registry. Operators may incur the following costs in order to comply with this AD:

At an average labor rate of $85 per hour, inspecting the TR pitch link assemblies requires 2 work-hours for a cost of $170 per helicopter per inspection cycle.

Replacing both spherical bearings in each TR pitch link assembly requires 3 work-hours, and required parts cost $3,088, for a cost of $3,343 per helicopter.

According to Bell's service information some of the costs of this AD may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on affected individuals.

FMI: AD