Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited Helicopters
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
The FAA is issuing a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bell Textron Canada Limited Model 505 helicopters due to a failure in the hinge assembly of the aft movable ballast box. This failure could cause ballast weights to escape the box and strike the tail rotor assembly, posing a serious safety risk. The AD was initially sent as an emergency notice to all known U.S. owners and operators. To address this unsafe condition, the AD mandates revising the Limitations section of the rotorcraft flight manual (RFM) to explicitly prohibit the use of ballast weights in the aft movable ballast box assembly. Owners and operators must implement this change immediately to ensure safe operation of the helicopters. This directive applies specifically to affected Model 505 helicopters and aims to prevent potential accidents by eliminating the use of the problematic ballast system until further corrective actions are developed.
AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.
Key Changes
- Revise Limitations section of RFM to prohibit ballast weights in aft movable ballast box assembly
- Applies to certain Bell Model 505 helicopters
- Emergency AD sent to all known U.S. owners and operators
+ 2 more changes with Pro
Obligations
What this law requires
Revise the Limitations section of the rotorcraft flight manual (RFM) to explicitly prohibit the use of ballast weights in the aft movable ballast box assembly
Implement the RFM revision immediately to ensure safe operation of affected helicopters
Cease use of ballast weights within the aft movable ballast box assembly on affected helicopters