AD 2012-18-02 Airworthiness Directives; Agusta S.p.A. Helicopters

This AD becomes effective September 26, 2012.

(1) The Manager, Safety Management Group, FAA, may approve AMOCs for this AD. Send your proposal to: Sharon Miles, Aviation Safety Engineer, Regulations and Policy Group, Rotorcraft Directorate, FAA, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76137; telephone (817) 222 5110; email sharon.y.miles@faa.gov . (2) For operations conducted under a 14 CFR part 119 operating certificate or under 14 CFR part 91, subpart K, we suggest that you notify your principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager of the local flight standards district office or certificate holding district office, before operating any aircraft complying with this AD through an AMOC.

(1) The subject of this AD is addressed in European Aviation Safety Agency AD No. 2012-0086-E, dated May 18, 2012.

(1) For hook, P/N HK-118-2, before further flight, and thereafter after every disassembly and reassembly of the hook, inspect the hook for correct assembly of the nut and housing hook by doing the following. (i) Using a .5 millimeter (mm) thickness feeler gauge, position the feeler gauge on the handwheel as shown in Figure 2 of AgustaWestland Bollettino Tecnico (BT) No. 412-132, dated May 2, 2012 (BT 412-132). (ii) If feeler gauge cannot be inserted, the nut and housing are correctly assembled. (iii) If feeler gauge can be inserted, as shown in Figure 3 of BT 412-132, reassemble the hook by following the Accomplishment Instructions, paragraphs 5 through 20, and figures 4 and 5, of BT 412-132. (2) For hook, P/N BL-5740-8, before further flight, and thereafter after every disassembly and reassembly of the hook, inspect the hook for correct assembly of the nut and body by doing the following. (i) Pull down the rubber bumper to expose the body and setscrews. (ii) Determine if the two setscrews are inserted in the two slots as shown in Figure 2 of AgustaWestland BT No. 412-133, dated May 17, 2012 (BT 412-133). (iii) If the setscrews are inserted in the slots, the nut and body are correctly assembled. Return the rubber bumper to its proper position. (iv) If the two setscrews are not inserted in the slots, as shown in Figure 3 of BT 412-133, reassemble the hook by following the Accomplishment Instructions, paragraphs 5 through 20, and figures 4 and 5, of BT 412-133.

This AD defines the unsafe condition as the hook body locking screws not properly inserted into the slot on the housing, which could result in detachment of the hook and subsequent loss of an external load or person from the helicopter hoist.