AD 2020-03-13 Airworthiness Directives; Leonardo S.p.A. Helicopters

This AD becomes effective March 12, 2020.

A federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. The OMB Control Number for this information collection is 2120-0056. Public reporting for this collection of information is estimated to be approximately 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. All responses to this collection of information are mandatory. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to: Information Collection Clearance Officer, Federal Aviation Administration, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177-1524.

(1) The Manager, Safety Management Section, Rotorcraft Standards Branch, FAA, may approve AMOCs for this AD. Send your proposal to: Kristi Bradley, Aerospace Engineer, Safety Management Section, Rotorcraft Standards Branch, FAA, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone 817-222-5110; email 9-ASW-FTW-AMOC-Requests@faa.gov . (2) For operations conducted under a 14 CFR part 119 operating certificate or under 14 CFR part 91, subpart K, the FAA suggests 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) Within 10 hours TIS, inspect each T/R damper as follows: With the T/R damper in the upper position and the sight window downward at a 45-degree angle, inspect the hydraulic fluid level through the sight window using a T/R damper inspection tool. (i) If the fluid level is over the pointing line in the red zone, before further flight, remove from service the T/R damper. (ii) If the fluid level is under the pointing line in the white zone, repeat the inspection per paragraph (e)(1) at intervals not to exceed 10 hours TIS. (2) Within 10 days after removing any T/R damper from service, as required by paragraph (e)(1)(i) of this AD, send photos of the sight window showing the hydraulic fluid level and a completed Table 1 of Leonardo Helicopters Emergency Alert Service Bulletin No. 189-226, dated July 5, 2019 to pse_aw189.mbx.aw@leonardocompany.com . (3) For each T/R damper with less than 150 total hours TIS and that has been installed for less than 12 consecutive months, repeat the actions required by paragraph (e)(1) of this AD within every 10 hours TIS until the T/R damper reaches 150 total hours TIS and has been installed for 12 or more consecutive months. (4) For each T/R damper with less than 150 total hours TIS and that has been installed for 12 or more consecutive months, repeat the actions required by paragraph (e)(1) of this AD within every 10 hours TIS until the T/R damper reaches 150 total hours TIS. (5) For each T/R damper with 150 or more total hours TIS and that has been installed for less than 12 consecutive months, repeat the actions required by paragraph (e)(1) of this AD until the T/R damper has been installed for 12 consecutive months. (6) After the effective date of this AD, do not install a T/R damper P/N 4F6420V00254 with S/N up to LK1229 inclusive on any helicopter, unless you have performed a ground run for at least 30 minutes and perform the actions required by paragraph (e)(1) of this AD. (7) Repeating the inspection until the T/R damper reaches 150 total hours TIS and has been installed for 12 consecutive months constitutes a terminating action for the repetitive inspection required by paragraphs (e)(1) through (5) of this AD.

This AD defines the unsafe condition as leaking T/R damper hydraulic fluid. This condition could result in degradation of T/R damper performance. Multiple leaking T/R dampers could cause T/R damage and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.