Airworthiness Directive · Amendment 39-17873 · Emergency exits
Airbus Helicopters (Previously Eurocopter France) Helicopters
Superseded. A later AD replaced this one: AD 2020-25-11. Comply with the one in force.
This AD applies to following helicopters, certificated in any category, except those helicopters with modification 07 3796 or 07 2921 installed:
(1) Model EC120B helicopters, serial numbers up to and including 1367, with a sliding door, Part Number (P/N) C526A2370101, installed; and
(2) Model EC130B4 helicopters with a sliding door, P/N C526S1101051, installed.
We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Helicopters Model EC120B and EC130B4 helicopters. This AD requires replacing parts of the sliding door star support attachment assembly, depending on the outcome of required inspections. This AD is prompted by a report that passengers in a helicopter were forced to exit through the pilot door after landing because they could not open the sliding door from the inside. The actions of this AD are intended to prevent failure of the sliding door star support attachment, which could inhibit operation of a sliding door from inside, delaying the evacuation of passengers during an emergency.
You are responsible for performing each action required by this AD within the specified compliance time unless it has already been accomplished prior to that time.
Within 165 hours time-in-service:
(1) Visually inspect each upper and lower locking pin control rod end fitting (control end fitting) for a bend, twist, or breakage. If a control end fitting is bent, twisted, or broken, before further flight, replace the control end fitting with an airworthy control end fitting.
(2) Clean and dye penetrant inspect the star support pin for a crack in the areas identified as Zone X and Zone Y in Figure 3 of Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin No. EC120-52A014, Revision 1, dated January 25, 2013 (ASB No. EC120-52A014) or Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin No. EC130-52A009, Revision 1, dated January 25, 2013 (ASB No. EC130-52A009), as applicable to your model helicopter. If there is a crack in the star support pin, before further flight, replace the star support pin with an airworthy star support pin.
(3) Reinforce the sliding door star support stringer by installing three carbon fabric plies by following the Accomplishment Instructions, paragraph 3.B.2.d. of ASB No. EC120-52A014 or ASB No. EC130-52A009, as applicable to your model helicopter, except this AD does not require you to comply with paragraph 3.C.
The aircraft, engines and makers this AD names, by the model designations in its text. A model listed here may still be outside the AD's serial ranges.
