Airworthiness Directive · Amendment 39-21315 · Various Restricted Category Helicopters
Various Restricted Category Helicopters
This airworthiness directive (AD) applies to various restricted category helicopters originally manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Model EH-60A, HH-60L, S-70, S-70A, S-70C, S-70C(M), S-70C(M1), and UH-60A helicopters with a main rotor (M/R) blade spindle cuff part number 70150-09109-041 installed; type certificate holders include but are not limited to ACE Aeronautics, LLC; BHI H60 Helicopters, LLC; Billings Flying Service Inc.; Carson Helicopters; Delta Enterprise; High Performance Helicopters Corp.; Northwest Rotorcraft LLC; Pickering Aviation, Inc.; PJ Helicopters Inc.; Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation; SixtyHawk TC, LLC; Skydance Blackhawk Operations, LLC; Timberline Helicopters, Inc.; and Unical Aviation, Inc.
The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for various restricted category helicopters, originally manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky), Model EH-60A, HH-60L, S-70, S-70A, S-70C, S-70C(M), S-70C(M1), and UH-60A. This AD requires initial and recurring inspections of the main rotor (M/R) blade spindle cuff for a crack. This AD was prompted by multiple reports of a cracked M/R blade spindle cuff. These actions are intended to prevent an unsafe condition on these products.
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.
Before further flight, unless already done within the last 10 hours time-in-service (TIS), and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 10 hours TIS from the last inspection:
(1) Using 10X or higher power magnification, visually inspect each M/R blade spindle cuff for a crack. Pay particular attention to the area around each bolt hole and the upper and lower surfaces of the leading and trailing edges of each M/R blade spindle cuff.
(2) If there is a crack, replace the M/R blade spindle cuff before further flight.
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.
Appliances and equipment
