Airworthiness Directive · Amendment 39-21843 · Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Airplanes
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Airplanes
This AD applies to Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Model PC-6, PC-6-H1, PC-6-H2, PC-6/350, PC-6/350-H1, PC-6/350-H2, PC-6/A, PC-6/A-H1, PC-6/A-H2, PC-6/B-H2, PC-6/B1-H2, PC-6/B2-H2, PC-6/B2-H4, PC-6/C-H2, and PC-6/C1-H2 airplanes, all serial numbers, certificated in any category.
Note 1 to paragraph (c): These airplanes may also be identified as Fairchild Republic Company airplanes, Fairchild Industries airplanes, Fairchild Heli Porter airplanes, or Fairchild-Hiller Corporation airplanes.
The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2012-06- 16, which applied to all Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. (Pilatus) Model PC-6, PC-6-H1, PC-6-H2, PC-6/350, PC-6/350-H1, PC-6/350-H2, PC-6/A, PC-6/A- H1, PC-6/A-H2, PC-6/B-H2, PC-6/B1-H2, PC-6/B2-H2, PC-6/B2-H4, PC-6/C- H2, and PC-6/C1-H2 airplanes. AD 2012-06-16 required installing a new rudder and elevator locking screw and modifying the installation of the rudder and elevator hinge bolt. Since the FAA issued AD 2012-06-16, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) superseded its mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) to correct an unsafe condition on these products. This AD does not retain any actions required by AD 2012-06-16 and requires inspecting and modifying the rudder, elevator, and right-hand (RH) aileron hinge bolt installations. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
The following definitions apply for purposes of this AD.
(1) Group 1 airplanes: Airplanes that have not been modified in accordance with Pilatus PC-6 Service Bulletin (SB) No. 55-003, dated November 29, 2013 (Pilatus SB 55-003); Pilatus PC-6 SB No. 55-003, Revision 1, dated December 9, 2014 (Pilatus SB 55-003R1); Pilatus PC-6 SB No. 55-003, Revision 2, dated January 19, 2017 (Pilatus 55-003R2); Pilatus PC-6 SB No. 55-003, Revision 3, dated November 6, 2017 (Pilatus 55-003R3); or Pilatus PC-6 SB No. 55-005, dated February 25, 2021 (Pilatus SB 55-005).
(2) Group 2 airplanes: Airplanes that have been modified in accordance with Pilatus SB 55-003, SB 55-003R1, SB 55-003R2, Pilatus SB 55-003R3; or Pilatus SB 55-005.
(1) For Group 1 airplanes: Within 14 days after the effective date of this AD, inspect the elevator, rudder, and RH aileron hinge bolt installations and take any corrective actions before further flight by following the Accomplishment Instructions-Part 1-On Aircraft-Inspection in Pilatus SB 55-005.
(2) For Group 1 airplanes: Within 100 hours time-in-service (TIS) after the inspection required by paragraph (h)(1) of this AD and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 100 hours TIS until the modification required by paragraph (i) of this AD is done, inspect the elevator, rudder, and RH aileron hinge bolt installations and take any corrective actions before further flight by following the Accomplishment Instructions-Part 2-On Aircraft-CONFIG 1-Repeat Inspections in Pilatus SB 55-005.
Within 11 months after the effective date of this AD, modify the hinge bolt installations on the elevator, rudder, and RH aileron assemblies by following the Accomplishment Instructions-Part 3-On Aircraft-Modification from CONFIG 1 to CONFIG 2 in Pilatus SB 55-005. Modifying the elevator, rudder, and RH aileron hinge bolt installations terminates the repetitive inspections required by paragraph (h)(2) of this AD.
As of the following applicable compliance time, do not install on any airplane an elevator assembly part number (P/N) 113.50.06.011, 113.50.06.012, 6305.0010.00, 6305.0010.52, 6305.0010.53, 6305.0010.54, or 6305.0010.55, or a rudder assembly P/N 113.40.06.018, 6302.0010.51, or 6302.0010.52.
(1) For Group 1 airplanes: As of the modification required by paragraph (i) of this AD.
(2) For Group 2 airplanes: As of the effective date of this AD.
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.
