{"id":"F2009L01853","name":"AD/AS 355/60 Amdt 5 - Tail Rotor Blade Trailing Edge","slug":"ad-as-355-60-amdt-5-tail-rotor-blade-trailing-edge","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":78873,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2009L01853-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Eurocopter AS 355 (Twin Ecureuil) Series","sectionType":"division","heading":"Eurocopter AS 355 (Twin Ecureuil) Series Helicopters","content":"### Eurocopter AS 355 (Twin Ecureuil) Series Helicopters\n\n| AD/AS 355/60 Amdt 5 | Tail Rotor Blade Trailing Edge | 6/2009 |\n| ------------------- | ------------------------------ | ------ |\n\n| Applicability: | Model AS 355 helicopters, versions E, F, F1, F2, N and NP, equipped with a tail rotor blade part number listed below:355A12-0031-01, -02, -03, -04, -05, -06, -07, -08, -09, -11, -12, -13, -14.355A12-0040-00, -01, -02, -03, -04, -05, -07, -08.355A12-0050-00, -01, -02, -03, -04, -05. |\n| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Requirement: | 1. Visually inspect the tail rotor blades in accordance with paragraph 2.B.1. of Eurocopter AS 355 Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) No. 05.00.38 Revision 2, or later EASA approved revision.If a crack is detected during any inspection, before further flight, accomplish the instructions specified in paragraph 2.B.2. of ASB No. 05.00.38 Revision 2, or later EASA approved revision.2. Accomplish the instructions of Repair Sheet FR CN 376 or FR CN 453 on tail rotor blades part number 355A12-0050-00, -01, -02, -03, -04, -05 with serial numbers listed in paragraph 2.B.2.a. of ASB No. 05.00.38 Revision 3, or later EASA approved revision, and on blades with serial numbers below 8419; for which the annotation “repaired as per Work Card 64.10.00.872” or “repaired as per Work Card 64.10.20.712” is recorded on the log card.3. No person shall install tail rotor blades with a part number that is listed in the applicability section of this Directive on any Model AS 355 helicopter, unless they have been inspected and repaired, as necessary, in accordance with paragraph 2.B.1 of ASB No. 05.00.38 Revision 3, or later EASA approved revision.Note: EASA AD 2009-0039 refers. |\n| Compliance: | 1. At each check after the last flight of the day (ALF check), and thereafter at intervals not exceeding 10 flight hours between two successive checks.2. No later than 31 March 2009, unless already accomplished.3. As of 9 April 2009. |\n\n| | The compliance times remain unchanged by this issue of the Directive.This Directive shall be entered on the Maintenance Release as maintenance required. The required visual inspection may be performed and certified by a Pilot in Command who has been trained to do the inspection by an appropriately qualified person. In this case, a copy of the Requirement document and this Directive is to be carried in the aircraft. |\n| ----------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| | This Amendment becomes effective on 4 June 2009. |\n| Background: | The DGAC received a report of separation of a tail rotor blade trailing edge section due to crack growth in the blade skin. The unbalance caused by the loss of a blade section can cause tail rotor gearbox separation.Amendment 1 introduced certain actions to rotors installed on version N helicopters that are fitted with a 30mm trailing edge tab.Amendment 2 introduced requirements to alleviate maintenance for tail rotor blades repaired as per Repair Sheet (FR) CN 376; as specified in the latest revision of the Requirement document.Amendment 3 added a new Repair Sheet FR CN 453, and extended the repair accomplishment timescale accordingly; as specified in the Requirement document.Amendment 4 introduced a correction to the Requirement 1 compliance; with no change to the technical requirements.Amendment 5 is issued in response to a new EASA AD, which adds the ModelAS 355 NP helicopter to applicability, with no change to the technical requirements. At the time this directive was issued, there were no AS 355 NP helicopters on the Australian Register. |\n\n![](image.001.png) \nDavid Villiers \nDelegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority\n\n17 April 2009","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/AS 355/60 Amdt 5","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/AS 355/60 Amdt 5","content":"## AD/AS 355/60 Amdt 5","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"Tail Rotor Blade Trailing Edge","sectionType":"part","heading":"Tail Rotor Blade Trailing Edge","content":"## Tail Rotor Blade Trailing Edge","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"6/2009","sectionType":"part","heading":"6/2009","content":"## 6/2009","sortOrder":3}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"Originally addressed tail rotor blade cracking for versions E, F, F1, F2, and N. Amendment 5 expanded applicability to include the AS 355 NP model variant, though the technical requirements remained unchanged. The directive has also accumulated additional repair procedures (FR CN 376, then FR CN 453) and compliance refinements across five amendments, broadening from initial inspection requirements to a comprehensive blade management regime."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple amendment history (Amendments 1-5) tracking evolving requirements over time","Extensive cross-referencing to external documents: Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin No. 05.00.38 (multiple revisions), Repair Sheets FR CN 376 and FR CN 453, EASA AD 2009-0039, and specific work cards","Three distinct requirements with different compliance timelines and applicability conditions","Detailed part number and serial number filtering (13 part number variants for first group, 8 for second, 6 for third, plus serial number thresholds like 'below 8419')","Conditional logic: different actions required depending on crack detection, repair history annotations on log cards, and helicopter model variants","Nested applicability: requirement 2 only applies to specific part numbers WITH specific serial numbers AND specific repair annotations"],"plain_english_summary":"This CASA Airworthiness Directive mandates inspections and repairs of specific Eurocopter AS 355 tail rotor blades to detect and fix cracking that could shed blade pieces, cause severe vibration, and risk loss of the tail rotor gearbox. It applies to owners, operators, maintenance engineers, and pilots of AS355 E/F/F1/F2/N/NP helicopters with the listed blade part numbers.\n\nInspections are required frequently and uninspected blades are banned from installation; trained pilots may perform and certify the visual checks if they carry the directive and requirements."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"Amendment 5 expands applicability by adding Model AS 355 NP helicopters to the directive without changing technical requirements (Background). The directive otherwise retains previous inspection, repair and installation prohibitions, but the inclusion of NP alters the set of aircraft and operators who must comply."},"complexity_factors":["Long list of specific affected part numbers (Applicability) increases identification burden for operators.","Serial-number‑specific obligations and annotations (Requirement para 2.B.2.a and repair logcard references) require record checks.","Multiple repair documents referenced (Repair Sheet FR CN 376 and FR CN 453) and differing applicability across revisions.","Two overlapping inspection rhythms: at each after-last-flight (ALF) check and at intervals not exceeding 10 flight hours (Compliance).","Amendment history (Amendments 1–5) and cross-reference to EASA ADs creates traceability and version-control complexity (Background, Note).","Pilot-performed inspection allowance with training and carriage-of-documents condition introduces non-standard certification/compliance procedures (Requirement, Maintenance Release note).","Maintenance release entry requirement adds administrative compliance (Maintenance Release note).","Specified effective and compliance dates (Compliance; Effective date) create tight operational deadlines for some actions."],"plain_english_summary":"Requires owners/operators of certain Eurocopter AS 355 helicopters to perform frequent visual inspections of specified tail rotor blade part numbers, repair particular blades per two named repair sheets when affected serial numbers apply, and prohibits installing those blades unless inspected and repaired. Inspections are at the end-of-day check and at intervals not exceeding 10 flight hours; a trained pilot may perform the visual check. The measure adds Model AS 355 NP to the list of affected aircraft and aims to detect and fix cracks that can cause tail rotor separation."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-as-355-60-amdt-5-tail-rotor-blade-trailing-edge","history":"/api/acts/ad-as-355-60-amdt-5-tail-rotor-blade-trailing-edge/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-as-355-60-amdt-5-tail-rotor-blade-trailing-edge/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-as-355-60-amdt-5-tail-rotor-blade-trailing-edge/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-as-355-60-amdt-5-tail-rotor-blade-trailing-edge/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-as-355-60-amdt-5-tail-rotor-blade-trailing-edge/documents"}}