{"id":"F2006B04328","name":"AD/BELL 204/22 Amdt 1 - Main Rotor Blades Removal From Service","slug":"ad-bell-204-22-amdt-1-main-rotor-blades-removal-from-service","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":44143,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B04328-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/BELL 204/22 Amdt 1 - Main Rotor Blades Removal From Service","content":"COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 \\- 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY\n\nSCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES\n\n![](image.001.png)  \n![](image.002.png)  \nBell Helicopter Textron 204 Series Helicopters\n\nAIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE\n\n![](image.002.png)\n\n![](image.002.png)  \nFor the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below revokes Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/BELL 204/22 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.1 (1) of CAR 1998. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.\n\nAD/BELL 204/22\n\nAmdt 1\n\n  \nMain Rotor Blades Removal From Service 8/2000\n\nApplicability: All Models.\n\nRequirement: The main rotor blades with the serial numbers listed below are to be removed from service.\n\n| A2-03642 | A2-03643 | A2-03646 | A2-27872 | A2-27961 |\n| -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- |\n| A2-27963 | A2-27967 | A2-27968 | A-27982  | A2-28015 |\n| A2-28016 | A2-28019 | A2-28020 | A2-28023 | A2-28195 |\n| A2-28198 | A2-28211 | A2-29315 | A2-29325 |          |\n| A2-29334 | A2-29915 | A2-29919 | A2-29920 |          |\n\nNote: FAA AD 76-02-06 refers.\n\nCompliance: Before further flight after 16 January 1976.\n\nThis Amendment becomes effective on 10 August 2000.\n\nBackground: This directive was issued initially to remove certain MR blades from service.\n\nAmendment 1 is issued to reference the country of manufacture AD. It also follows the re-introduction of the AD Series after sixteen years.\n\nThe original issue of this Airworthiness Directive became effective on 16 January 1976.\n\n![](image.003.png)  \n\nDavid Alan Villiers\n\nDelegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 6 July 2000\n\n![](image.002.png)  \n\nThe above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 12 July 2000.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This amendment did not expand the population of affected blades or change the mandatory action. It reissued the original AD to reference the country-of-manufacture (FAA) AD and to reintroduce the AD series after sixteen years. The substantive scope — removing the specified main rotor blades from service on Bell 204 series helicopters — remains the same as the original AD."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-purpose document (removal of specific parts)","One clear list of affected serial numbers (no defined-terms section or complex definitions)","Simple compliance timing (\"before further flight after 16 January 1976\")","One cross-reference to an FAA AD (FAA AD 76-02-06) but no layered conditional logic","Amendment merely adds a reference to country-of-manufacture AD and reintroduces the AD series"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanics)\n\n- Revokes the earlier AD/BELL 204/22 and re-issues it as AD/BELL 204/22 Amdt 1.  The AD requires removal from service of specific main rotor blades (MR blades) by serial number.  (See the \"Requirement\" section for the list of affected serial numbers.)\n- Applicability: all Bell Helicopter Textron 204 series helicopters (the AD applies to any aircraft of that model that has one of the listed blades).\n- Timing: operators must remove any of the listed blades \"before further flight after 16 January 1976\" (Compliance section).  The amendment itself became effective on 10 August 2000.  The AD also notes and cross-references FAA AD 76-02-06.\n\n**Who this affects\n\n- Owners and operators of Bell 204 series helicopters that have main rotor blades with any of the listed serial numbers.\n- Maintenance organisations, repair stations and parts suppliers who must remove, replace, or account for the affected blades.\n- Lessors, insurers and buyers/sellers of affected aircraft (because blade status affects airworthiness and value).\n\n**Why it matters (stated purpose and practical effect)\n\n- The directive is issued to address an unsafe condition related to certain main rotor blades by removing those blades from service (Background and Requirement sections).  Removing the specified blades is a mandatory regulatory action: aircraft with those blades cannot be flown until the blades are removed.\n\n**Operational and economic implications (testing the stated purpose against costs, incentives and trade-offs)\n\n- Who decides: the action is required by the CASA delegate under subregulation 39.1(1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations (front matter).  The Requirement section defines the mandatory action (blade removal) and the Compliance section sets the timing.\n- Who pays: private aircraft owners/operators bear the direct cost of removing and replacing blades, downtime and any inspection or paperwork costs. Maintenance providers incur labour costs (and may receive work) and parts suppliers may see increased demand for replacement blades.\n- Behaviour changes required: operators must check rotor blade serial numbers against the AD list, remove any listed blades before the next flight, document the action in maintenance records, and install airworthy replacements if the helicopter is to return to service.\n- Trade-offs and opportunity cost: immediate safety mitigation is achieved at the expense of aircraft downtime, procurement costs for replacement blades, and potential shortage or lead times for correct replacement parts. Operators may choose to retire affected airframes, cannibalise other units for blades, or source aftermarket blades where permitted.\n- Implementation risk and compliance burden: verifying serial numbers and maintenance records, arranging replacement blades, and proving compliance to regulators requires administrative and technical work by operators and maintenance organisations. If replacement blades are scarce, owners could face prolonged groundings.\n- Effects on private markets and competition: maintenance and parts businesses are likely to see concentrated demand from owners of affected helicopters. The cost burden falls on a relatively small set of operators (concentrated costs) while the safety benefit is distributed (diffuse). The AD does not itself set prices or restrict suppliers, but it can increase demand for authorised replacement blades and services.\n\n**What changed in this amendment (stated in the AD)\n\n- Amendment 1 expressly references the country-of-manufacture (FAA) AD and re-introduces the AD series after a 16‑year gap.  The substantive mandatory requirement (removal of the listed serial-numbered blades) remains the operative action.\n\n(References: Requirement section — list of serial numbers; Compliance section — timing; Background — reason and note about FAA AD.)"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This amendment does not expand the scope of the original 1976 directive. It merely updates administrative references (adding the FAA AD citation) and reissues the directive after a 16-year gap in the AD series. The substantive requirement — removing the 22 specific rotor blades from service — remains identical to the original 1976 order."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (approximately 300 words)","Only 4 operative sections: Applicability, Requirement, Compliance, and Background","No defined terms section","No cross-references to other legislation (except a single note referencing FAA AD 76-02-06)","Simple unconditional command structure ('remove from service')","Single compliance trigger (before further flight after specific date)","No exceptions, exemptions, or conditional logic"],"plain_english_summary":"This CASA Airworthiness Directive orders the immediate removal from service of 22 specific main rotor blades installed on Bell 204 series helicopters. It affects any operator or maintenance organisation with those blades fitted and prohibits flight until they are removed.\n\nThe blades are safety-critical; failure can cause catastrophic loss. This 2000 amendment simply reauthorises and updates the paperwork by referencing the original FAA/1976 directive after the Australian AD system was paused."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-bell-204-22-amdt-1-main-rotor-blades-removal-from-service","history":"/api/acts/ad-bell-204-22-amdt-1-main-rotor-blades-removal-from-service/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-bell-204-22-amdt-1-main-rotor-blades-removal-from-service/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-bell-204-22-amdt-1-main-rotor-blades-removal-from-service/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-bell-204-22-amdt-1-main-rotor-blades-removal-from-service/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-bell-204-22-amdt-1-main-rotor-blades-removal-from-service/documents"}}