{"id":"F2006B04345","name":"AD/BELL 204/41 - Tail Rotor Blades","slug":"ad-bell-204-41-tail-rotor-blades","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":44160,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B04345-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE","sectionType":"part","heading":"AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE","content":"# AIRWORTHINESS 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 issues the following Airworthiness Directive (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.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/BELL 204/41 Tail Rotor Blades 8/2000","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/BELL 204/41 Tail Rotor Blades 8/2000","content":"# AD/BELL 204/41 Tail Rotor Blades 8/2000\n\nApplicability: Model 204B, all serial no. with the blade Part and Serial Numbers specified in the Requirement document.\n\nRequirement: Inspect in accordance with the technical requirements of FAA AD 96-12-25.\n\nCompliance: Before further flight after the effective date of this directive, and thereafter at intervals not exceeding seven days.\n\nThis Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 10 August 2000.\n\nBackground: The directive was raised to detect any debonding of the tail rotor blade main spar internal leading edge doubler to preclude failure of a blade and subsequent loss of a helicopter. This directive includes all a/c serial numbers to account for any blade serial number and aircraft rematch over the intervening years since the initial issue by the FAA.\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":1}],"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":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The AD extends applicability to all Model 204B serial numbers to capture any blade-to-aircraft rematches that occurred since the FAA’s original directive, thereby broadening scope beyond the FAA's initial serial-number targeting (Applicability; Background)."},"complexity_factors":["Cross-reference to FAA AD 96-12-25 obliges operators to follow an external technical document rather than containing full procedures in the AD itself (Requirement).","Immediate ‘before further flight’ deadline creates potential operational disruption and urgent compliance costs for operators (Compliance).","Recurring inspection interval (every seven days) imposes an ongoing maintenance and labour burden (Compliance).","Applicability to all Model 204B serial numbers broadens the AD’s reach compared with a serial-number-limited action, increasing the number of affected aircraft (Applicability; Background).","Inspections target internal doubler debonding, requiring trained personnel and access to blade internals or specialised inspection techniques (Requirement).","Enforcement and recordkeeping obligations fall on operators and may require proof of inspection to the regulator (Compliance).","Repair or corrective action instructions are referenced to the FAA AD rather than set out in this instrument, creating dependency on external technical material (Requirement)."],"plain_english_summary":"Requires inspections of specified tail-rotor blades on Bell 204B helicopters in line with FAA AD 96-12-25, to be carried out before next flight and then at intervals not exceeding seven days. It is intended to detect debonding of the main spar internal leading-edge doubler to prevent blade failure and applies to all Model 204B serial numbers to account for blade/aircraft rematches (Requirement; Compliance; Background)."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This AD maintains its original narrow scope — addressing a specific mechanical defect in a specific helicopter model's tail rotor blades. The expansion to 'all aircraft serial numbers' is a technical clarification to account for parts swapping history, not a substantive broadening of regulatory scope."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (under 300 words)","Only 4 defined structural sections (Applicability, Requirement, Compliance, Background)","Single cross-reference to external technical document (FAA AD 96-12-25) — actual inspection details not reproduced","No nested conditions or exceptions","Simple temporal trigger (before further flight + 7-day intervals)","No interpretation section or defined terms"],"plain_english_summary":"This AD mandates immediate and recurring inspections of Bell Model 204B tail-rotor blades for internal \"debonding,\" using procedures from FAA AD 96-12-25. It applies to owners/operators of affected blades (specified by part/serial numbers) and requires inspection before flight after 10 Aug 2000 and every seven days thereafter. The aim is to prevent blade failure, loss of control, and possible crash."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-bell-204-41-tail-rotor-blades","history":"/api/acts/ad-bell-204-41-tail-rotor-blades/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-bell-204-41-tail-rotor-blades/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-bell-204-41-tail-rotor-blades/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-bell-204-41-tail-rotor-blades/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-bell-204-41-tail-rotor-blades/documents"}}