{"id":"F2005L04019","name":"AD/BELL 206/162 - Main Rotor Blade Grip Plate Tang","slug":"ad-bell-206-162-main-rotor-blade-grip-plate-tang","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":39954,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2005L04019-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) 20","sectionType":"division","heading":"Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) 206 and Agusta Bell 206 Series Helicopters","content":"### Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) 206 and Agusta Bell 206 Series Helicopters\n\n| AD/BELL 206/162 | Main Rotor Blade Grip Plate Tang | 2/2006 DM |\n| --------------- | -------------------------------- | --------- |\n\n| Applicability: | Model AB 206A/B helicopters equipped with main rotor blades part number206-010-200-(all dash numbers) having a serial number with the prefix A-xxxx; except the following serial numbers:A-3586, A-3915, A-4044, A-4087, A-4095, A-4130, A-4132, A-4133, A-4134,A-4135, A-4137, A-4143, A-4145, A-4146, A-4147, A-4150, A-4154, A-4155,A-4157, A-4163, A-4167, A-4174, A-4175, A-4179, A-4202, A-4206, A-4217,A-4221, A-4224, A-4277, A-4302, A-4363, A-4366, A-4375, A-4398, A-4400,A-4403, A-4411, A-4414, A-4423, A-4446, A-4497, A-4503, A-5714, and subsequent serial numbers. |\n| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Requirement:   | Action in accordance with Agusta Technical Bulletin No. 206-239, dated7 September 2005.Note: ENAC AD 2005-406 refers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |\n| Compliance:    | Within 50 flight hours after 13 December 2005 or before 31 January 2006, whichever occurs first.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |\n|                | This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 13 December 2005.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |\n| Background:    | Reports were received of tool mark damage discovered on the affected main rotor blades. The tool marks are on the edges of the grip plate tangs and had resulted from manufacture. Undetected tool marks could lead to cracking of the grip plate tang.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |\n\n![](image.001.png)  \nDavid Villiers  \nDelegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority\n\n8 December 2005","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/BELL 206/162","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/BELL 206/162","content":"## AD/BELL 206/162","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"Main Rotor Blade Grip Plate Tang","sectionType":"part","heading":"Main Rotor Blade Grip Plate Tang","content":"## Main Rotor Blade Grip Plate Tang","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"2/2006 DM","sectionType":"part","heading":"2/2006 DM","content":"## 2/2006 DM","sortOrder":3}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a standard, targeted airworthiness directive addressing a specific manufacturing defect in a defined aircraft population. The scope remains precisely limited to the safety issue identified — tool mark damage on specific rotor blades — without expansion into broader operational or maintenance requirements."},"complexity_factors":["Highly specific applicability criteria with 44 excluded serial numbers requiring careful cross-checking","References external technical document (Agusta Technical Bulletin No. 206-239) without reproducing its contents","Dual compliance timeframe (50 flight hours OR calendar date, whichever first) creates conditional logic","Cross-reference to Italian aviation authority document (ENAC AD 2005-406) indicating international regulatory coordination","Technical aviation terminology requiring domain knowledge (grip plate tang, dash numbers, serial number prefixes)"],"plain_english_summary":"This AD requires operators of certain Bell/Agusta‑Bell 206 series helicopters with specified main rotor blade part/serial numbers to inspect the grip plate tangs for manufacturing tool marks and carry out corrective action per Agusta Technical Bulletin No. 206‑239. \n\nTool marks can initiate cracks in a critical rotor attachment; undetected cracking risks catastrophic rotor failure. Compliance is mandatory within 50 flight hours after 13 Dec 2005 or by 31 Jan 2006, whichever is earlier."},"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":false,"description":"This AD is narrowly targeted to inspect and remedy manufacturing tool‑mark damage on the grip plate tang of specified main rotor blades. It stays within that original safety remediation purpose and does not broaden scope to unrelated components, new inspection regimes, or long‑term reporting requirements. The directive does, however, delegate procedural detail to the manufacturer's technical bulletin and lists multiple serial number exclusions (including a trailing \"and subsequent serial numbers\" phrase that could be interpreted ambiguously), but these do not materially expand the AD beyond its original, stated intent to address potential cracking from tool marks."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single‑issue AD focused on one rotor blade component (low substantive length).","A single external normative reference (Agusta Technical Bulletin No. 206-239) — technical details delegated outside the AD.","Long explicit exclusion list of serial numbers (many entries), which increases administrative checking complexity.","Ambiguous phrasing: phrase \"and subsequent serial numbers\" after the exclusion list may create interpretive uncertainty.","Tight compliance window (50 flight hours or before a calendar date) adds operational complexity for scheduling.","Cross‑reference to foreign AD (ENAC AD 2005-406) increases traceability tasks for operators."],"plain_english_summary":"**What the directive does (mechanical change)\n\n- Requires operators of certain Bell/Agusta AB 206A/B helicopters to inspect and, if necessary, repair or treat the main rotor blade grip plate tangs in accordance with Agusta Technical Bulletin No. 206-239 (dated 7 September 2005). The AD itself does not give the step‑by‑step repair method — it mandates compliance with the manufacturer technical bulletin.\n\n**Which aircraft are affected\n\n- Affected: AB 206A/B helicopters fitted with main rotor blades part number 206-010-200-(all dash numbers) that have blade serial numbers beginning with the prefix \"A-xxxx\".\n- Not affected: a long list of individual serial numbers is expressly excluded (for example A-3586, A-3915, A-4044, …, A-5714) and the exclusion also refers to \"and subsequent serial numbers\" (see note on ambiguity below).\n\n**What must be done and when\n\n- Action required: carry out the inspection/repair procedure set out in Agusta Technical Bulletin No. 206-239 (7 Sep 2005).\n- Timing: within 50 flight hours after 13 December 2005 or before 31 January 2006, whichever comes first.\n- Legal effect: the Airworthiness Directive became effective on 13 December 2005.\n\n**Why the directive was issued (stated reason)\n\n- Manufacturer and regulator reports found manufacturing tool marks on the edges of the grip plate tangs on some affected main rotor blades. The stated safety concern is that undetected tool marks can initiate cracking of the grip plate tang, which could compromise the rotor blade attachment.\n\n**Who pays, who decides, and the practical effects\n\n- Who pays: aircraft operators bear the direct costs — inspection labour, possible repairs, parts, and any aircraft downtime. Maintenance organisations will perform the work under the manufacturer procedure.\n- Who decides: the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) issued the AD; the specific technical steps are those set out in the Agusta technical bulletin, so the manufacturer procedure governs how compliance is delivered.\n- Behaviour changes: operators must prioritise these inspections within a short timeframe, potentially re‑scheduling flights to accommodate checks/repairs. Maintenance shops must source any required parts or perform repair actions specified by the manufacturer.\n\n**Cross‑references and source documents\n\n- The AD mandates compliance with Agusta Technical Bulletin No. 206-239 (7 Sep 2005). The AD also notes a corresponding Italian authority AD (ENAC AD 2005-406).\n\n**Implementation notes, trade‑offs and risks (analytical lens)\n\n- Concentrated benefits vs concentrated costs: the safety benefit directly protects operators and their passengers/crew on affected helicopters; the compliance cost is also concentrated on those same operators.\n- Compliance burden and opportunity cost: the 50‑flight‑hour / short calendar deadline imposes operational disruption risk (aircraft downtime and rescheduling) and a short lead time to obtain parts or specialist maintenance if needed.\n- Reliance on an external document: the AD delegates the technical method to a manufacturer technical bulletin. That reduces duplication but creates an implementation dependency — if the bulletin is technical, costly, or requires unavailable parts, operators face practical hurdles.\n- Ambiguity risk: the exclusion list ends with \"and subsequent serial numbers,\" which could create uncertainty about whether blades manufactured after the last listed serial are excluded or included. That ambiguity can increase administrative burden (confirming serial status) and risk of misapplication.\n- Enforcement and discretion: the AD creates a mandatory inspection/repair obligation enforced through aviation safety regulation; discretion over exact repair/acceptability rests with the manufacturer procedure and maintenance approval holders.\n\nNote: the above summary describes the AD's mechanical effects and the regulator/manufacturer stated rationale. It does not evaluate the policy merits beyond identifying likely costs, dependencies and practical trade‑offs."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-bell-206-162-main-rotor-blade-grip-plate-tang","history":"/api/acts/ad-bell-206-162-main-rotor-blade-grip-plate-tang/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-bell-206-162-main-rotor-blade-grip-plate-tang/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-bell-206-162-main-rotor-blade-grip-plate-tang/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-bell-206-162-main-rotor-blade-grip-plate-tang/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-bell-206-162-main-rotor-blade-grip-plate-tang/documents"}}