{"id":"F2006B04697","name":"AD/BELL 47/69 Amdt 1 - Tail Rotor Control Pedal Assembly Interference Bracket","slug":"ad-bell-47-69-amdt-1-tail-rotor-control-pedal-assembly-interference-bracket","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":44461,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B04697-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/BELL 47/69 Amdt 1 - Tail Rotor Control Pedal Assembly Interference Bracket","content":"![](image.001.png)\n\n![](image.001.png)  \nAIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE\n\nOn the effective date specified below, and for the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below revokes Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/BELL 47/69 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.1 (1) of CASR 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\n![](image.001.png)\n\nBell Helicopter Textron 47 (All Variants) Series Helicopters\n\nAD/BELL 47/69\n\nAmdt 1\n\n  \n\nTail Rotor Control Pedal Assembly Interference Bracket\n\n  \n10/2004\n\nApplicability: All model 47G series.\n\nRequirement: 1. Verify interference (stop) brackets P/N 47-622-165-1 are correctly installed under pilot’s and co-pilot’s inboard footrest. (See figure 1).\n\n2. Correctly install interference (stop) brackets P/N 47-622-165-1 where these brackets are not installed, or incorrectly installed.\n\nNote: The bracket prevents fitment of incorrectly assembled dual control tail rotor pedals.\n\n![](image.002.jpeg)  \n\nFigure 1\n\nBell Helicopter Textron 47 (All Variants) Series Helicopters\n\nAD/BELL 47/69 Amdt 1 (continued)\n\nCompliance: For requirement 1, unless previously accomplished, within 10 flight hours after the effective date of this Directive and thereafter, at intervals not to exceed 12 months.\n\nFor requirement 2, before further flight.\n\nThis Amendment becomes effective on 30 September 2004.\n\nBackground: This AD was initially issued in October 1971 in response to a fatal accident, which was attributed to incorrectly installed dual tail rotor control pedals. The installation of interference (stop) brackets would have facilitated the correct installation of dual controls.\n\nAmendment 1 was issued in response to recent field reports of missing brackets, and incorrectly installed dual tail rotor control pedals.\n\n![](image.003.png)  \n\nNeville Probert\n\nDelegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 19 August 2004\n\n![](image.001.png)  \n\nThe above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 8 September 2004.","sortOrder":0}],"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":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This amendment maintains the original scope of the 1971 directive. It updates the compliance timeframe and inspection intervals based on new field reports, but does not expand the applicability to new aircraft types or introduce new categories of requirements beyond the original safety purpose of ensuring correct tail rotor pedal installation."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (under 500 words)","Only 2 substantive requirements with clear, sequential numbering","Single applicability criterion (all model 47G series)","Minimal defined terms (only standard aviation abbreviations like P/N for 'part number')","Simple compliance structure with two distinct deadlines","No cross-references to other legislation or regulations beyond a single citation to CASR 1998 subregulation 39.1(1)","Background narrative is straightforward historical context rather than legal reasoning"],"plain_english_summary":"This Airworthiness Directive requires owners/operators of Bell 47G helicopters to inspect and, if missing, install a small interference/stop bracket under the pilot and co‑pilot footrests that prevents incorrect dual tail‑rotor pedal assembly. The bracket addresses a fatal 1971 control loss; reports of missing or misfitted brackets in 2004 prompted this update. Inspections are due within 10 flight hours, with annual rechecks, and missing brackets must be fitted before flight."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Amendment 1 does not expand the class of affected aircraft (still Bell 47G series) nor introduce new types of corrective action beyond verifying and installing the same interference bracket. Compared with the original 1971 AD (which addressed the hazard by recommending the bracket), this Amendment makes the verification and periodic inspection explicit and mandatory and requires immediate installation if the bracket is missing or incorrect. That is a tightening/clarification of enforcement and recurring inspection rather than a substantial change in the AD’s original safety scope."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-page Airworthiness Directive","Only 2 operative requirements (Requirement 1 and Requirement 2)","One specific part number referenced (P/N 47-622-165-1)","Simple compliance timings: initial check within 10 flight hours, recurring every 12 months, and immediate installation before further flight","Includes a single figure for location/installation guidance","No nested exceptions or multiple cross-references (only procedural citation to CASR subreg 39.1(1) in the preamble)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanically)**\n\n- Applies to: All Bell Helicopter Textron Model 47G series helicopters.\n- Requires two actions (Requirement 1 and Requirement 2):\n  - Requirement 1: Verify that the interference (stop) brackets, part number P/N 47-622-165-1, are correctly installed under the pilot’s and co‑pilot’s inboard footrest (see figure 1).\n  - Requirement 2: If those brackets are missing or incorrectly installed, install them correctly (bracket P/N 47-622-165-1).\n- Compliance timing (Compliance section):\n  - For the verification in Requirement 1: do it within 10 flight hours after the Directive becomes effective (unless already done), and repeat at intervals not exceeding 12 months.\n  - For installations required by Requirement 2: install the bracket before the next flight (i.e. before further flight).\n- Effective date: the Amendment took effect on 30 September 2004.\n\n**Why the rule exists (stated purpose and immediate effect)**\n\n- The background states the original AD (issued in 1971) responded to a fatal accident attributed to incorrectly installed dual tail rotor control pedals. The interference bracket was identified as a part that would help prevent incorrect assembly of dual controls.\n- This Amendment 1 responds to more recent field reports that brackets were missing or that dual tail rotor pedals had been incorrectly assembled. The Amendment makes verification and correction mandatory and adds a recurring inspection interval.\n\n**Who is affected and who pays**\n\n- Primary duty-holders: owners/operators of Bell 47G helicopters and the maintenance organisations or engineers who service them.\n- Who pays: the aircraft owner/operator pays for inspection labour and, if required, the purchase and fitment of bracket P/N 47-622-165-1. If installation is required, the aircraft will not operate until the bracket is fitted (requirement: before further flight).\n\n**How it changes behaviour and decisions**\n\n- Operators must include a check for the specified bracket in maintenance/check routines at the stated intervals (initial check within 10 flight hours, then annually).\n- Maintenance organisations must fit the specified bracket correctly when absent or incorrectly installed, and keep the aircraft grounded until fitment is completed.\n- The AD revokes the earlier AD/BELL 47/69 and issues this amended requirement under CASR (procedural basis), making these actions mandatory regulatory requirements.\n\n**Practical implementation points and risks**\n\n- The AD specifies a single part number (P/N 47-622-165-1) and points to a figure for correct location — so the technical requirement is narrowly defined.\n- Implementation risks and friction include parts availability, the need for a maintenance slot (labour cost), and potential temporary grounding of aircraft requiring immediate correction.\n- Compliance imposes an ongoing (annual) inspection obligation, which is a small recurring administrative and labour cost for operators.\n\n**Trade-offs, incentives and distribution of costs/benefits**\n\n- Stated benefit: reducing the risk of incorrect assembly of dual tail rotor controls, addressing a hazard that has been linked to a fatal accident historically.\n- Costs are direct and concentrated on aircraft owners/operators (parts and labour). Benefits are safety gains that accrue to pilots, passengers, and the public — a more diffuse beneficiary group.\n- Maintenance providers may gain a small amount of business from installations and inspections. Operators face opportunity costs from maintenance time and possible flight delays.\n\n**Where to look in the AD for specifics**\n\n- Requirement 1 and Requirement 2 specify what to check and what to fix.\n- The Compliance paragraph sets the timing (10 flight hours initial check; repeat every 12 months; install before further flight if missing).\n- The Background paragraph explains the historical accident and the reason for the Amendment (field reports of missing/incorrect brackets).\n\n(Notes: this summary states what the Directive requires and identifies the operational and economic mechanisms it creates. It does not assess the technical adequacy of the bracket design or substitute for maintenance instructions in the helicopter manufacturer’s documentation.)"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-bell-47-69-amdt-1-tail-rotor-control-pedal-assembly-interference-bracket","history":"/api/acts/ad-bell-47-69-amdt-1-tail-rotor-control-pedal-assembly-interference-bracket/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-bell-47-69-amdt-1-tail-rotor-control-pedal-assembly-interference-bracket/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-bell-47-69-amdt-1-tail-rotor-control-pedal-assembly-interference-bracket/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-bell-47-69-amdt-1-tail-rotor-control-pedal-assembly-interference-bracket/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-bell-47-69-amdt-1-tail-rotor-control-pedal-assembly-interference-bracket/documents"}}