AD/BELL 222/1 - Retirement Lives - Fatigue Critical Components - CANCELLED

What this document does

This officially cancels a previous safety rule (called an Airworthiness Directive or AD) that applied to Bell 222 helicopters. The cancelled rule previously required operators to retire certain fatigue-critical components (parts that wear out from repeated stress, like rotor blades or gearboxes) after specific flight hours or cycles.

Why it matters

The safety requirements haven't disappeared—they've just moved location. The helicopter manufacturer (Bell Helicopter) now includes these retirement schedules directly in the mandatory Maintenance Manual Airworthiness Limitations Schedule (a legally binding section of the aircraft's technical manual). This makes the separate government directive redundant.

Who is affected

Owners and operators of Bell 222 series helicopters.

Key takeaway

Instead of following this separate CASA directive, operators must now comply with the retirement lives specified in the helicopter's official maintenance manual. The safety standards remain identical; only the paperwork source has changed.