Commonwealth legislation

AD/ECUREUIL/81 - Main Gearbox Cowling Seals

In ForceCTH

Jurisdiction

Commonwealth

Collection

legislative instrument

Plain English Summary

2/10 complexity

Requires owners/operators of Eurocopter AS350 (B, B1, B2, B3, BA, BB and D) helicopters delivered before 1 July 2002 to replace neoprene main-gearbox-cowling seals with glass/silicone seals, following Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin 53.00.31, by 31 May 2003 (Applicability; Requirement; Compliance). CASA issued the AD under its regulatory power because neoprene seals do not meet fire‑resistance certification (Background).

Costs fall to aircraft owners (parts and labour); compliance requires following the manufacturer service bulletin and scheduling maintenance before the deadline, with implementation risk limited mainly to parts availability and maintenance capacity.

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Current sections

Direct links to the current provisions in AD/ECUREUIL/81 - Main Gearbox Cowling Seals.

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

View image in the official source

View image in the official source
For 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.

Eurocopter AS 350 (Ecureuil) Series Helicopters

AD/ECUREUIL/81 Main Gearbox Cowling Seal

AD/ECUREUIL/81 Main Gearbox Cowling Seals 1/2003

Applicability: Model AS 350 helicopters versions B, B1, B2, B3, BA, BB, and D, delivered before July 1 2002.

Requirement: Replace the neoprene seals on the main gearbox cowlings with glass/silicone seals in accordance with Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin 53.00.31.

Note: DGAC AD 2002-537-094(A) refers.

Compliance: Unless previously accomplished, prior to 31 May 2003.

This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 23 January 2003.

Background: The neoprene seals currently installed on the main gearbox cowling do not meet certification criteria regarding fire resistance.

Signature of James Coyne, Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

James Coyne

Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 27 November 2002

View image in the official source

The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 18 December 2002.

Source text

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

For 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.

Eurocopter AS 350 (Ecureuil) Series Helicopters

AD/ECUREUIL/81 Main Gearbox Cowling Seal AD/ECUREUIL/81 Main Gearbox Cowling Seals 1/2003

AD/ECUREUIL/81 Main Gearbox Cowling Seals 1/2003

Applicability: Model AS 350 helicopters versions B, B1, B2, B3, BA, BB, and D, delivered before July 1 2002.

Requirement: Replace the neoprene seals on the main gearbox cowlings with glass/silicone seals in accordance with Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin 53.00.31.

Note: DGAC AD 2002-537-094(A) refers.

Compliance: Unless previously accomplished, prior to 31 May 2003.

This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 23 January 2003.

Background: The neoprene seals currently installed on the main gearbox cowling do not meet certification criteria regarding fire resistance.

James Coyne

Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 27 November 2002

The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 18 December 2002.