Date: 202104
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: EC135
Operator: Corporate
Operating under: Part 135
Mission: Ambulance
Flight phase: Parked
Reporter organization: Corporate
Reporter function: Single Pilot
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument
Human factors: Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
Detector: Person Flight Crew; Person Maintenance
When detected: Pre-flight
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Company Policy; Manuals; Software and Automation
Primary problem: Manuals

Narrative: During an aircraft inspection; mechanics discovered that there were three Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM) revisions that had not been inserted into the aircraft RFM. It was further discovered that two of the missing revisions should have been put into the aircraft prior to our base receiving this aircraft. This aircraft was put into service at our base on Month X; 2020 so the RFM was not current for us since that date. The Pilot in Command (PIC) is responsible to ensure that a current RFM is on board the aircraft so all four PIC's did not do that when we received the aircraft and the aircraft was flown for almost 7 months. When we did discover that the revisions were missing; we were able to get the revisions emailed to us from an Airbus Tech Representative and they have since been inserted into the aircraft. After doing some research on why these revisions were not inserted; I feel there are larger issues that contributed to this. Pilots used to have access to software so the RFM revision status could be checked. We no longer have access to [the] software to the best of my knowledge.  Base mechanics used to have access to it so they could determine revision status and make insertions when it came up as a part of their inspections. They no longer have access to the best of my knowledge.  Are revisions available on TIPI (Technical Information Publication on Internet)?  Do base pilots and/or mechanics have access to TIPI. Should TIPI be covered more thoroughly in ground school?  I do not believe that the newer pilots to our base know what TIPI is.  When we received this aircraft in Month 2020; there was no address update for the new aircraft location made to Company or Airbus. I do not know who is responsible to make this address change. That address update request has now been made.  When I have done revision updates in the past for other aircraft; the revisions were always mailed to the base and inserted. Without the correct address update; we did not receive revisions in the mail.  Where were the revisions mailed prior to our base receiving the aircraft?  Were they mailed to another base where the aircraft was located. Was there an attempt made to make the insertions then and/or forward the revisions to our base?




Synopsis: An Air Ambulance Helicopter pilot reported that their helicopters have been flying without current revisions to the Rotorcraft Flight Manual which had not been received by the company. The reporter stated  revisions used to be available through software tools which are no longer available to pilots or maintenance technicians.