Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2006L03412:body:0
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2006L03412
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 0–2925

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE
On 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/ECUREUIL/78 Amdt 1 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.001(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.

Eurocopter AS 350 (Ecureuil) Series Helicopters
AD/ECUREUIL/78 Amdt 2  Sliding Door  11/2006

Applicability:  AS 350 helicopters, versions B, BA, BB, B1, B2, B3, and D, equipped with sliding doors; and without MOD 073287 and/or MOD 073290 or Eurocopter Service Bulletin No. 52.00.29 incorporated.
Requirement:       1. Check the diameter of the sliding door roller and the dimension of the front end opening of the middle rail, in accordance with paragraph 2.B.1 of Eurocopter
                   AS 350 Alert Service Bulletin No. 05.00.41 Revision 2.

                   2. As a result of the Requirement 1 check, action paragraph 2.B.2 of the Requirement document:

                     a. If criterion C1 is equal to or greater than 5mm, and criterion C2 is equal to or greater than 1.5mm, door operation in flight is allowed.

                     b. If criterion C1 is less than 5mm and/or criterion C2 is less than 1.5mm, door operation in flight is prohibited.  A placard specifying this restriction is to be affixed to the instrument panel of the helicopter.

                Note:  EASA AD 2006-0249 refers.
Compliance:     Before further flight after 3 July 2002; and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 100 flight hours.

                The initial compliance time remains unchanged by this issue of the Directive.
                This Amendment becomes effective on 26 October 2006.
Background:     The DGAC received a report of sliding door aft roller dislodgement in flight due to severe wear on the rail.  If this deficiency is evident and not corrected, loss of the sliding door could occur during flight.

                Amendment 1 converted the previous Alert Telex to an Alert Service Bulletin, with no change in technical content; but introduced an additional check criterion in order to prevent the risk of the aft guide roller coming out of the middle rail when the door is opened in flight.

   Amendment 2 is issued in response to a new EASA AD, which introduces a revision of the Requirement document, and limits applicability to unmodified aircraft.

David Villiers
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority

13 September 2006