Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters (Type Certificate Previously Held by Eurocopter France) Helicopters

FAA / Federal Register · 2021-03665

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2010-16-51, which applies to certain Eurocopter France (now Airbus Helicopters (Airbus)) Model SA330J helicopters. AD 2010-16-51 requires inspecting for a gap between the main gearbox (MGB) oil cooling fan assembly (fan) rotor blade and the upper section of the guide vane bearing housing and depending on the results, replacing the two fan rotor shaft bearings with two airworthy bearings. Since the FAA issued AD 2010-16-51, Airbus has developed an improved MGB fan rotor shaft bearing design. This proposed AD would retain the inspection required by AD 2010-16-51, and propose installing improved MGB fan rotor shaft bearings and repetitively inspecting the new improved MGB fan rotor shaft bearings, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.