# AD 2003-08-51: Tail rotor blade pitch horn (pitch horn) - Type: Emergency airworthiness directive - Status: Historical - Products: MD Helicopter 369A, 369D, 369E, 369F, 369FF, 369H, 369HE, 369HM and 369HS - Effective: July 17, 2003 - Published: July 2, 2003, 68 FR 39449–39452 - Issued: April 15, 2003 - Issued as: Final rule; request for comments - Superseded by: [AD 2013-19-24](https://openairdocs.org/ad/2013-19-24) - Product type: Aircraft, Rotorcraft - Amendment: 39-13215 - Docket: 2003-SW-17-AD - Registered aircraft: 609 may be affected, by airframe or engine model (OpenAirDocs) - Official PDF: https://openairdocs.org/files/sha256/83/a0/83a091da4ee55efee1872de59d8069d2dc39344f32bedca321d3d22c968a8868 (from https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2003-07-02/pdf/03-16687.pdf) - Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2003/07/02/03-16687/airworthiness-directives-md-helicopters-inc-model-369a-d-e-h-he-hm-hs-f-and-ff-helicopters - FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/116C0ECBB43485DF86256D570056122D.0001 - DRS record last changed: August 7, 2025 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ad/2003-08-51 ## Summary This document corrects Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2003-08-51 for the specified MD Helicopters, Inc. helicopters that was published in the Federal Register on July 2, 2003 (68 FR 39449). The AD contains an incorrect part number (P/N). In all other respects, the original document remains the same. ## The airworthiness directive Accordingly, the publication on July 2, 2003 of the final rule (AD 2003-08-51), which was the subject of FR Doc. 03-16687, is corrected as follows: On page 39451, in the second column, paragraph (c), the last part number, “500P3500-70,” in that paragraph is corrected to read “500P3500-701”. ## Rule preamble ### Dates Effective July 17, 2003, to all persons except those persons to whom it was made immediately effective by Emergency AD 2003-08-51, issued on April 15, 2003, which contained the requirements of this amendment. ### For further information contact Fred Guerin, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, Los Angeles Aircraft Certification Office, Airframe Branch, 3960 Paramount Blvd., Lakewood, California 90712, telephone (562) 627-5232, fax (562) 627-5210. ### SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The FAA issued a final rule AD 2003-08-51, on June 3, 2003 (68 FR 39449, July 2, 2003). The following correction is needed: The last P/N listed in paragraph (c) of the AD is incorrectly listed as 500P3500-70; the correct P/N is 500P3500-701. Therefore, the P/N needs correcting. Since no other part of the regulatory information has been revised, the final rule is not being republished. ## Affected data sheets (1) (OpenAirDocs) The type certificate data sheets whose models the AD names. - [TCDS H3WE](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/H3WE): MD Helicopters LLC; names 9 of 12 models: 369D, 369E, 369F, 369FF, 369HS, 369HM, 369HE, 369H… ## Registered aircraft it may apply to (OpenAirDocs) Matched by airframe and engine model; the AD's applicability may narrow it by serial number, part number or equipment. - Aircraft: 609 (609 by airframe model, 0 by engine model) - Makers: Hughes Helicopters 241, MD Helicopters 142, Hughes 118, Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 83, Mcdonnell Douglas Heli 17, Summa 5, Hughes/Batto John 1, Hughes/Helicopter Assocs 1, Mcdonnell Douglas Mdhs 1 Models with the most aircraft: - [Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-helicopters-hughes-369d): 207 aircraft (airframe model) - [MD Helicopters 369FF](https://openairdocs.org/model/md-helicopters-369ff): 94 aircraft (airframe model) - [Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E](https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-helicopter-369e): 83 aircraft (airframe model) - [Hughes 369HS](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-369hs): 69 aircraft (airframe model) - [MD Helicopters 369E](https://openairdocs.org/model/md-helicopters-369e): 42 aircraft (airframe model) - [Hughes 369A](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-369a): 32 aircraft (airframe model) - [Hughes Helicopters 369E](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-helicopters-369e): 29 aircraft (airframe model) - [Mcdonnell Douglas Heli 369FF](https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-heli-369ff): 17 aircraft (airframe model) - [Hughes 369A (OH-6A)](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-369a-oh-6a): 11 aircraft (airframe model) - [Hughes Helicopters 369FF](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-helicopters-369ff): 5 aircraft (airframe model) - [Summa 369D](https://openairdocs.org/model/summa-369d): 4 aircraft (airframe model) - [MD Helicopters 369HS](https://openairdocs.org/model/md-helicopters-369hs): 3 aircraft (airframe model) - [Hughes 369HE](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-369he): 3 aircraft (airframe model) - [MD Helicopters 369HM](https://openairdocs.org/model/md-helicopters-369hm): 2 aircraft (airframe model) - [Hughes 369F](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-369f): 2 aircraft (airframe model) - [Summa 369HS](https://openairdocs.org/model/summa-369hs): 1 aircraft (airframe model) - [MD Helicopters 369A](https://openairdocs.org/model/md-helicopters-369a): 1 aircraft (airframe model) - [Mcdonnell Douglas Mdhs 369E](https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-mdhs-369e): 1 aircraft (airframe model) - [Hughes/Helicopter Assocs 369A](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-helicopter-assocs-369a): 1 aircraft (airframe model) - [Hughes/Batto John 369A (OH-6A)](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-batto-john-369a-oh-6a): 1 aircraft (airframe model) All 23 models: https://openairdocs.org/ad/2003-08-51/models.md Every aircraft: https://openairdocs.org/ad/2003-08-51/aircraft.md ## Related documents - [AD 2013-19-24](https://openairdocs.org/ad/2013-19-24): Tail Rotor Blades · MD Helicopters 369A, 369D, 369E and 6 more. Effective Dec 5, 2013. Supersedes this AD No proposed rule in this release led to it. Its text cites no advisory circulars or STCs. ## NTSB investigations that cite this AD (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX05LA074](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA074), Jan 22, 2005: Mdhi 369E (N142MK), Pahoa, HI, substantial damage. Probable cause: the in-flight separation of the tail rotor blade abrasion strip due to a degraded adhesive bond and fatigue fracture of the metallic abrasion strip. The ultimate cause for the degraded bond is… --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.