# AD 2020-12-09: Tail rotor blade - Type: Airworthiness directive - Status: Current - Products: Airbus Helicopters EC130B4 and EC130T2 - Effective: July 28, 2020 - Published: June 23, 2020, 85 FR 37549–37551 - Issued: June 4, 2020 - Issued as: Final rule - Superseded by: Nothing supersedes this AD - Product type: Aircraft, Rotorcraft - ATA chapter: 64 · Tail rotor - Amendment: 39-21144 - Docket: FAA-2020-0238 (https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FAA-2020-0238) - Registered aircraft: 308 may be affected, by airframe or engine model (OpenAirDocs) - Official PDF: https://openairdocs.org/files/sha256/d4/5b/d45b4323ff44a600aedf517733ba9c39262fe84b9c882883ff516ed84065ed22 (from https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-06-23/pdf/2020-13404.pdf) - Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/06/23/2020-13404/airworthiness-directives-airbus-helicopters - FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/D710E3FC09A75275862585900056414F.0001 - DRS record last changed: November 21, 2025 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ad/2020-12-09 ## Summary The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Helicopters Model EC130B4 and EC130T2 helicopters. This AD was prompted by a report that a changed manufacturing process for the tail rotor blades (TRB) was implemented, affecting the structural characteristics of the blades and generating a new part number for these blades. This AD requires re-identifying each affected TRB having a certain part number and serial number and establishing a life limit for the new part numbers. This AD also prohibits installation of any affected TRB identified with the old part number on any helicopter. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. ## The airworthiness directive 1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows: 2. The FAA amends § 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness directive (AD): 2020-12-09 Airbus Helicopters: Amendment 39-21144; Docket No. FAA-2020-0238; Product Identifier 2018-SW-072-AD. ### (a) Effective Date This AD is July 28, 2020. ### (b) Affected ADs None. ### (c) Applicability This AD applies to all Airbus Helicopters Model EC130B4 and EC130T2 helicopters, certificated in any category. ### (d) Subject Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) Code 6410, Tail rotor blade. ### (e) Reason This AD was prompted by a report that a new manufacturing process for the tail rotor blades (TRBs) has been implemented, affecting the structural characteristics of the TRB and generating a new part number (P/N) for these blades. It was determined that a new life limit is needed for the new P/N TRBs. The FAA is issuing this AD to ensure the new P/N TRBs do not exceed their life limit, which could lead to loss of the TRB and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. ### (f) Compliance Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, unless already done. ### (g) Definition of an Affected Part for the Re-identification and Validation of Rework/Repair/Modification An “affected part” is a TRB having P/N 350A333002.02 and a serial number specified in Appendix 4.A. of Airbus Helicopters Alert Service Bulletin EC130-04A007, Revision 0, dated July 18, 2018 (“ASB EC130-04A007”). ### (h) Part Replacement (Life Limit Implementation) Before exceeding 10,000 hours time-in-service (TIS) since first installation on a helicopter: Remove from service each TRB having P/N 350A333002.04. ### (i) Part Re-Identification and Validation of Rework/Repair/Modification (1) Within 1,200 hours TIS after the effective date of this AD: Re-identify each affected part, in accordance with 3.B. of the Accomplishment Instructions of Airbus Helicopters ASB EC130-04A007. (2) For each affected part which has been subject to rework, repair, or modification before the re-identification, as required by paragraph (i)(1) of this AD, within 6 months after the effective date of this AD, contact the Manager, Rotorcraft Standards Branch, FAA, for additional applicable maintenance instructions and, within the compliance time identified in those instructions, accomplish those instructions accordingly. ### (j) Parts Installation Prohibition and Rework/Repair/Modification Limitation (1) As of the effective date of this AD, no person may install a TRB having P/N 350A333002.02 and a serial number specified in Appendix 4.A. of ASB EC130-04A007 on any helicopter. (2) As of the effective date of this AD, no person may accomplish any rework, repair, or modification of an affected part, unless it has been determined that the rework, repair, or modification is FAA-approved for P/N 350A333002.04. ### (k) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs) (1) The Manager, Rotorcraft Standards Branch, FAA, may approve AMOCs for this AD. Send your proposal to: Kristi Bradley, Aviation Safety Engineer, Safety Management Section, Rotorcraft Standards Branch, FAA, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone 817-222-5485; email 9-ASW-FTW-AMOC-Requests@faa.gov. (2) For operations conducted under a 14 CFR part 119 operating certificate or under 14 CFR part 91, subpart K, notify your principal inspector or lacking a principal inspector, the manager of the local flight standards district office or certificate holding district office, before operating any aircraft complying with this AD through an AMOC. ### (l) Related Information (1) The subject of this AD is addressed in European Aviation Safety Agency (now European Union Aviation Safety Agency) (EASA) AD 2018-0182, dated August 28, 2018. This EASA AD may be found in the AD docket on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2020-0238. (2) For more information about this AD, contact Kristi Bradley, Aviation Safety Engineer, Safety Management Section, Rotorcraft Standards Branch, FAA, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone 817-222-5485; email Kristin.Bradley@faa.gov. ### (m) Material Incorporated by Reference (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference (IBR) of the service information listed in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. (2) You must use this service information as applicable to do the actions required by this AD, unless this AD specifies otherwise. (i) Airbus Helicopters Alert Service Bulletin EC130-04A007, Revision 0, dated July 18, 2018. (ii) [Reserved] (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact Airbus Helicopters, 2701 N. Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75052; telephone 972-641-0000 or 800-232-0323; fax 972-641-3775; or at https://www.airbus.com/helicopters/services/technical-support.html. (4) You may view this service information at the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Room 6N-321, Fort Worth, TX 76177. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 817-222-5110. (5) You may view this service information that is incorporated by reference at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, email fedreg.legal@nara.gov, or go to: https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html. ## Rule preamble ### Dates This AD is effective July 28, 2020. The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of July 28, 2020. ### Addresses For service information identified in this final rule, contact Airbus Helicopters, 2701 N. Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75052; telephone 972-641-0000 or 800-232-0323; fax 972-641-3775; or at https://www.airbus.com/helicopters/services/technical-support.html. You may view this service information at the FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Room 6N-321, Fort Worth, TX 76177. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 817-222-5110. It is also available on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2020-0238. ### For further information contact Kristi Bradley, Aviation Safety Engineer, Safety Management Section, Rotorcraft Standards Branch, FAA, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone 817-222-5485; email Kristin.Bradley@faa.gov. ### Discussion The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to all Airbus Helicopters Model EC130B4 and EC130T2 helicopters. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on March 11, 2020 (85 FR 14180). The NPRM was prompted by a report that a changed manufacturing process for the TRB was implemented, affecting the structural characteristics of the blades and generating a new part number for these blades. The NPRM proposed to require re-identifying each affected TRB having a certain part number and serial number and establishing a life limit for the new part numbers. The NPRM also proposed to prohibit installation of any affected TRB identified with the old part number on any helicopter. The FAA is issuing this AD to ensure the new part number (P/N) TRBs do not exceed their life limit, which could lead to loss of the TRB and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. The European Aviation Safety Agency (now European Union Aviation Safety Agency) (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued EASA AD 2018-0182, dated August 28, 2018 (referred to after this as “the MCAI”), to correct an unsafe condition for all Airbus Helicopters Model EC130B4 and EC130T2 helicopters. You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2020-0238. ### Comments The FAA gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing this final rule. The FAA received no comments on the NPRM or on the determination of the cost to the public. ### Conclusion The FAA reviewed the relevant data and determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting this final rule as proposed, except for minor editorial changes. The FAA has determined that these minor changes: • Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the NPRM for addressing the unsafe condition; and • Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was already proposed in the NPRM. ### Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51 Airbus Helicopters has issued Alert Service Bulletin EC130-04A007, Revision 0, dated July 18, 2018 (“ASB EC130-04A007”). This service information describes procedures for re-identifying a TRB with P/N 350A333002.02 for certain serial numbers, as specified in ASB EC130-04A007. This service information is reasonably available because the interested parties have access to it through their normal course of business or by the means identified in the ADDRESSES section. ### Difference Between This Proposed AD and the MCAI or Service Information EASA AD 2018-0182 specifies to replace TRBs having P/N 350A333002.05. However, this part number is not installed on in-service helicopters and is not addressed in Airbus Helicopters ASB EC130-04A007. Therefore, this AD does not require replacing TRBs having P/N 350A333002.05. ### Costs of Compliance The FAA estimates that this AD affects 253 helicopters of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD: *Estimated Costs for Required Actions** | Labor cost | Parts cost | Cost per product | Cost on U.S. operators | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 work-hour × $85 per hour = $85 | $0 ** | $85 | $21,505 * | ### Authority for This Rulemaking Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII: Aviation Programs, describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's authority. The FAA is issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: General requirements. Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing regulations for practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator finds necessary for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within the scope of that authority because it addresses an unsafe condition that is likely to exist or develop on products identified in this rulemaking action. ### Regulatory Findings This AD will not have federalism implications under Executive Order 13132. This AD will not have a substantial direct effect on the States, on the relationship between the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government. For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this AD: (1) Is not a “significant regulatory action” under Executive Order 12866, (2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and (3) Will not have a significant economic impact, positive or negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. ### Adoption of the Amendment Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows: ## Affected data sheets (1) (OpenAirDocs) The type certificate data sheets whose models the AD names. - [TCDS H9EU](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/H9EU): Airbus Helicopters; names 2 of 10 models: EC130B4, EC130T2 ## 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: 308 (308 by airframe model, 0 by engine model) - Makers: Eurocopter 176, Airbus Helicopters 126, Eurocopter France 6 Models with the most aircraft: - [Eurocopter EC 130 B4](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-ec-130-b4): 154 aircraft (airframe model) - [Airbus Helicopters EC 130 T2](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-helicopters-ec-130-t2): 124 aircraft (airframe model) - [Eurocopter EC 130 T2](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-ec-130-t2): 22 aircraft (airframe model) - [Eurocopter France EC 130 B4](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-france-ec-130-b4): 6 aircraft (airframe model) - [Airbus Helicopters EC 130B4](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-helicopters-ec-130b4): 2 aircraft (airframe model) All 5 models: https://openairdocs.org/ad/2020-12-09/models.md Every aircraft: https://openairdocs.org/ad/2020-12-09/aircraft.md ## Related documents - [Proposed rule FAA-2020-0238](https://openairdocs.org/proposed/FAA-2020-0238): Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), published Mar 11, 2020 Its text cites no advisory circulars or STCs. --- 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.