Summary
This document proposes the supersedure of an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter France Model SA330F, G, and J helicopters. That AD requires inspecting the tail rotor blade (blade) skin for cracks and replacing, as necessary, the blade. This action would require skin bonding and eddy current inspections of the blade skin for cracks and would reference a more recent service bulletin (SB). This proposal is prompted by improved inspection methods and by the manufacturer revising the SB referenced in the current AD. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent fatigue cracking of a blade, failure of a blade, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.