Summary
The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2022-20-11, which applies to certain Bell Textron Canada Limited Model 429 helicopters. AD 2022-20-11 requires visually inspecting the external surface of the tail rotor (TR) gearbox support assembly, borescope inspecting or visually inspecting the inside of the tail boom, and performing a tactile inspection. Depending on the results of the inspections, AD 2022-20-11 requires removing certain rivets from service or repairing gaps in accordance with an approved method. Since the FAA issued AD 2022-20-11, the manufacturer determined the repetitive inspection interval needs to be reduced. This proposed AD would require the same actions as AD 2022-20-11 and would reduce the inspection interval. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.