Service difficulty report · Spring · Bell 429

Difficulty date
January 21, 2016
Submitted
April 22, 2016
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Bell 429
Engine
Pwc PW207D
Part
Spring
Part number
429310201105
Condition
Debonded
Location
Pitch Restraint
Part time
12 hours
Stage of operation
NR
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
E
Precautionary procedure
A

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

(CAN) PILOT REPORTED A VIBRATION, ABNORMAL AND "SHIFTING" FELT IN HOVER AND DURING FLIGHT. A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING WAS CARRIED OUT. PILOTS OBSERVED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS RESTING ON "PIN BACK-UP MOUNTS". AN AME WAS DISPATCHED TO INSPECT THE ACFT, A FLIGHT TEST WAS CARRIED OUT TO CONFIRM THE MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION RESTRAINT CONDITION AND THE ACFT WAS ALLOWED TO RETURN TO BASE WITH A SPEED RESTRICTION OF 80 KNOTS VNE. DEBONDING BETWEEN INNER MEMBER AND OUTER MEMBER OF ASSY. THE PITCH RESTRAINT SPRING ASSY DID HAVE AN ASB 429-13-10 ON 29 APRIL 2013 ON A LIMITED QTY OF UNITS THAT WERE MFG WITH INADEQUATE ADHESIVE MIX RATIO BETWEEN THE TUBE AND THE HOUSING. THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE A BOND LINE SEPERATION.

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