Service difficulty report · Blade · Bell 206L1

Difficulty date
April 11, 2017
Submitted
July 25, 2018
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N57441
Make and model
Bell 206L1
Aircraft serial
45438
Engine
Allsn 250C30P
Part
Blade
Part number
2062200301
Condition
Damaged
Location
Tail Rotor
Component
Tail Rotor · Bell
Stage of operation
IN
How discovered
V
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
K

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

What was found

TAIL ROTOR BLADE HAS A TOTAL TIME 1821.3 HOURS, UPON AN INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT TAIL ROTOR BLADE PN 2062200-301, SN 777 SHOWED SIGNS OF DEBONDING AND CRACKS DURING VISUAL INSPECTION. BLADE WAS REMOVED FROM HUB ASSEMBLY AND SENT MANUFACTURE FOR EVALUATION ON 11/28/2017. MANUFACTURE IN TURN CONDEMNED THE BLADE AS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE WAS PREVIOUSLY SENT TO MANUFACTURE ON 2/20/17 WITH A TOTAL TIME OF 1011.3 FOR INSPECTION/EVALUATION AND REFINISHING WITH NO KNOWN ABNORMALITIES NOTED. AFTER RECEIVING THE ABOVE MENTIONED BLADE WE DECIDED TO SEND IT FOR FURTHER EVALUATION AND TESTING AND REVEALED THE FOLLOWING, DEBONDED AREAS ON OUTER 1/3 PORTION OF BLADE, VOIDS IN COMPOSITE MATERIAL STRUCTURE/MAKEUP, SPIDER CONVERGING FRACTURES. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE WHITE PAINT IS ON TOP OF THE SPIDER CRACKING INDICATING THAT THE CRACKING WAS THERE PRIOR TO THE LAST PAINT AND RESURFACING OF BLADE ON 2/20/2017. IN ANOTHER INTERESTING NOTE IS, RECEIVED 2 OTHER TAIL ROTOR BLADES FROM ANOTHER OPERATOR. THE BLADES ARE THE SAME PN AND THE BLADE SERIAL NUMBERS ARE C854 & C855. THESE BLADES HAVE A TOTAL TIME OF ONLY 443.8 HOUR, THESE BLADES ARE DEBONDING AND DELAMINATING IN THE SAME AREAS AS OUR BLADES. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED INVESTIGATION AND FAILURE ANALYSIS AS WELL AS A COPY OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE HISTORICAL RECORD.

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