FAA Issues AD on 222, 230 and 430

Effective Oct. 16, 2008, FAA Airworthiness Directive AD 2008-19-02, regarding Bell model 222, 222B, 222U, 230 and 430 helicopters, will require repetitive inspections of the main rotor hydraulic actuator supports to verify the presence of all dowel pins and sealant between the support and transmission, and to also verify the proper torque of each attaching nut.  This AD, which supersedes EAD 2001-01-51, the directive that requires a one-time inspection of those parts, calls for the same inspection to be repeated no more than 600 hrs time-in-service, or 12 mos, whichever comes first.  This adjustment in the directive comes in response to the failure of a support aboard a  model 222U, which revealed shear pins and retaining studs that had been damaged or pulled out of the junction between the support and transmission case. For related news