Action
Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
Summary
We propose to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model AS350B, BA, B1, B2, B3, D, AS355E, F, F1, F2, and N helicopters. The existing AD requires inspecting to determine whether a cross-member is installed at station X 2165 and doublers at X 2325 and Y 269, and installing them if they are missing. Since we issued that AD, we discovered that the applicability of the AD should be limited to those helicopters with collective-to-yaw control coupling. We also sought to revise the inspection of the tail rotor control rigging to clarify the procedures. This proposed AD would retain the requirements in the existing AD with the mentioned clarifications but would supersede it to include only those helicopters with collective-to-yaw control coupling. The actions specified by this proposed AD are intended to prevent reduced yaw control and subsequent loss of helicopter control.