AD Issued for Bell 205 Tailboom Attachment Cap Angles

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2000-18-09, which required repetitive 100-hour time-in-service (TIS) inspections of the upper left-hand cap angle (cap angle) for cracks on certain Bell Textron Model 412 helicopters. 

Since the FAA issued the original AD, Bell Textron has received additional reports of fractured cap angles which were found during routine and 100-hour TIS inspections. Further investigation revealed the 100-hour TIS interval is not adequate to detect cracks before fracture of a cap angle could occur. 

The superseding AD, in-line with applicable Bell Textron Alert Service Bulletins (ASB), reduces the inspection interval to 25 hours TIS. It also expands applicability to Model 212, 205A, 205A-1 and 205B helicopters. 

You can view AD 2024-16-01 here. 

Bell Textron subsequently issued a similar ASB for Model UH-1H helicopters in June of this year which has not yet been incorporated into an AD by FAA.