Airworthiness Directive 02-2422
one-timeAirworthiness Directives; Model HH-1K, TH-1F, TH-1L, UH-1A, UH-1B, UH-1E, UH-1F, UH-1H, UH-1L, UH-1P, and Southwest Florida Aviation Model SW204, SW204HP, SW205, and SW205A-1 Helicopters, Manufactured by Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. for the Armed Forces of the United States
What this AD requires
This amendment supersedes an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to Model HH-1K, TH-1F, TH-1L, UH-1A, UH-1B, UH-1E, UH-1F, UH-1H, UH-1L, UH-1P, and Southwest Florida Aviation Model SW204, SW204HP, SW205, and SW205A-1 helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. (BHTI) for the Armed Forces of the United States. That AD currently requires establishing retirement lives for certain main rotor masts, creating a component history card or equivalent record, and identifying and replacing any unairworthy masts. That AD also contains certain requirements regarding the hub spring, conducting inspections based on the retirement index number (RIN), and sending information to the FAA. This AD contains the same requirements but would establish a retirement life for the main rotor trunnion (trunnion) based on monitoring the number of torque events and flight hours rather than flight hours only as currently required. This AD also adds a note clarifying that the mast serial number (S/N) is defined by 5 or fewer digits plus various prefixes. This amendment is prompted by the determination that monitoring the number of torque events and flight hours for the trunnion is more accurate than by monitoring flight hours only to establish a retirement life. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent failure of a mast or trunnion, separation of the main rotor system, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
Which aircraft AD 02-2422 applies to
Applies to helicopters with the affected main rotor mast, P/N 204-011-450-007, -105, or -109 (next higher assembly 204-040-366) installed, to prevent failure of the mast or trunnion. Requires recalculating the Retirement Index Number (RIN) and hours time-in-service for the mast, removing masts at 265,000 RIN or 15,000 hours TIS, and removing any hub spring; also expands serial-number applicability for a one-time special inspection of the mast (S/N ≤ 52720, 61433-61444, or 61457-61465). References U.S. Army UH-1 Modification Work Order 55-1520-242-50-1 and Safety of Flight Message UH-1-00-10. The full aircraft model/serial applicability list ("preceding applicability provision") is not present in this excerpt.
Whether AD 02-2422 actually applies to your aircraft (by serial and installed parts) and whether it’s already complied with comes from that aircraft’s records.
Supersession
Supersedes AD 2000-22-51.
How AD compliance is recorded
A valid compliance record (14 CFR 43.9) states:
Tailplate reads a tail number’s logbooks and matches every applicable AD — including this one — to its compliance evidence, with recurring next-due dates computed.
Look up a tail number →Read the full directive (Federal Register)Applicability is derived from the FAA directive corpus and is advisory, not a legal airworthiness determination. Compliance is established only from an aircraft’s actual records.