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Airworthiness Directive 2003-04-05

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Official AD 2003-04-05 · FR doc 03-3773 · 2003-02-19 · airframe

Airworthiness Directives; Robinson Helicopter Company Model R44 Helicopters

What this AD requires

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC) Model R44 helicopters that requires inspecting the tail rotor pitch control assembly for roughness or binding of the pitch control bearings (bearings) by hand-rotating the pitch control bearing housing (housing). If the housing does not rotate freely, the AD requires replacing the unairworthy pitch control assembly with an airworthy unit. This amendment is prompted by reports of failure of the tail rotor pitch control assembly due to improperly lubricated bearings on the RHC Model R22 helicopters. Although there have been no reported failures on the RHC Model R44 helicopters, the design of the tail rotor pitch control assembly makes it susceptible to the same failures as have occurred on the Model R22 helicopters. The actions specified by this AD are intended to detect corrosion of the bearings and to prevent bearing failure and subsequent loss of directional control of the helicopter.

Which aircraft AD 2003-04-05 applies to

MakesRobinson

Repetitive inspection (within 20 hrs TIS, then every 300 hrs TIS/12 months) of the tail rotor pitch control assembly by hand-rotating the pitch control bearing housing for roughness/binding, per Robinson Helicopter Company Service Bulletin SB-43A Rev A; replace unairworthy pitch control assembly before further flight if housing does not rotate freely. Specific model/serial applicability not captured in this text slice.

Whether AD 2003-04-05 actually applies to your aircraft (by serial and installed parts) and whether it’s already complied with comes from that aircraft’s records.

How AD compliance is recorded

A valid compliance record (14 CFR 43.9) states:

Method of compliance — The specific action taken (inspected, replaced, modified) and to what revision.
Date — When the work was done.
Aircraft time — Total time in service / tach at compliance — how recurring next-due is computed.
Signature & certificate — The A&P/IA who returned it to service, with certificate number.
Is AD 2003-04-05 complied with on your aircraft?

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.