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Airworthiness Directive 2003-05-03

recurring
Official AD 2003-05-03 · FR doc 03-5576 · 2003-03-13 · airframe

Airworthiness Directives; Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Model 407 Helicopters

What this AD requires

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (Bell) model helicopters that requires preflight checking and repetitively inspecting for a crack in certain tailbooms that have not been redesigned and replacing the tailboom if a crack is found; modifying and re-identifying certain tailbooms and installing an improved horizontal stabilizer assembly; and assigning a 5,000 hour time-in-service (TIS) life limit. This amendment is prompted by cracking discovered in other areas of certain tailbooms and introduction of a redesigned tailboom with a chemically milled skin, which does not require the current inspections. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent separation of the tailboom and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

Repetitive inspection. Re-inspect. The next-due date/hours depend on this aircraft’s time in service — a records report computes it from the logbooks.

Which aircraft AD 2003-05-03 applies to

MakesBell
Models407
Part-conditional — 407-030-801-101, 407-030-801-105.

Model identified via the tailboom part-number prefix 407 and Bell ASB 407-01-048/407-99-26 numbering; explicit 'Model 407' text not present in the extracted excerpt. Prevents tailboom separation: daily preflight visual crack check (unmodified tailboom P/N 407-030-801-101/-105); 10x-magnifier inspection every 50 hours TIS after 600 hours TIS per ASB 407-99-26 Rev C; modify/re-identify tailboom within 600 hours TIS.

Whether AD 2003-05-03 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 2003-05-03 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.