Airworthiness Directive 2003-08-04
one-timeAirworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Model EC120B Helicopters
What this AD requires
This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified model Eurocopter France (ECF) helicopters that requires inspecting the attachment of the bolted assemblies of the cyclic pitch flight control torque tube (torque tube) for an appropriate locking device. If a bolted assembly is single-locked, the AD requires, if necessary, tightening the self-locking nuts at certain intervals and modifying the torque tube after a certain time. This amendment is prompted by the discovery that some of the attachments of the torque tube were fastened with a single-locking device instead of the intended double-locking device. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent separation of the cyclic pitch stick yokes from the torque tube, loss of cyclic control, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
Which aircraft AD 2003-08-04 applies to
Specific model not present in the extracted applicability text. Concerns cyclic pitch flight control torque tube attachment bolted-assembly locking device per Eurocopter France ASB No. 67A003 dated 8/2/2001; inspect/torque/reinspect on a recurring 50-hour TIS schedule; modify torque tube within 250 hours TIS or 12 months as terminating action.
Whether AD 2003-08-04 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:
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.