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Airworthiness Directive 2011-18-52

recurring
Official AD 2011-18-52 · FR doc 2012-9315 · 2012-04-18 · airframe

Airworthiness Directives; Agusta S.p.A. Helicopters

What this AD requires

We are publishing a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Agusta S.p.A. (Agusta) Model AB139 and AW139 helicopters that requires establishing a revised life limit for each tail rotor (T/R) blade and updating the helicopter's historical records, repetitively inspecting T/R blades for a crack, and replacing certain T/R blades. This AD is prompted by a fatal accident involving an Agusta Model AW139 helicopter, which may have been caused by cracks in a T/R blade. These actions are intended to detect and prevent a crack in a T/R blade, which could lead to failure of a T/R blade and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

Repetitive inspection. Re-inspect every 25 hours. The next-due date/hours depend on this aircraft’s time in service — a records report computes it from the logbooks.

Which aircraft AD 2011-18-52 applies to

MakesAgusta
ModelsAB139, AW139
Part-conditional — 3G6410A00131, 4G6410A00131.

Applies to helicopters with a tail rotor (T/R) blade, P/N 3G6410A00131 or 4G6410A00131, installed.

Whether AD 2011-18-52 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 2011-18-52 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.