Is AD 2016-12-13 a recurring Airworthiness Directive?

Yes — AD 2016-12-13 requires a repetitive inspection every 25 hours. Next-due depends on the aircraft's time in service.

Which aircraft does AD 2016-12-13 apply to?

AD 2016-12-13 applies to Airbus Helicopters — models EC120B, EC120. Serial/part conditions may narrow it to specific aircraft.

Airworthiness Directive 2016-12-13

recurring

Official AD 2016-12-13 · FR doc 2016-14467 · 2016-06-22 · airframe

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters (Previously Eurocopter France) Helicopters

What this AD requires

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2000-05-17 and AD 2001-04-12, which apply to Eurocopter France (now Airbus Helicopters) Model EC120B helicopters. AD 2000-05-17 and AD 2001-04-12 required repetitive visual checks of the engine-to-main gearbox (MGB) coupling tube assembly (coupling tube) for a crack and replacing any cracked tube with an airworthy tube. This new AD requires removing certain engine mount parts from service, measuring the height of the engine mounting base for certain helicopters, replacing the engine mount if a certain height is exceeded, inspecting the flared coupling on certain helicopters for a crack, and replacing the coupling if it is cracked. Since we issued AD 2000-05-17 and AD 2001-04-12, there have been reports of additional cracks in coupling tubes. These actions are intended to prevent coupling tube failure, loss of engine drive, and a subsequent forced landing 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 2016-12-13 applies to

MakesAirbus Helicopters

ModelsEC120B, EC120

Part-conditional — C631A1101101, C631A1002101.

Applies only to EC120B helicopters with an engine-to-main gearbox coupling tube assembly, P/N C631A1101101 or P/N C631A1002101, installed.

Whether AD 2016-12-13 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 2016-12-13 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.