Is AD 2020-15-16 a recurring Airworthiness Directive?

Yes — AD 2020-15-16 requires a repetitive inspection every 200 hours. Next-due depends on the aircraft's time in service.

Which aircraft does AD 2020-15-16 apply to?

AD 2020-15-16 applies to Leonardo — models A109E, A109K2, A109S, AW109SP, A119, AW119 MKII, A109, AW109. Serial/part conditions may narrow it to specific aircraft.

Airworthiness Directive 2020-15-16

recurring

Official AD 2020-15-16 · FR doc 2020-15811 · 2020-07-23 · airframe

Airworthiness Directives; Leonardo S.p.A (Type Certificate Previously Held by Agusta S.p.A) Helicopters

What this AD requires

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2018-07- 08, which applied to certain Leonardo S.p.A (type certificate previously held by Agusta S.p.A) Model A109E, A109K2, A109S, AW109SP, A119, and AW119 MKII helicopters. AD 2018-07-08 required reducing the life limit of the tail rotor blade retention bolt and an inspection of that bolt for cracking, and replacement of any cracked bolt. This AD continues to require reducing the life limit of the tail rotor blade retention bolt, inspecting that bolt for cracking, and replacing any cracked bolt. In addition, this AD requires repetitive inspections of the tail rotor blade retention bolt for cracking. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

Repetitive inspection. Re-inspect every 200 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 2020-15-16 applies to

MakesLeonardo

ModelsA109E, A109K2, A109S, AW109SP, A119, AW119 MKII, A109, AW109, AW119

Part-conditional — 709-0160-57-101.

Applies only to helicopters with tail rotor blade retention bolt P/N 709-0160-57-101 installed.

Whether AD 2020-15-16 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 2020-15-16 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.