Is AD 2021-05-09 a recurring Airworthiness Directive?

Yes — AD 2021-05-09 requires a repetitive inspection. Next-due depends on the aircraft's time in service.

Airworthiness Directive 2021-05-09

Q: Which aircraft does AD 2021-05-09 apply to?

AD 2021-05-09 applies to Airbus Helicopters — models AS350B, AS350B1, AS350B2, AS350B3, AS350BA, AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1. Serial/part conditions may narrow it to specific aircraft.

recurring

Official AD 2021-05-09 · FR doc 2021-05145 · 2021-03-12 · airframe

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters

What this AD requires

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2018-15- 02, which applied to certain Airbus Helicopters Model AS350B, AS350B1, AS350B2, AS350B3, AS350BA, AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, AS355N, and AS355NP helicopters. AD 2018-15-02 required repetitively inspecting the tail rotor (TR) pitch rod for a damaged elastomeric ball joint, and corrective action if necessary. This AD continues to require the repetitive inspections and allows the repetitive inspection interval to be extended under certain conditions, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. This AD was prompted by a report of several cases of damaged TR pitch rod ball joints. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

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 2021-05-09 applies to

MakesAirbus Helicopters

ModelsAS350B, AS350B1, AS350B2, AS350B3, AS350BA, AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, AS355N, AS355NP, AS350, AS355

Applies to helicopters identified in European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2017-0020R1, dated May 22, 2019 (EASA AD 2017-0020R1).

Whether AD 2021-05-09 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 2021-05-09 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.