Is AD 2021-07-15 a recurring Airworthiness Directive?

Yes — AD 2021-07-15 requires a repetitive inspection every 165 hours. Next-due depends on the aircraft's time in service.

Which aircraft does AD 2021-07-15 apply to?

AD 2021-07-15 applies to Airbus Helicopters — models AS350C, AS350D1, AS350. Serial/part conditions may narrow it to specific aircraft.

Airworthiness Directive 2021-07-15

recurring

Official AD 2021-07-15 · FR doc 2021-06783 · 2021-04-02 · airframe

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters

What this AD requires

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 82-20-05 for Societe Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale (now Airbus Helicopters) Model AS-350 and AS-355 series helicopters. AD 82-20-05 required inspecting and establishing a life limit for the tail rotor (TR) drive shaft bearing (bearing). This new AD requires replacing certain part-numbered TR bearings with one part-numbered bearing and repetitively inspecting one part-numbered bearing. This AD was prompted by inconsistencies that have been identified between inspections and maintenance actions required by ADs and inspections and maintenance actions specified in the applicable maintenance manual. The actions of this AD are intended to address an unsafe condition on these products.

Repetitive inspection. Re-inspect every 165 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 2021-07-15 applies to

MakesAirbus Helicopters

ModelsAS350C, AS350D1, AS350

Part-conditional — 593404, 704A33-651-181.

Applies to Model AS350C and AS350D1 helicopters because they have the same bearings installed as those addressed by the related EASA AD (which does not cover these models). Related service information (Airbus Helicopters ASB AS355-01.00.57 Rev 2 and ASB AS350-01.00.70 Rev 1) addresses bearing P/N 593404 and MP/N 704A33-651-181.

Whether AD 2021-07-15 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 2021-07-15 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.