Is AD 97-06-02 a recurring Airworthiness Directive?

No — AD 97-06-02 is a one-time directive. Verify it was complied with in the aircraft's records.

Which aircraft does AD 97-06-02 apply to?

AD 97-06-02 applies to Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. — models 214B, 214B-1, 214ST, 214. Serial/part conditions may narrow it to specific aircraft.

Airworthiness Directive 97-06-02

one-time

Official AD 97-06-02 · FR doc 97-6090 · 1997-03-12 · airframe

Airworthiness Directives; Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. Model 214B, 214B-1 and 214ST Helicopters

What this AD requires

This amendment supersedes an existing airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. (BHTI) Model 214B, 214B-1, and 214ST helicopters, that currently establishes a retirement life of 40,000 high-power events for the lower planetary spider (spider). This amendment changes the method of calculating the retirement life for the spider from high-power events to a maximum accumulated Retirement Index Number (RIN) of 80,000, and makes this RIN applicable to an additional part-numbered spider. This amendment is prompted by fatigue analyses and tests that show certain spiders fail sooner than originally anticipated because of the unanticipated higher number of external load lifts and takeoffs (torque events) performed with those spiders, in addition to the time-in-service (TIS) accrued under other operating conditions. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent fatigue failure of the spider, which could result in failure of the main transmission and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

Which aircraft AD 97-06-02 applies to

MakesBell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Models214B, 214B-1, 214ST, 214

Part-conditional — 214-040-080-001, 214-040-080-101.

Establishes RIN-based retirement tracking for the main transmission spider to prevent fatigue failure. Model 214B/214B-1 with spider P/N 214-040-080-001: RIN per takeoff/external-load-lift or hour TIS. Model 214B/214B-1/214ST with spider P/N 214-040-080-101: RIN = high-power events x2. Per BHTI ASB 214-94-53 and ASB 214ST-94-68.

Whether AD 97-06-02 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 97-06-02 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.