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A eurocopter 120B airworthiness directive required inspection was not accomplished correctly. Inspection and records now corrected.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 596488 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200309 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | ground : maintenance |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Qualification | technician : airframe technician : inspection authority technician : powerplant |
| ASRS Report | 596488 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other other : 969 |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : manuals contributing factor : engineering procedure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : inspection |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Chart Or Publication Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| Publication | Airworthiness Directive |
Narrative:
Airworthiness directive #2001-04-12 requires that a 'coupling tube' on our helicopter have a visual inspection every 5 flight hours. Our pilots have been performing the inspection of the coupling tube since we took delivery of the aircraft. In sep/03, an american eurocopter technical representative stated that the 'coupling tube' inspection time had been increased by a manufacturer's alert service bulletin from 5 hours to 25 hours. Without consulting the airworthiness directive or the manufacturer, I instructed the pilots to increase the inspection intervals on the 'coupling tube' to 25 hours. At the end of sep it was brought to my attention that we were not following the inspection criteria of the airworthiness directive correctly. The pilots are now inspecting and documenting criteria of the airworthiness directive correctly. I have since applied for an alternate means of compliance with the airworthiness directive with the FAA. I think that the reason that this mistake happened is that I did not go back to the airworthiness directive or the FAA for further consultation when the manufacturer's technical representative mentioned the increase in inspection intervals. We have had no events or problems with the error in the inspection interval times.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A EUROCOPTER 120B AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE REQUIRED INSPECTION WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED CORRECTLY. INSPECTION AND RECORDS NOW CORRECTED.
Narrative: AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE #2001-04-12 REQUIRES THAT A 'COUPLING TUBE' ON OUR HELI HAVE A VISUAL INSPECTION EVERY 5 FLT HRS. OUR PLTS HAVE BEEN PERFORMING THE INSPECTION OF THE COUPLING TUBE SINCE WE TOOK DELIVERY OF THE ACFT. IN SEP/03, AN AMERICAN EUROCOPTER TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THE 'COUPLING TUBE' INSPECTION TIME HAD BEEN INCREASED BY A MANUFACTURER'S ALERT SVC BULLETIN FROM 5 HRS TO 25 HRS. WITHOUT CONSULTING THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE OR THE MANUFACTURER, I INSTRUCTED THE PLTS TO INCREASE THE INSPECTION INTERVALS ON THE 'COUPLING TUBE' TO 25 HRS. AT THE END OF SEP IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THAT WE WERE NOT FOLLOWING THE INSPECTION CRITERIA OF THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE CORRECTLY. THE PLTS ARE NOW INSPECTING AND DOCUMENTING CRITERIA OF THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE CORRECTLY. I HAVE SINCE APPLIED FOR AN ALTERNATE MEANS OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE WITH THE FAA. I THINK THAT THE REASON THAT THIS MISTAKE HAPPENED IS THAT I DID NOT GO BACK TO THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE OR THE FAA FOR FURTHER CONSULTATION WHEN THE MANUFACTURER'S TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE MENTIONED THE INCREASE IN INSPECTION INTERVALS. WE HAVE HAD NO EVENTS OR PROBS WITH THE ERROR IN THE INSPECTION INTERVAL TIMES.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.