FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ISSUES RULE: AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES; BELL TEXTRON CANADA LIMITED HELICOPTERS

WASHINGTON, July 17 -- Federal Aviation Administration has issued a rule called: Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited Helicopters.

The rule was published in the Federal Register on July 17 by Steven W. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification Service.

Summary: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bell Textron Canada Limited (Bell) Model 407 helicopters. This AD was prompted by a report of a fractured pilot cyclic stick tube and subsequent findings of other pilot cyclic stick tubes with fatigue cracking. This AD requires repetitively inspecting the pilot cyclic stick tube assembly for a crack and, depending on the results, repairing or repla...