AirWorthines Directive: Debonding in Augusta Helicopters

http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/0/C0344E4182C1E74D86257633006E2F90?OpenDocument

AD NUMBER: 2009-19-51

MANUFACTURER: Agusta S.p.A. (Agusta) Model AB139 and AW139

SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2009-19-51

SUMMARY: This Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) is prompted by a mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) AD issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Community. EASA had received previous reports of evidence of debonding on some tailboom panels of the specified Agusta model helicopters. This condition, if not corrected, could result in failure of a tailboom and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. The latest EASA AD requires repetitive inspections of the tailboom panels at closer intervals. In case of debonding, the EASA AD requires you to mark the debonded areas for identification, contact the manufacturer for instructions, and follow their corrective actions. We are issuing this AD because we evaluated all information provided by EASA and determined the unsafe condition exists and is likely to exist or develop on other helicopters of these same type designs. Therefore, this AD requires inspecting the tail panels for debonding.