Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

Contributor

Mark Huber

The FAA is <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/11/26/2018-25497/airworthiness-directives-md-helicopters-inc-mdhi-helicopters">proposing a new Airworthiness Directive</a> mandating repetitive inspections of MD Helicopters single-engine 369, 500, and 600 models for main rotor blade (MRB) trim tab for gouges, nicks, scratches, and cracks. The AD covers MRBs manufactured by Helicopter Technology Co. (HTC) and covers part&nbsp;numbers 369A1100, 369D21100, 369D21102, 369D21120, 369D21121, 369D21123, 500P2100, and 500P2300.

 


It was prompted by the discovery of cracks on two HTC-manufactured MRBs by two operators. In both cases, the cracks were located on the MRB skin adjacent to the trim tab that produced increased vibration in flight. The condition could result in MRB failure and aircraft loss, the FAA said.

 


HTC has determined that the cracking’s root cause is fatigue and found evidence of impact damage, filing, and sanding under the paint of the cracked MRBs. It issued a related Service Bulletin in May 2017 (SB 2100-9). The proposed FAA AD would require initial MRB inspections within 25 hours time in service and at each annual or 100-hour inspection. If cracks are found, the MRB must be replaced at an estimated cost of $13,255.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

FAA Proposes Rotor Blade AD for MD 500/600 Helicopters

The proposed airworthiness directive would mandate new  repetitive inspections for main rotor blade cracks. 

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News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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