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

Yesterday, Transport Canada (TC) issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) mandating immediate inspection of collective sticks in Bell 505 turbine light single helicopters. TC took the action after Bell reported an instance of a stick and grip assembly fracturing above the cabin floor at the junction with the collective jackshaft. The fracture was discovered before engine start during the preflight check of flight controls; its exact cause is under investigation.&nbsp;<img alt data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2a7d3f60-a395-43cd-8e63-04ead7bec862" src="/sites/default/files/screen-shot-2021-02-22-at-10.32.03-am.jpg" width="2000" height="1000" loading="lazy"> A Bell spokesman told AIN that the crack was found on a 505 operated by the Stockton, California police department, a helicopter that was delivered in 2019.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Over the weekend, Bell published an Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) for a one-time inspection of the controls. TC’s emergency AD makes the inspection mandatory and is considered an interim action. Per Bell’s ASB, the inspection is expected to take two man-hours and requires removal, cleaning, and inspection of the collective stick and grip assembly with a 10X magnifying glass and strong light. If a crack is suspected or detected, a further fluorescent penetrant inspection in the area of the crack is required. Unserviceable sticks must be replaced before further flight.
Bell has delivered 300 of the five-seat Model 505s since 2017.

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

Cracked Collective Prompts Bell 505 Emergency AD

Transport Canada issues emergency airworthiness directive mandating inspection of collective sticks in Bell 505s. 

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