The CASA media release,
New safety inspections for Robinson 22 helicopters have been ordered following a fatal accident near Sydney late last month.
An urgent airworthiness directive has been issued today by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for the inspection of main rotor blades for cracking.
This follows preliminary investigations of the 20 June accident at Warragamba by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).
The investigation has shown the main rotor blade failed at the inboard end of the bolted joint.
The Airworthiness Directive requires visual and eddy current inspections of the blades and the fitting of a special vibration warning placard in the helicopter cockpit.
The eddy current inspections must be carried out as blades reach 1500 hours time in service, with those blades already beyond 1500 hours requiring inspections by 31 July 2003. These inspections must be repeated every 200 hours in service.
The manufacturer requires main rotor blades in R22 helicopters to be replaced at 2200 hours time in service.
The warning placard states: "If main rotor vibration increases rapidly or becomes severe during a flight, land immediately". This is based on an alert from the manufacturer that states unusual vibration can indicate a main rotor blade crack.
CASA's Directive also orders both visual and eddy current inspections before further flight if an R22 has suffered severe main rotor vibration during a flight or if there is an unexplained main rotor unbalance.
CASA's Director of Aviation Safety, Mick Toller, says the authority is working closely with the ATSB as investigations into last month's accident continue.
"CASA and the ATSB have acted quickly to make sure there is no immediate threat to safety," Mr Toller says.
"Clearly, there is still more to discover from the investigation and we are committed to learning all the lessons to minimise the risk of further accidents.
"CASA is also exchanging information and ideas with the US Federal Aviation Administration because that's where the R22s were designed and built."
Media contact
Peter Gibson
Ph 0419 296 446
Ref: MR0336
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