EASA 2020-0164

Requires a one-time tapping inspection of the tail rotor pylon right-hand center skin and any necessary corrective actions. Prompted by an incident where following a retrofit installation that involved the removal of the tail rotor pylon structure, it was discovered that the integrity of the honeycomb panel of the pylon right-hand side center skin had been compromised during that process. According to EASA, such damage might remain undetected since there is no dedicated inspection of the honeycomb panel after its removal and reinstallation. If not detected and corrected, this condition could subsequently lead to pylon vibrations and a large reduction of safety margins, possibly resulting in the loss of structural integrity of the tail rotor pylon.