Story ID: 
Cyclic AD Limited to New Bells
By: Mark Huber
Caption: What was initially feared to be a widespread problem that temporarily grounded 2,800 Bell 206s, 407s and 427s on March 12 now appears to be confined to abo
Word Count: 115
What was initially feared to be a widespread problem that temporarily grounded 2,800 Bell 206s, 407s and 427s on March 12 now appears to be confined to about 100 newer-production helicopters. The Emergency AD (2009-07-51) was quickly modified to apply only to helicopters with fewer than 50 hours in service or those that have cyclic control lever assemblies that have less than 50 hours time in service. The AD was prompted by a Transport Canada AD report of an incorrectly staked bearing in a copilot lever assembly that could lead to failure of the assembly and loss of control. The AD requires replacing before further flight any bearing that is installed incorrectly or staked improperly in the lever assembly.