AD 98-16-02
Applicability
| Type | Manufacturer | Model | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| aircraft | Airbus Helicopters | SA 3180-Alouette Astazou | Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Model SA 3180, SA 318B, SA 318C, SE 3130, SE 313B, SA.315B, SA.316B, SA.316C, SA.319B, and SE.3160 Helicopters |
| aircraft | Airbus Helicopters | SA 318B-Alouette Astazou | Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Model SA 3180, SA 318B, SA 318C, SE 3130, SE 313B, SA.315B, SA.316B, SA.316C, SA.319B, and SE.3160 Helicopters |
| aircraft | Airbus Helicopters | SA 318C-Alouette Astazou | Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Model SA 3180, SA 318B, SA 318C, SE 3130, SE 313B, SA.315B, SA.316B, SA.316C, SA.319B, and SE.3160 Helicopters |
| aircraft | Airbus Helicopters | SA.315B Alouette III | Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Model SA 3180, SA 318B, SA 318C, SE 3130, SE 313B, SA.315B, SA.316B, SA.316C, SA.319B, and SE.3160 Helicopters |
| aircraft | Airbus Helicopters | SA.316B Alouette III | Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Model SA 3180, SA 318B, SA 318C, SE 3130, SE 313B, SA.315B, SA.316B, SA.316C, SA.319B, and SE.3160 Helicopters |
| aircraft | Airbus Helicopters | SA.316C Alouette III | Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Model SA 3180, SA 318B, SA 318C, SE 3130, SE 313B, SA.315B, SA.316B, SA.316C, SA.319B, and SE.3160 Helicopters |
| aircraft | Airbus Helicopters | SA.319B Alouette III | Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Model SA 3180, SA 318B, SA 318C, SE 3130, SE 313B, SA.315B, SA.316B, SA.316C, SA.319B, and SE.3160 Helicopters |
| aircraft | Airbus Helicopters | SE 3130-Alouette II | Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Model SA 3180, SA 318B, SA 318C, SE 3130, SE 313B, SA.315B, SA.316B, SA.316C, SA.319B, and SE.3160 Helicopters |
| aircraft | Airbus Helicopters | SE 313B-Alouette II | Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Model SA 3180, SA 318B, SA 318C, SE 3130, SE 313B, SA.315B, SA.316B, SA.316C, SA.319B, and SE.3160 Helicopters |
| aircraft | Airbus Helicopters | SE.3160 Alouette III | Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter France Model SA 3180, SA 318B, SA 318C, SE 3130, SE 313B, SA.315B, SA.316B, SA.316C, SA.319B, and SE.3160 Helicopters |
Unsafe Condition
Fatigue failure of a tail rotor blade due to cracks on the upper and lower surfaces near the attachment bolts on the blade cuff stem.
AI-generated summary from the source AD text. Verify against the official source before acting.
Required Actions
Within 10 hours time-in-service, and every 10 hours TIS thereafter, visually inspect the blade skin near the attachment bolts on the blade cuff stem using an 8-power or higher magnifying glass. If cracks are found, replace the blade with an airworthy blade.
AI-generated summary from the source AD text. Verify against the official source before acting.
Compliance Time
Required within 10 hours time-in-service (TIS), and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 10 hours TIS.
AI-generated summary from the source AD text. Verify against the official source before acting.
Affected Aircraft
Eurocopter France Model SA 3180, SA 318B, SA 318C, SE 3130, SE 313B, SA.315B, SA.316B, SA.316C, SA.319B, and SE.3160 helicopters with tail rotor blades part numbers 3160S-34-10000-all dash numbers or 3160S-34-11000-all dash numbers installed.
AI-generated summary from the source AD text. Verify against the official source before acting.
Source: Official FAA Source ↗
Retrieved: Apr 8, 2026
Rights: U.S. Government Public Domain
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