AS350/H125 NO 144M Inspection, where did it go?

Everyone by now knows that the task card for the 144M Major Inspection has been removed from the MSM. 

Time to celebrate! not quite, there are still inspections set out in 05-25 that still needed to be completed at the 144M marker.

From Airbus Service Instructions Notice No. 3414-I-05

SUBJECT: TIME LIMITS - MAINTENANCE CHECKS Reduction of the Maintenance Program for the AS350 helicopter family: removal of the 144 M inspection 

The 144 M inspection described in the MSM in chapter 05-24 has been removed. Several maintenance tasks have been removed or optimized; only 5 tasks must still be performed. These tasks are indicated in the MSM, chapter 05-25. To facilitate compliance with these tasks, they have been divided into separate tasks and/or have an associated maintenance Work Card. Thus, Airbus Helicopters gives the operators the possibility to perform these tasks when 144 M are reached or at the most appropriate time in the helicopter life. The optimization of the 144 M inspection leads to a reduced maintenance time estimated at -6% of man-hours per flight hour (MMH/FH). Optimization examples:

The periodic inspection task of the shock absorber can be performed once: either at 144 M or at 5400 FH.

If the helicopters are equipped with stainless steel ventilation/demisting pipes (POST MOD 07465 & POST MOD 074866), it is no longer necessary to replace them. The inspection is now performed without removal and replacement of P2 pipes; it consists in a visual check and a sealing test.

The structure inspection task has been divided into two tasks: one for the main structure inspection, one for the tail boom inspection. The two assemblies can thus be managed separately.

Remaining tasks:

• ATA 21: o P2 heating pipes: leak inspection (POST MOD 074765 & POST MOD 074866) or o P2 heating pipes: replacement (PRE MOD 074765 // PRE MOD 074866)

• ATA 32: o Shock absorber: Detailed inspection

• ATA 53: o Structure: Detailed inspection

• ATA 55: o Vertical fin support: Inspection

• ATA 67: o Rotor control: Detailed inspection of flight controls