SAIB AIR-21-03

1 FAA Aviation Safety SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION BULLETIN SUBJ: Electrical Power System; Ameri-King RFI DC Filter Smoke/Fire SAIB: AIR-21-03 Date: January 28, 2021 This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) alerts owners and operators of Robinson Helicopter Company (Robinson) Model R44 and R44 II helicopters with Automatic Direction Finding (ADF) equipment installed and police-version helicopters, for the potential of smoke and fire from the Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) Direct Current (DC) Line Filter, Part Number AK-950- FTR, manufactured by Ameri-King Corporation.

At this time, the airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) action under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 39.

Background

In May 2020, an operator of a Robinson R44 made an emergency landing to extinguish smoke and fire originating from the engine compartment fire protection zone. Further investigation discovered that an RFI DC line filter, Ameri-King AK-950-FTR, had failed and caught fire in the engine compartment fire protection zone. This Ameri-King RFI DC line filter is listed as an unapproved part in FAA Unapproved Parts Notification No. 2016-2013NM460018, dated March 1, 2016. This RFI DC line filter is installed on some Model R44 and R44 II helicopters equipped with an ADF receiver and some Model R44 and R44 II police-version helicopters to filter DC power ripples from the alternator.

Robinson issued Service Bulletin SB-105, dated August 21, 2020, which specifies replacing the affected part with an equivalent FAA-approved part from a different manufacturer.

Recommendations

We recommend that owners/operators of Robinson Model R44 and R44 II helicopters comply with R44 Service Bulletin SB-105, dated August 21, 2020.

For Further Information Contact

Thanh Tran, Aerospace Engineer, 3960 Paramount Blvd , Lakewood, CA 90712, United States; phone: (562) 627-5304; fax: (562) 627-5210; e-mail: [email protected].

For Related Service Information Contact

Robinson Helicopter Company, 2901 Airport Drive, Torrance, CA 90505; telephone 310-539-0508; fax 310-539-5198; or at https://www.robinsonheli.com.