T AND M AVIATION INC

Operated by T and M Aviation, Inc. (per NTSB report)

Operated by T&M Aviation (per NTSB report)

Operated by T & M Aviation, INC (per NTSB report)

THIS IS OUR SECOND SET OF VAN HORN AVIATION TAIL ROTOR BLADES PN 2062200-301 THAT WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED CRACKS/DEBONDING IN THE LOWER/UPPER LEADING EDGES AND SKIN OF THE BLADES. OUR FIRST SET HAD A TOTAL TIME OF 1821.3 HOURS WHEN THE CRACKS/DEBONDING (UPPER LEADING EDGE) WAS NOTICED. WE SENT THEM IN TO VAN HORN AVIATION FOR INSPECTION AND THEY DEEMED THEM UNSERVICEABLE. WE ARE NOW IN OUR SECOND SET OF BLADES AND ONCE AGAIN SEVERE CRACKS/DEBONDING AND SKINS (LOWER LEADING EDGE) WAS NOTICED WITH A TOTAL TIME OF 1285.6 HOURS.

TAIL ROTOR BLADE HAS A TOTAL TIME OF 1821.3 HOURS, UPON AN INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT TAIL ROTOR BLADE PN 2062200-301 SN 778 SHOWED SIGNS OF DEBONDING AND CRACK DURING VISUAL INSPECTION. BLADE WAS REMOVED FROM HUB ASSEMBLY AND SENT TO MANUFACTURE FOR EVALUATION ON 11/28/2017. MANUFACTURE CONDEMNED THE BLADE AS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE WAS PREVIOUSLY SENT TO MANUFACTURE ON 2/20/2017 WITH A TOTAL TIME 1011.3 FOR INSPECTION/EVALUATING AND REFINISHING WITH NO KNOWN ABNORMALITIES NOTED. EVALUATION REVEALED THE FOLLOWING, DEBONDED AREAS ON OUT 1/3 PORTION OF BLADE, VOIDS IN COMPOSITE MATERIAL STRUCTURE/MAKEUP, SPIDER CONVERGING FRACTURES. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE WHITE PAINT IS ON TOP OF THE SPIDER CRACKING , INDICATING THAT THE CRACKING WAS THERE PRIOR TO THE LAST PAINT AND RESURFACING OF BLADE ON 2/20/2017. IN ANOTHER INTERESTING NOTE IS THAT AERS HAS RECEIVED 2 OTHER TAIL ROTOR BLADES FROM ANOTHER OPERATOR. THE BLADES ARE THE SAME PN NUMBERS AND THE BLADE SERIAL NUMBERS ARE C854 AND C855. THOSE BLADES HAVE A TOTAL TIME OF ONLY 443.8 HOURS, THESE BLADES ARE DEBONDING AND DELAMINATING IN THE SAME AREAS AS OUR BLADES. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED INVESTIGATION AND FAILURE ANALYSIS AS WELL AS A COPY OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE HISTORICAL RECORD.

TAIL ROTOR BLADE HAS A TOTAL TIME 1821.3 HOURS, UPON AN INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT TAIL ROTOR BLADE PN 2062200-301, SN 777 SHOWED SIGNS OF DEBONDING AND CRACKS DURING VISUAL INSPECTION. BLADE WAS REMOVED FROM HUB ASSEMBLY AND SENT MANUFACTURE FOR EVALUATION ON 11/28/2017. MANUFACTURE IN TURN CONDEMNED THE BLADE AS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE WAS PREVIOUSLY SENT TO MANUFACTURE ON 2/20/17 WITH A TOTAL TIME OF 1011.3 FOR INSPECTION/EVALUATION AND REFINISHING WITH NO KNOWN ABNORMALITIES NOTED. AFTER RECEIVING THE ABOVE MENTIONED BLADE WE DECIDED TO SEND IT FOR FURTHER EVALUATION AND TESTING AND REVEALED THE FOLLOWING, DEBONDED AREAS ON OUTER 1/3 PORTION OF BLADE, VOIDS IN COMPOSITE MATERIAL STRUCTURE/MAKEUP, SPIDER CONVERGING FRACTURES. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE WHITE PAINT IS ON TOP OF THE SPIDER CRACKING INDICATING THAT THE CRACKING WAS THERE PRIOR TO THE LAST PAINT AND RESURFACING OF BLADE ON 2/20/2017. IN ANOTHER INTERESTING NOTE IS, RECEIVED 2 OTHER TAIL ROTOR BLADES FROM ANOTHER OPERATOR. THE BLADES ARE THE SAME PN AND THE BLADE SERIAL NUMBERS ARE C854 & C855. THESE BLADES HAVE A TOTAL TIME OF ONLY 443.8 HOUR, THESE BLADES ARE DEBONDING AND DELAMINATING IN THE SAME AREAS AS OUR BLADES. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED INVESTIGATION AND FAILURE ANALYSIS AS WELL AS A COPY OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE HISTORICAL RECORD.

PROTECTIVE COARTING OF WIRE STRUCTURE IS CRACKED AND PATRIALLY MISSING. EXPOSURE CAUSES THE WIRES TO BE EXPOSED TO MOISTURE WHICH WILL CAUSE CORROSION AND FAILURE OF THE WIRES, WHICH WILL CAUSE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TO BE SLUNG FROM THE HELICOPTER AND MAY CAUSE CATASTROPHIC LOSS.

PROTECTIVE COARTING OF WIRE STRUCTURE IS CRACKE AND PATRIALLY MISSING. EXPOSURE CAUSES THE WIRES TO BE EXPOSED TO MOISTURE WHICH WILL CAUSE CORROSION AND FAILURE OF THE WIRES, WHICH WILL CAUSE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TO BE SLUNG FROM THE HELICOPTER AND MAY CAUSE CATASTROPHIC LOSS.