77-20-01: Main Transmission Lower Planetary Plates
FAA order 77-20-01 is an airworthiness directive. The FAA's subject line: Main Transmission Lower Planetary Plates. It names Erickson S-64: about 5 aircraft on the U.S. register today, though an order usually covers particular versions or serial numbers rather than every one. System: rotorcraft systems.
What it applies to as the FAA lists it
- Kind of product
- Aircraft
- Makes
- Erickson Air-Crane Company
- Models
- S-64E, S-64F
- On this site
- Erickson S-64 5 registered
Dates and paperwork
- Docket
- Unknown
- Replaced by
- 97-19-10
- Status
- Historical
- The FAA's document
- Read the order on the FAA's site
The order itself the regulatory text, as published
Show the full text (2,148 characters)
77-20-01 SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT: Amendment 39-3045 as amended by Amendment 39- 3064. Applies to all Sikorsky Model S-64E and S-64F helicopters. Compliance required as indicated, unless already accomplished.
1. To prevent cracking and possible failure of main transmission lower planetary plates, P/N 6435-20229-102, inspect for cracks in accordance with Sikorsky Service Bulletin No. 64B35-7 prior to the accumulation of 1300 hours time in service, or within the next 30 hours time in service after receipt of this telegram, whichever is later, and every 70 hours time in service thereafter. Cracked plates must be removed before further flight.
2. Effective October 30, 1977, P/N 6435-20229-102 plates with 2000 or more hours total time in service must be removed from service.
3. For P/N 6435-20229-102 plates with 1300 or more hours total time in service after receipt of this telegram, inspect main transmission oil filter pack daily for magnesium chips. If chips are found, remove main transmission from service before further flight.
4. In lieu of Paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 above, plates may be inspected, reworked, and reidentified as P/N 6435-20229-102-TS-107 in accordance with Sikorsky Service Bulletin 64B35-7A or later FAA approved revisions.
5. Reworked plates, P/N 6435-20229-102-TS-107, shall be retired prior to the accumulation of 2,600 hours total time in service.
Upon request of the operator, an FAA maintenance inspector, subject to prior approval of the Chief, Engineering and Manufacturing Branch, FAA, New England Region, may adjust the repetitive inspection intervals specified in this AD to permit compliance at an established inspection period of the operator if the request contains substantiating data to justify the increase for that operator.
Sikorsky Alert Service Bulletin No. 64B35-7 refers to this subject.
Amendment 39-3045 became effective upon receipt of telegraphic AD for all operators which received notice by telegraphicAD and became effective upon publication in the Federal Register for all others.
This amendment 39-3064 becomes effective upon publication in the Federal Register.
Related safety bulletins advice on the same designs, not orders
2007-03-21SW-07-21 · Tail Rotor Head Assembly
Source: FAA Dynamic Regulatory System, airworthiness directives. The FAA's document is the authority; the register counts are this site's, from the FAA register of October 5, 2026. Connections as data: /graph/directive/77-20-01.json · aircraft systems.
