2026-13060: Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters

Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 123 (Monday, June 29, 2026) [Federal Register Volume 91, Number 123 (Monday, June 29, 2026)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 38997-39002] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2026-13060] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 39 [Docket No. FAA-2025-3999; Project Identifier MCAI-2025-00176-R; Amendment 39-23380; AD 2026-12-10] RIN 2120-AA64 Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters

Agency

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

Action

Final rule. -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Helicopters Model AS350B, AS350BA, AS350B1, AS350B2, AS350B3, and AS350D helicopters. This AD was prompted by a report of non- conformity of a certain cargo hook. This AD requires inspecting the gap between the filler and the side plates of the affected cargo hook and, depending on the results, replacing the cargo hook. This AD also prohibits installing an affected cargo hook on any helicopter. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

Dates

This AD is effective August 3, 2026. The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of August 3, 2026.

Addresses

AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2025-3999; or in person at Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains this final rule, the mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The address for Docket Operations is U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-91, West Building Fifth Floor, Room W58-213, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Material Incorporated by Reference: For European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) material identified in this AD, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; phone: +49 221 8999 000; email: [email protected]; website: easa.europa.eu. You may find this material on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu. You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call (817) 222-5110. It is also available at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2025-3999.

For Further Information Contact

Yves Petiote, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: (202) 975-4867; email: [email protected].

Supplementary Information

Background The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to Airbus Helicopters Model AS-350B, AS 350BA, AS 350B1, AS 350B2, AS 350B3, and AS-350D helicopters. The NPRM was published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2025 (90 FR 51620). The NPRM was prompted by EASA AD 2025-0036, dated February 12, 2025 (EASA AD 2025-0036) (also referred to as the MCAI), issued by EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union. The MCAI states that a non-conformity issue concerning [[Page 38998]] the gap between the filler and the side plates on the cargo hook of a helicopter was reported. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in loosening of the cargo hook, loss of the load, and consequent injury to people on the ground. In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to require procedures for inspecting certain cargo hooks to measure the gap between the filler and the front and rear side plate assemblies and, depending on the results, replacing the cargo hook with a cargo hook that is not affected. In the NPRM, the FAA also proposed to prohibit installing an affected cargo hook on any helicopter. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2025-3999. Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive Comments The FAA received comments from the Citizens Rulemaking Alliance. The following presents the comments received on the NPRM and the FAA's response to each comment. Request To Justify Forgoing Notice and Comment or Issue an NPRM The commenter asserted that the FAA bypassed notice and comment and requested that the FAA convert this action to an NPRM or provide at a minimum a 60-day delayed effective date to allow the FAA to evaluate comments. The commenter asserted the FAA has not adequately justified use of the good cause exception to bypass notice and comment and the 30-day delayed effective date. The FAA notes the comment was submitted in response to an NPRM for which the FAA provided a 45-day comment period. This final rule is effective 35 days after its publication in the Federal Register. Therefore, no change to this AD is necessary. Request To Make Incorporation by Reference (IBR) Materials Reasonably Available The Citizens Rulemaking Alliance stated that the FAA's current practices for IBR frequently fail to meet the legal and regulatory standards for reasonable availability. The commenter called on the FAA to guarantee that all IBR materials are freely and electronically accessible to the public and to condition future IBR approval in rotorcraft ADs on original equipment manufacturer commitment to free public access during the life of the AD. The FAA clarifies that this AD only incorporates by reference EASA AD 2025-0036, not the manufacturer service information referenced in that EASA AD. The FAA posted EASA AD 2025-0036 to the AD docket when the NPRM was published in the Federal Register. The material referenced in EASA AD 2025-0036 may only be posted before the final rule's publication if it is already publicly available or if there is written consent from the owner of that material. Additionally, the FAA provided notice in the NPRM that the material referenced in EASA AD 2025-0036 will be available in the AD docket after this AD is published. Therefore, the FAA did not change this AD as a result of this comment. Request To Provide Additional Cost Information and Consider Impact on Small Entities The Citizens Rulemaking Alliance requested that the FAA add to the AD docket an explicit statement supporting its conclusion that the AD is not significant under Executive Order 12866 and the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). The commenter stated that the FAA should also provide the parts cost and any assumed downtime or out-of-service impacts. The commenter also requested that the FAA invite small-entity feedback on practical compliance alternatives. No Additional Cost Impacts In the Costs of Compliance section of the proposed AD, the FAA disclosed the number of affected helicopters on the U.S. registry, the estimated work hours, and the estimated cost of parts. The labor and parts estimates were provided by the manufacturer. Additionally, the FAA considered the impact that this AD will have on affected operators and determined this AD will not trigger any downtime costs because the requirements of this AD can be performed during regularly scheduled maintenance. Since the FAA assessed and disclosed the total known costs of the AD requirements in the Costs of Compliance section of the proposed AD, and the commenter did not provide additional cost data for the FAA to consider in its cost analysis, it is not necessary to provide additional information in the AD docket. Small Entities to Which This AD Applies The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) of 1980, Public Law 96-354, 94 Stat. 1164 (5 U.S.C. 601-612), as amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-121, 110 Stat. 857, Mar. 29, 1996) and the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-240, 124 Stat. 2504, Sept. 27, 2010), requires Federal agencies to consider the effects of the regulatory action on small business and other small entities and to minimize any significant economic impact. The term ``small entities'' comprises small businesses and not-for- profit organizations that are independently owned and operated and are not dominant in their fields, and governmental jurisdictions with populations of less than 50,000. The FAA used the definition of small entities in the RFA for this analysis. The RFA defines small entities as small businesses, small governmental jurisdictions, or small organizations. In 5 U.S.C. 601(3), the RFA defines ``small business'' to have the same meaning as ``small business concern'' under section 3 of the Small Business Act. The Small Business Act authorizes the Small Business Administration (SBA) to define ``small business'' by issuing regulations. The SBA (2023) has established size standards for various types of economic activities, or industries, under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). These size standards generally define small businesses based on the number of employees or annual receipts. The following table provides the SBA size standards for all industries with at least one entity impacted by this AD. Note that the SBA definition of a small business applies to the parent company and all affiliates as a single entity. Small Business Size Standards ------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAICS code Description Size standard ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 111199................ All Other Grain Farming... $2.25 million. 112111................ Beef Cattle Ranching and $2.5 million. Farming. 221122................ Electric Power 1,100 employees. Distribution. 236220................ Commercial and $45.0 million. Institutional Building Construction. [[Page 38999]] 237110................ Water and Sewer Line and $45.0 million. Related Structures Construction. 327320................ Ready[dash]Mix Concrete 500 employees. Manufacturing. 334511................ Search, Detection, 1,350 employees. Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing. 336411................ Aircraft Manufacturing.... 1,500 employees. 336413................ Other Aircraft Part and 1,250 employees. Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing. 423860................ Transportation Equipment 175 employees. and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers. 441210................ Recreational Vehicle $40.0 million. Dealers. 441227................ Motorcycle, ATV, and All $40.0 million. Other Motor Vehicle Dealers. 481111................ Scheduled Passenger Air 1,500 employees. Transportation. 481211................ Nonscheduled Chartered 1,500 employees. Passenger Air Transportation. 481212................ Nonscheduled Chartered 1,500 employees. Freight Air Transportation. 481219................ Other Nonscheduled Air $25.0 million. Transportation. 484110................ General Freight Trucking, $34.0 million. Local. 486110................ Pipeline Transportation of 1,500 employees. Crude Oil. 486210................ Pipeline Transportation of $41.5 million. Natural Gas. 487990................ Scenic and Sightseeing $25.0 million. Transportation, Other. 488119................ Other Airport Operations.. $40.0 million. 488190................ Other Support Activities $40.0 million. for Air Transportation. 512110................ Motion Picture and Video $40.0 million. Production. 516120................ Television Broadcasting $47.0 million. Stations. 517111................ Wired Telecommunications 1,500 employees. Carriers. 531390................ Other Activities Related $19.5 million. to Real Estate. 532411................ Commercial Air, Rail, and $45.5 million. Water Transportation Equipment Rental and Leasing. 532490................ Other Commercial and $40.0 million. Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing. 541360................ Geophysical Surveying and $28.5 million. Mapping Services. 541370................ Surveying and Mapping $19.0 million. (except Geophysical) Services. 541512................ Computer Systems Design $34.0 million. Services. 541611................ Administrative Management $24.5 million. and General Management Consulting Services. 551112................ Offices of Other Holding $45.5 million. Companies. 561710................ Exterminating and Pest $17.5 million. Control Services. 611512................ Flight Training........... $34.0 million. 621910................ Ambulance Services........ $22.5 million. N/A................... Public Administration-- Population fewer Federal, state, and local than 50,000. government agencies which administer and oversee government programs and activities that are not performed by private establishments. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ To identify small entities, the FAA first identified the primary NAICS of the entity or parent company, and then used data from different sources (e.g., company annual reports, Bureau of Transportation Statistics) to determine whether the entity meets the applicable size standard. The table below provides the estimated number of small entities affected by this AD: Estimated Number of Small Entities ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Number of Percent small Description entities \1\ small entities entities ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Other Grain Farming......................................... 1 0 0 Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming................................ 1 1 100 Electric Power Distribution..................................... 2 1 50 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction.............. 2 2 100 Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction........ 1 1 100 Ready[dash]Mix Concrete Manufacturing........................... 1 1 100 Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and 1 0 0 Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing................... Aircraft Manufacturing.......................................... 3 0 0 Other Aircraft Part and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing....... 1 1 100 Transportation Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers...... 1 1 100 Motorcycle, ATV, and All Other Motor Vehicle Dealers............ 1 1 100 Other Gasoline Stations......................................... 1 0 0 Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation.......................... 1 1 100 Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation............. 102 85 83 Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation............... 1 1 100 Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation........................... 6 5 83 General Freight Trucking, Local................................. 1 1 100 Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil............................ 1 0 0 Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas.......................... 1 0 0 Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other.................... 15 12 80 [[Page 39000]] Other Airport Operations........................................ 2 2 100 Other Support Activities for Air Transportation................. 7 5 71 Motion Picture and Video Production............................. 1 1 100 Other Activities Related to Real Estate......................... 1 0 0 Commercial Air, Rail, and Water Transportation Equipment Rental 19 19 100 and Leasing.................................................... Other Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental 1 1 100 and Leasing.................................................... Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services...................... 1 1 100 Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services............. 1 0 0 Computer Systems Design Services................................ 1 0 0 Administrative Management and General Management Consulting 1 1 100 Services....................................................... Offices of Other Holding Companies.............................. 4 4 100 Exterminating and Pest Control Services......................... 1 1 100 Flight Training................................................. 1 1 100 Ambulance Services.............................................. 10 5 50 Public Administration........................................... 79 0 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ Excludes individual owners, foreign companies, and entities lacking available data. Projected Reporting, Recordkeeping, and Other Compliance Requirements The FAA estimates operators will incur either a one-time inspection cost of $85 or an inspection and one-time replacement cost of $62,561 per helicopter. The FAA has no way to determine if each helicopter will require this replacement cost. The FAA analyzes the cost of each compliance method with the annual revenue of each small entity. The following table shows the estimated compliance costs by each NAICS industry. Costs of Compliance per Small Entity ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Average one- Average one- Average annual Average number time time Description revenue \1\ of aircraft inspection replacement cost cost \2\ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming............. $123,540 1 $85 $62,561 Electric Power Distribution.................. 22,740,000 3 255 187,683 Commercial and Institutional Building 2,162,465 1 85 62,561 Construction................................ Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures 89,940 1 85 62,561 Construction................................ Ready[dash]Mix Concrete Manufacturing........ 53,280 1 85 62,561 Other Aircraft Part and Auxiliary Equipment Not found 1 85 62,561 Manufacturing............................... Transportation Equipment and Supplies 540,000 1 85 62,561 Merchant Wholesalers........................ Motorcycle, ATV, and All Other Motor Vehicle 660,000 1 85 62,561 Dealers..................................... Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation....... 6,960,000 6 510 375,366 Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air 393,944,724 2.2 187 137,634 Transportation.............................. Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air 5,740,000 4 340 250,244 Transportation.............................. Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation........ 12,618,333 5.8 493 362,854 General Freight Trucking, Local.............. 6,060,000 1 85 62,561 Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other. 44,092,097 2.7 230 168,915 Other Airport Operations..................... 195,085 1 85 62,561 Other Support Activities for Air 1,010,503,660 1.1 94 68,817 Transportation.............................. Motion Picture and Video Production.......... 242,860 1 85 62,561 Commercial Air, Rail, and Water 561,355 1 85 62,561 Transportation Equipment Rental and Leasing. Other Commercial and Industrial Machinery and 520,000 1 85 62,561 Equipment Rental and Leasing................ Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services... 163,430 1 85 62,561 Administrative Management and General 52,300 1 85 62,561 Management Consulting Services.............. Offices of Other Holding Companies........... 323,825 1 85 62,561 Exterminating and Pest Control Services...... 9,760,000 4 340 250,244 Flight Training.............................. 3,480,000 5 425 312,805 Ambulance Services........................... 1,076,832 5.6 476 350,342 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ Source: Dun & Bradstreet. D&B Hoovers. Retrieved May 7, 2026. app.hoovers.dnb.com. \2\ One-time replacement cost includes both inspection and replacement costs, as replacement is contingent upon inspection results. Significant Alternatives Considered FAA evaluated the alternative of not promulgating this AD but determined that taking no regulatory action would allow a significant safety hazard to persist. A non-conformity exists regarding the gap between the filler and the side plates on the helicopter's cargo hook. This unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in the loosening of the cargo hook, loss of the external [[Page 39001]] load, and consequent injury to people on the ground. Small Entity Impacts Based on the analysis, this AD is not a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866 or UMRA. The FAA did not change this AD as a result of this comment. Conclusion These products have been approved by the civil aviation authority of another country and are approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design Authority, that authority has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI referenced above. The FAA reviewed the relevant data, considered any comments received, and determined that air safety requires adopting this AD as proposed. Accordingly, the FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. Except for minor editorial changes, this AD is adopted as proposed in the NPRM. None of the changes will increase the economic burden on any operator. Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51 The FAA reviewed EASA AD 2025-0036, which specifies procedures for inspecting certain cargo hooks to measure the gap between the filler and the front and rear side plate assemblies and, depending on the results, replacing the cargo hook with a cargo hook that is not affected. Additionally, EASA AD 2025-0036 prohibits installing an affected cargo hook on any helicopter. This material is reasonably available because the interested parties have access to it through their normal course of business or by the means identified in the ADDRESSES section. Differences Between This AD and the MCAI The MCAI applies to Airbus Helicopters Model AS 350BB helicopters, whereas this AD does not because that model does not have an FAA type certificate. Costs of Compliance The FAA estimates that this AD affects 898 helicopters of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD. Estimated Costs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cost per Cost on U.S. Action Labor cost Parts cost product operators ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inspect cargo hook.................... 1 work-hour x $85 per $0 $85 $76,330 hour \1\ = $85. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ The FAA estimated operators will incur $85 in costs per labor hour, which is the weighted average fiscal year (FY) 2026 fully loaded wage of an aircraft mechanic ($69.85) working 60% of the labor hours and a general and operations manager ($108.15) working 40% of the labor hours. The FAA estimated these wages by taking the average of the FY 2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) air transportation industry average wage for aircraft mechanics and general and operations managers (See: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Query System, BLS (May 2024), data.bls.gov/oes/); multiplying each wage by a fringe benefit factor of 1.42 (See: Employer Cost for Employee Compensation--December 2024, BLS (2024), bls.gov/news.release/archives/ecec_03142025.pdf); and adjusting these 2024 wages to 2026 dollars using an implicit Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Price Deflator of 2.8% (See: Gross Domestic Product: Implicit Price Deflator, FRED (2026) fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GDPDEF). The FAA estimates the following costs to do any replacements required based on the results of the inspection. The agency has no way of determining the number of helicopters that might need this replacement. On Condition Costs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cost per Action Labor cost Parts cost product ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Replace cargo hook............................ 4 work-hours x $85 per hour = $62,136 $62,476 $340. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Authority for This Rulemaking Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII: Aviation Programs, describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's authority. The FAA is issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: General requirements. Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing regulations for practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator finds necessary for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within the scope of that authority because it addresses an unsafe condition that is likely to exist or develop on products identified in this rulemaking action. Regulatory Findings This AD will not have federalism implications under Executive Order 13132. This AD will not have a substantial direct effect on the States, on the relationship between the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government. For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this AD: (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 12866, (2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and (3) Will not have a significant economic impact, positive or negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by reference, Safety. The Amendment Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows: [[Page 39002]] PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES 0