AD 2026-12-10

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.

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: ADs@easa.europa.eu; 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.

Yves Petiote, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: (202) 975-4867; email: yves.petiote@faa.gov.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

The FAA estimates that this AD affects 898 helicopters of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD.

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.

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.

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.

Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows:

1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:

2. The FAA amends § 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness directive: