Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters
The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Helicopters Model AS332C, AS332C1, AS332L, AS332L1, and SA330J helicopters. This AD was prompted by reports of fatigue cracks found on arms of the tail rotor (TR) pitch change spider due to a load increase originating from degraded bearing stacks. Th
| Agency | Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration |
|---|---|
| Document type | Rule |
| Published | 2026-03-13 |
| Summary | The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Helicopters Model AS332C, AS332C1, AS332L, AS332L1, and SA330J helicopters. This AD was prompted by reports of fatigue cracks found on arms of the tail rotor (TR) pitch change spider due to a load increase originating from degraded bearing stacks. This AD requires reduced life limit intervals for the affected bearing stack and requires replacing the affected bearing stack before exceeding these intervals. This AD also prohibits the installation of the affected bearing stack on a helicopter, unless certain requirements are met. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. |
| Document number | 2026-04919 |
| Official record | https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/13/2026-04919/airworthiness-directives-airbus-helicopters |