Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited Helicopters

[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 166 (Friday, August 28, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 55446-55449]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17615]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2026-8788; Project Identifier MCAI-2026-00842-R; 
Amendment 39-23453; AD 2026-17-51]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
certain Bell Textron Canada Limited Model 222 helicopters. The FAA 
previously sent this AD as an emergency AD to all known U.S. owners and 
operators of these helicopters. This AD was prompted by a report of in-
flight fatigue failure of a tail rotor pitch horn. This AD requires 
removing the affected tail rotor pitch horn and associated tail rotor 
pitch links from service and installing a serviceable tail rotor pitch 
horn and associated tail rotor pitch links. This AD also prohibits 
installing an affected tail rotor pitch horn on any helicopter. The FAA 
is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective September 14, 2026. Emergency AD 2026-17-
51, issued on August 11, 2026, which contains the requirements of this 
amendment, was effective with actual notice.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication identified in this AD as of 
September 14, 2026.
    The FAA must receive comments on this AD by October 13, 2026.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments.
    <bullet> Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    <bullet> Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
    <bullet> Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FAA-2026-8788; 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 
street address for Docket Operations is listed above.
    Material Incorporated by Reference:
    <bullet> For Transport Canada material identified in this AD, 
contact Transport Canada, Transport Canada National Aircraft 
Certification, 159 Cleopatra Drive, Nepean, Ontario, K1A 0N5, Canada; 
phone: (888) 663-3639; email: [email protected]; website: tc.canada.ca/en/aviation.
    <bullet> 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-2026-8788.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Wilson, Aviation Safety 
Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; 
phone: (817) 222-5786; email: [email protected].

[[Page 55447]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites you to send any written data, views, or arguments 
about this final rule. Send your comments using a method listed under 
ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2026-8788; Project Identifier MCAI-
2026-00842-R'' at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful 
comments reference a specific portion of the final rule, explain the 
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. The FAA 
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend 
this final rule because of those comments.
    Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in 
the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR 
11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to 
regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. The 
agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal 
contact received about this final rule.

Confidential Business Information

    CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily 
and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public 
disclosure. If your comments responsive to this AD contain commercial 
or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that 
you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to 
this AD, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted 
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing 
CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked submissions as 
confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public 
docket of this AD. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to David 
Wilson, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, 
Westbury, NY 11590. Any commentary that the FAA receives which is not 
specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for 
this rulemaking.

Background

    The FAA issued Emergency AD 2026-17-51, dated August 11, 2026 
(Emergency AD 2026-17-51) (also referred to as the emergency AD), to 
address an unsafe condition on certain Bell Textron Canada Limited 
Model 222 helicopters. The FAA sent the emergency AD to all known U.S. 
owners and operators of these helicopters. The emergency AD requires 
removing tail rotor pitch horn part number (P/N) 222-012-774-109 and 
associated tail rotor pitch links from service and installing tail 
rotor pitch horn P/N 222-012-705-105 or P/N 222-012-705-107 and 
associated tail rotor pitch links as its replacement. The emergency AD 
also prohibits installing tail rotor pitch horn P/N 222-012-774-109 on 
any helicopter.
    Emergency AD 2026-17-51 was prompted by Transport Canada Emergency 
AD CF-2026-39, dated August 10, 2026 (Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-
2026-39) (also referred to as the MCAI), issued by Transport Canada, 
which is the aviation authority for Canada, to correct an unsafe 
condition on certain Bell Textron Canada Limited Model 222 helicopters. 
The MCAI states a report was received of in-flight fatigue failure of a 
tail rotor pitch horn due to higher stresses induced at certain 
critical locations on the pitch horn tangs leading to premature fatigue 
cracking.
    The FAA is issuing this AD to address undetected cracks, remove 
affected tail rotor pitch horns and associated tail rotor pitch links 
from service, and prohibit installation of the affected tail rotor 
pitch horns on any helicopter. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, 
could lead to failure of the tail rotor pitch horn and secondary tail 
rotor hub components, which could result in loss of control of the 
helicopter.
    You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FAA-2026-8788.

Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51

    The FAA reviewed Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-2026-39, which 
specifies procedures for removing tail rotor pitch horn P/N 222-012-
774-109 and associated tail rotor pitch links from service and 
installing tail rotor pitch horn P/N 222-012-705-105 or P/N 222-012-
705-107 and associated tail rotor pitch links as its replacement. 
Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-2026-39 also prohibits installing tail 
rotor pitch horn P/N 222-012-774-109 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.

FAA's Determination

    These products have been approved by the civil aviation authority 
(CAA) 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 is issuing 
this AD after determining that the unsafe condition described 
previously is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same 
type design.

AD Requirements

    This AD requires accomplishing the actions specified in Transport 
Canada Emergency AD CF-2026-39, described previously, as incorporated 
by reference, except for any differences identified as exceptions in 
the regulatory text of this AD.

Explanation of Required Compliance Information

    In the FAA's ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of the AD 
process, the FAA developed a process to use some CAA ADs as the primary 
source of information for compliance with requirements for 
corresponding FAA ADs. The FAA has been coordinating this process with 
manufacturers and CAAs. As a result, Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-
2026-39 is incorporated by reference in this AD. This AD requires 
compliance with Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-2026-39 in its 
entirety through that incorporation, except for any differences 
identified as exceptions in the regulatory text of this AD. Material 
required by Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-2026-39 for compliance 
will be available at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2026-8788 
after this AD is published.

Justification for Immediate Adoption and Determination of the Effective 
Date

    Section 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 
551 et seq.) authorizes agencies to dispense with notice and comment 
procedures for rules when the agency, for ``good cause,'' finds that 
those procedures are ``impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the 
public interest.'' Under this section, an agency, upon finding good 
cause, may issue a final rule without providing notice and seeking 
comment prior to issuance. Further, section 553(d) of the APA 
authorizes agencies to make rules effective in less than thirty days, 
upon a finding of good cause.
    An unsafe condition exists that required the immediate adoption of 
Emergency AD 2026-17-51, issued on August 11, 2026, to all known U.S. 
owners and operators of these helicopters. The FAA found that the risk 
to the flying public justified forgoing notice and comment prior to 
adoption of this rule because the tail rotor pitch horn is a critical 
flight control

[[Page 55448]]

component. The FAA has received a report of in-flight fatigue failure 
of a tail rotor pitch horn due to premature fatigue cracking which 
resulted in an accident. The FAA has no information pertaining to the 
extent of cracking on tail rotor pitch horns, which if not addressed, 
could lead to failure of the tail rotor pitch horn and secondary tail 
rotor hub components, which could result in loss of control of the 
helicopter. In addition, the affected parts must be removed from the 
helicopter before further flight. This compliance time is shorter than 
the time necessary for the public to comment and for the publication of 
the final rule. These conditions still exist, therefore, notice and 
opportunity for prior public comment are impracticable and contrary to 
the public interest pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b).
    In addition, the FAA finds that good cause exists pursuant to 5 
U.S.C. 553(d) for making this amendment effective in less than 30 days, 
for the same reasons the FAA found good cause to forego notice and 
comment.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) do not 
apply when an agency finds good cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 to adopt 
a rule without prior notice and comment. Because FAA has determined 
that it has good cause to adopt this rule without prior notice and 
comment, RFA analysis is not required.

Interim Action

    The FAA considers that this AD is an interim action. If final 
action is later identified, the FAA might consider additional 
rulemaking.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this AD affects 15 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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Verify tail rotor pitch horn part       1 work-hours x $85 per                $0             $85          $1,275
 number.                                 hour = $85.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary 
replacements that would be required based on the results of the part 
number verification. 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remove affected tail rotor      2 work-hours x       $13,730     $13,900
 pitch horn and associated       $85 per hour =
 tail rotor pitch links and      $170.
 install serviceable tail
 rotor pitch horn and
 associated tail rotor pitch
 links.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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, and
    (2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska.

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:

PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

0
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.


Sec.  39.13  [Amended]

0
2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness 
directive:

2026-17-51 Bell Textron Canada Limited: Amendment 39-23453; Docket 
No. FAA-2026-8788; Project Identifier MCAI-2026-00842-R.

(a) Effective Date

    The FAA issued Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2026-17-51 
on August 11, 2026 (also referred to as the emergency AD), directly 
to affected owners and operators. As a result of such actual notice, 
that emergency AD was effective for those owners and operators on 
the date it was received. This AD contains the same requirements as 
the emergency AD and, for those who did not receive actual notice, 
is effective on September 14, 2026.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Bell Textron Canada Limited Model 222 
helicopters, certificated in any category, as identified in 
Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-2026-39, dated

[[Page 55449]]

August 10, 2026 (Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-2026-39).

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC) Code 6400, Tail rotor 
system.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by a report of in-flight fatigue failure of 
a tail rotor pitch horn. The FAA is issuing this AD to address 
undetected cracks, remove affected tail rotor pitch horns and 
associated tail rotor pitch links from service, and prohibit 
installation of the affected tail rotor pitch horns. The unsafe 
condition, if not addressed, could lead to failure of the tail rotor 
pitch horns and secondary tail rotor hub components, which could 
result in loss of control of the helicopter.

(f) Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, 
unless already done.

(g) Required Actions

    Except as specified in paragraphs (h) and (i) of this AD: Comply 
with all required actions and compliance times specified in, and in 
accordance with, Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-2026-39.

(h) Exceptions to Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-2026-39

    (1) Where Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-2026-39 specifies 
``before next flight after the effective date of this AD'', this AD 
requires replacing that text with ``before further flight after the 
effective date of this AD''.
    (2) Where the material referenced in Transport Canada Emergency 
AD CF-2026-39 specifies discarding parts, this AD requires removing 
those parts from service.
    (3) Where the material referenced in Transport Canada Emergency 
AD CF-2026-39 specifies to make an entry in the helicopter logbook 
and historical service records indicating compliance with the 
referenced service material, this AD does not require those actions 
because those actions are already required in accordance with 14 CFR 
43.9(a) and 91.417(a)(2)(v). The record must be maintained as 
required by 14 CFR 91.417, or 135.439.

(i) No Reporting Requirement

    Although the material referenced in Transport Canada Emergency 
AD CF-2026-39 specifies to submit certain information to the 
manufacturer, this AD does not require that action.

(j) Special Flight Permits

    Special flight permits, as described in 14 CFR 21.197 and 
21.199, are not allowed.

(k) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, International Validation Branch, FAA, has the 
authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the 
procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, 
send your request to your principal inspector or responsible Flight 
Standards Office, as appropriate. If sending information directly to 
the manager of the International Validation Branch, send it to the 
attention of the person identified in paragraph (l) of this AD and 
email to [email protected].
    (2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate 
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager 
of the local flight standards district office/certificate holding 
district office.

(l) Additional Information

    For more information about this AD, contact David Wilson, 
Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, 
Westbury, NY 11590; phone: (817) 222-5786; email: 
[email protected].

(m) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference of the material listed in this paragraph 
under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) You must use this material as applicable to do the actions 
required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
    (i) Transport Canada Emergency AD CF-2026-39, dated August 10, 
2026.
    (ii) [Reserved]
    (3) For Transport Canada material identified in this AD, contact 
Transport Canada, Transport Canada National Aircraft Certification, 
159 Cleopatra Drive, Nepean, Ontario, K1A 0N5, Canada; phone: (888) 
663-3639; email: [email protected]; website: tc.canada.ca/en/
aviation.
    (4) You may view this material at 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.
    (5) You may view this material at the National Archives and 
Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability 
of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations or email [email protected].

    Issued on August 20, 2026.
Steven W. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-17615 Filed 8-26-26; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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