Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (AHD) Helicopters

[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 195 (Friday, October 9, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 64606-64609]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-20722]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2026-11805; Project Identifier MCAI-2026-00811-R; 
Amendment 39-23491; AD 2026-21-02]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH 
(AHD) Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all 
Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (AHD) Model MBB-BK 117 C-1 
helicopters. This AD was prompted by a report of a louver box assembly 
detaching in flight due to incorrect installation. This AD requires 
repetitively accomplishing a play check of the affected louver box 
assembly and, depending on the results of the check, accomplishing 
corrective actions. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe 
condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective October 26, 2026.
    The FAA must receive comments on this AD by November 23, 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-2026-11805; 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Aryanna Sanchez, Aviation Safety 
Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; 
phone: (817) 222-4058; email: [email protected].

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-2026-11805; Project Identifier 
MCAI-2026-00811-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

[[Page 64607]]

of this AD. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Aryanna 
Sanchez, 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 European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the 
Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued 
EASA AD 2026-0152, dated July 30, 2026 (EASA AD 2026-0152) (also 
referred to as ``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition on all AHD 
Model MBB-BK 117 C-1 helicopters. The MCAI states an occurrence was 
reported of an affected louver box assembly of the vapor cycle air 
cooling system part number (P/N) 117-820014 detaching in-flight due to 
incorrect installation. This condition, if not addressed, could lead to 
in-flight loss of parts, which could impact the main or tail rotor, 
lead to reduced control of the helicopter, necessitate an emergency 
landing, or cause injury to persons on the ground.
    You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FAA-2026-11805.

FAA's Determination

    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 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 repetitively accomplishing a play check of the 
louver box assembly of vapor cycle air cooling system part number (P/N) 
117-820014, and if there is any play accomplishing corrective actions 
in accordance with a method approved by the Manager, International 
Validation Branch, FAA; or EASA; or AHD's EASA Design Organization 
Approval (DOA).
    The owner/operator (pilot) holding at least a private pilot 
certificate may accomplish a play check of the louver box assembly of 
vapor cycle air cooling system installed on the helicopter, by pulling 
it upward by hand on all four corners, and must enter compliance into 
the helicopter maintenance records 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, 121.380, or 135.439. The pilot may perform this action 
because it only involves checking to see if the louver box assembly is 
installed firmly, which could be performed equally well by a pilot or 
mechanic. This is an exception to the FAA's standard maintenance 
regulations.

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 requires the immediate adoption of 
this AD without providing an opportunity for public comments prior to 
adoption. The FAA has found that the risk to the flying public 
justifies forgoing notice and comment prior to adoption of this rule 
because if a louver box assembly is incorrectly installed, it could 
lead to parts separating from the helicopter in flight and impacting 
the main rotor blade or the tail rotor blade. This condition could also 
lead to an emergency landing, or impact of parts to persons on ground. 
The root cause of this separation has been identified as incorrect 
installation; however, the specific installation deficiency has not yet 
been fully determined. To ensure this unsafe condition is immediately 
detected and does not reoccur, a play check for looseness must be done 
before the first flight of each day. This compliance time is shorter 
than the time necessary for the public to comment and for publication 
of the final rule. Accordingly, 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 forgo 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 the 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 
actions are later identified, the FAA might consider further 
rulemaking.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this AD affects 9 helicopters of U.S. 
registry.
    The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                Cost on U.S.
              Action                    Labor cost        Parts cost    Cost per product          operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Play check of the louver box       1 work-hour x $85              $0  $85 (per check).....  $765 (per check).
 assembly (per check).              per hour = $85 (per
                                    check).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The actions needed as a result of any play in the assembly could 
vary significantly from helicopter to helicopter. The FAA was unable to 
obtain costs of any corrective actions from the design approval holders 
within the time necessary to address the unsafe condition.

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

[[Page 64608]]

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:

2026-21-02 Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (AHD): Amendment 39-
23491; Docket No. FAA-2026-11805; Project Identifier MCAI-2026-
00811-R.

(a) Effective Date

    This airworthiness directive (AD) is effective October 26, 2026.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to all Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (AHD) 
Model MBB-BK 117 C-1 helicopters, certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC) Code 2100, Air 
conditioning system.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by a report of a louver box assembly 
detaching in flight due to incorrect installation. The FAA is 
issuing this AD to address and prevent incorrectly installed parts. 
The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could lead to in-flight loss 
of parts, which could impact the main or tail rotor, lead to reduced 
control of the helicopter, necessitate an emergency landing, or 
cause injury to persons on the ground.

(f) Compliance

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

(g) Required Actions

    (1) Before the first flight of each day, accomplish a play check 
of the louver box assembly of the vapor cycle air cooling system 
part number (P/N) 117-820014, as depicted in Figure 1 to paragraph 
(g)(1) of this AD, by pulling it upward by hand on all four corners. 
The owner/operator (pilot) holding at least a private pilot 
certificate may accomplish this play check, and must enter 
compliance into the helicopter maintenance records 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, 121.380, or 135.439.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR09OC26.000


[[Page 64609]]


    (2) If there is any play found during any check required by 
paragraph (g)(1) of this AD, before further flight, accomplish 
corrective actions in accordance with a method approved by the 
Manager, International Validation Branch, FAA; or EASA; or AHD's 
EASA Design Organization Approval (DOA). If approved by the DOA, the 
approval must include the DOA-authorized signature.

(h) No Reporting Requirement

    Although the material referenced in EASA AD 2026-0152 specifies 
to submit certain information to the manufacturer, this AD does not 
include that requirement.

(i) 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 local Flight 
Standards District 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 (j) 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.

(j) Additional Information

    For more information about this AD, contact Aryanna Sanchez, 
Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, 
Westbury, NY 11590; phone: (817) 222-4058; email: 
[email protected].

(k) Material Incorporated by Reference

    None.

    Issued on October 6, 2026.
Steven W. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-20722 Filed 10-7-26; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

The complete text was extracted from the official GovInfo HTML edition for this publication. Acquired 2026-10-11T15:10:26.127995+00:00. Text extraction preserves the recorded source wording; it does not determine current requirements.

Open the captured official edition

Source SHA-256

e5a888d6dc2c60877862fcd41ddcc252451784e41531d44869f38a833e8097b2

Text SHA-256

37b3afaa502ae24dca0555229e3624481090e9b8b7606d0eeadddc8dbd65a2c0