Opportunity
Federal Register #2026-14-02
FAA Airworthiness Directive for Airbus Helicopters: LACU Cleaning, EFS Switch Modification, and Manual Revision
Buyer
Federal Aviation Administration
Posted
July 10, 2026
Identifier
2026-14-02
NAICS
488190
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an airworthiness directive (AD) for Airbus Helicopters models AS350B2, AS350B3, EC120B, and EC130B4 to address a safety risk. - Government Buyer: - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation - OEMs and Key Organizations: - Airbus Helicopters (OEM) - European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) - Products/Services Required: - Repetitive cleaning and inspection of the Lighting and Ancillaries Control Unit (LACU) for foreign object debris (FOD) - Modification of Emergency Floatation System (EFS) activation switches - Revision of the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM) to include updated procedures - Each action applies to 576 helicopters across the specified models - Notable Requirements: - The AD is prompted by a risk of short-circuit in the LACU due to FOD or dust - The directive prohibits installation of affected LACUs unless compliance requirements are met - The AD incorporates EASA AD 20240018 by reference - Actions are required on all affected helicopters, with repetitive cycles until modifications and manual revisions are completed - No new product procurement is involved; the focus is on maintenance, modification, and compliance for existing equipment
Description
The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Helicopters Model AS350B2, AS350B3, EC120B, and EC130B4 helicopters. This AD was prompted by a short-circuit due to foreign object debris (FOD) or dust inside the lighting and ancillaries control unit (LACU). It requires repetitively cleaning and inspecting the affected LACU for FOD, modifying the emergency floatation system (EFS) activation switches, and revising the rotorcraft flight manual (RFM) as a terminating action for the cleaning and inspection requirements. The AD also prohibits installing an affected LACU on any helicopter unless certain requirements are met to address the unsafe condition.