Federal Register #2026-19960

Proposed FAA airworthiness directives for Airbus A330 airplanes and EC135/EC635 helicopters

The FAA proposes airworthiness directives covering Airbus A330-series airplanes and Airbus Helicopters EC135/EC635 helicopters; this is a safety-rule action, not a request to purchase products or services. - Government buyer and issuing agency - U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - OEMs named - Airbus SAS — A330-series airplanes - Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (AHD) — EC135/EC635 helicopters - Proposed compliance requirements - Applicable A330 operators would revise existing maintenance or inspection programs to include new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations addressing structural fatigue, accidental damage, corrosion, and life-limited-part risks. The proposal references applicable EASA airworthiness directives and estimates 90 work-hours per operator for the program revision. - Applicable EC135/EC635 operators would conduct a one-time inspection of the ball pivot, yaw actuator assembly, and associated parts, as well as repetitive ball-pivot inspections. Depending on findings, operators may need to replace affected parts, perform further inspections, and apply new sealing compound. Installation of affected parts would be restricted unless specified serviceability conditions are met. - Aircraft covered - Airbus A330-201, -202, -203, -223, -243, A330-223F, -243F, A330-301, -302, -303, -321, -322, -323, -341, -342, -343, A330-841, and A330-941 airplanes, subject to the proposal's applicability criteria. - Airbus Helicopters EC135P1, EC135P2, EC135P2+, EC135P3, EC135T1, EC135T2, EC135T2+, EC135T3, and EC635T2+ helicopters, subject to the proposal's applicability criteria. - No products, part numbers, or purchase quantities are identified. The listed work consists of proposed aircraft-operator compliance actions, not services being solicited by the FAA.

Description

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive 2025-17-06 for certain Airbus SAS A330-200, A330-200 Freighter, A330-300, A330-841, and A330-941 airplanes. The proposed directive would require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. The FAA states these limitations are needed to address fatigue cracking, accidental damage, corrosion in principal structural elements, and possible failure of certain life-limited parts that could reduce airplane structural integrity. Comments are due by November 16, 2026.

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