# 2025-20946: FAA's High-Tech Safety Solution: Red Paint on Helicopter Parts 2025-20946, Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters, is a Federal Register rule from Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration published 2025-11-25, effective 2025-12-30; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-06-11). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-20946 - As of: 2026-06-11 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Document number: 2025-20946 - Title: Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters - Type: Rule - Agencies: Transportation Department; Federal Aviation Administration - Citation: 90 FR 53210 - Published: 2025-11-25 - Effective: 2025-12-30 - Comments close: not stated - Significant: no - Touches household money: yes - Regulation identifier numbers: 2120-AA64 - Last updated: 2026-06-11 ## In one line FAA's High-Tech Safety Solution: Red Paint on Helicopter Parts ## Summary If you fly an Airbus EC120B helicopter, listen up! The FAA is updating safety rules to keep your tail rotor in top shape by adding a cool red paint mark to help spot loose parts. Starting December 30, 2025, you’ll still do regular inspections, but this new paint job means fewer checks over time—saving you time and possibly money while keeping flights safe. ## Abstract The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2021-26- 07, which applies to all Airbus Helicopters Model EC120B helicopters. AD 2021-26-07 requires performing repetitive inspections of the tail rotor (TR) hub body and, depending on the inspection results, replacing certain parts, and accomplishing further inspections. AD 2021-26-07 also requires for certain helicopters removing from service any bolt, washer, and nut installed on the TR hub body at certain life limits and replacing them with airworthy parts and accomplishing further inspections. Additionally, AD 2021-26-07 prohibits the installation of a certain part-numbered TR hub body unless certain requirements are met. Since the FAA issued AD 2021-26-07, it was determined that modifying the link of the TR hub body and splined flange by adding red paint marks is necessary to enable the detection of any loss of tightening torque. This AD retains the same repetitive inspections and corrective actions as AD 2021-26-07 and requires modification of the link of the TR hub body, which is a terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This AD also requires repetitive inspections of the red paint line added during the modification of the link of the TR hub body for alignment. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. ## Effects PRIA read - Immediate repetitive inspections required: cost, high. If you operate an Airbus Helicopters Model EC120B, you must visually inspect the tail rotor (TR) hub body for cracks within 15 hours time-in-service (TIS) or 7 days after December 30, 2025, and then at intervals not to exceed 15 hours TIS. You must also visually inspect the TR splined flange at the… - Hardware replacement schedule and thresholds: cost, high. For EC120B helicopters with 9,000 or more total hours TIS or unknown hours, you must, within 15 hours TIS or 7 days after December 30, 2025, remove and replace each bolt, washer, and nut on the TR hub body and then repeat that removal/replacement at intervals not to exceed 1,000 hours TIS. For heli… - Torque check and red paint modification ends inspections: mixed, medium. Within 24 months after December 30, 2025, operators must inspect the torque on the TR hub nut; if torque is within limits, you must apply a red paint line (polyurethane) to specified bolts, nuts, and washers. Applying the red paint line is a terminating action for the repetitive inspections. If tor… - Replacement part cost exposures spelled out: cost, high. The FAA estimates this AD affects 70 U.S.-registered EC120B helicopters and provides cost estimates: a visual TR hub or spline flange inspection is about $22 per helicopter; replacing a bolt/washer/nut set is about $68; inspecting torque and adding the red paint line is about $340 per helicopter; r… - Parts installation restriction takes effect: cost, medium. As of December 30, 2025, you may not install TR hub body P/N C642A0100103 or a splined flange on any EC120B helicopter unless the part is new (zero hours TIS) or has passed the inspections required by the AD. This limits installation of those part-numbered components until they meet the AD's inspec… ## Related documents - [2026-15585](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15585): Requirements for Interference-Tolerant Radio Altimeter Systems, 2026-07-31 - [2026-13440](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-13440): Enabling Supersonic Overland Flight, 2026-07-02 - [2026-13126](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-13126): Designation-Restrict the Operation of Unmanned Aircraft in Close Proximity to a Fixed Site Facility; Extension of Comment Period, 2026-06-30 - [2026-08943](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-08943): Designation-Restrict the Operation of Unmanned Aircraft in Close Proximity to a Fixed Site Facility, 2026-05-06 - [2025-04846](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-04846): Extension of the Prohibition Against Certain Flights in the Territory and Airspace of Libya, 2025-03-20 - [2025-03853](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-03853): Enforcement Policy Regarding “Drug and Alcohol Testing of Certificated Repair Station Employees Located Outside of the United States; Corre…, 2025-03-11 ## Sources - [2025-20946 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/25/2025-20946/airworthiness-directives-airbus-helicopters) - [2025-20946 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-11-25/pdf/2025-20946.pdf) ## Related - [Previous: 2025-20935, Safety Zones; Recurring Events in Captain of the Port Duluth Zone](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-20935) - [Next: 2025-20951, Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-20951) - [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-20946 (as of 2026-06-11).