FAA Orders Crack Hunts on Airbus Helicopter Tails for Safety
Published Date: 12/17/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
The FAA wants all owners of certain Airbus AS355 helicopters to regularly check the tail fin’s vertical spar for cracks and fix any problems found. They also want to stop installing some upper fin parts to keep flights safe. Comments on this plan are open until February 2, 2026, so owners should prepare for inspections that might cost time and money but keep everyone flying safely.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 3 costs, 1 mixed.
Replacement with reinforced upper fin is costly
If an inspection finds a crack, the AD requires removing the upper fin and installing the reinforced upper fin assembly P/N 355A14-0522-1751 before further flight. The FAA estimates that modification takes 40 work-hours and parts cost $25,360, for an estimated $28,760 per helicopter.
Required inspections of tail fin spar
If you own or operate an affected Airbus AS355 helicopter, the FAA would require repetitive inspections of the vertical upper fin spar and corrective actions if cracks are found. The FAA estimates an initial cleaning and inspection takes 2.5 work-hours ($213 per helicopter, $37,701 for the U.S. fleet of 177 helicopters) and a repetitive borescope inspection takes 0.5 work-hour ($43 per helicopter, up to $7,611 for the U.S. fleet) per inspection cycle.
Some fin parts banned; reinforced fin ends inspections
The proposed AD prohibits installing certain upper fin assemblies and specifies that installing upper fin assembly P/N 355A14-0522-1751 constitutes terminating action for the repetitive inspection requirement. That means you cannot install the prohibited parts, and installing the reinforced P/N stops the need for the repeated inspections.
Special flight permits are prohibited
The proposed AD explicitly prohibits special flight permits for affected helicopters. That means operators cannot use a special permit to fly the helicopter to perform the required actions or maintenance under this AD.
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Key Dates
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