FAA Demands Dust-Busting on Choppers to Stop Shocking Short Circuits
Published Date: 3/9/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
If you fly Airbus Helicopters like the AS 350B2, AS 350B3, EC120B, or EC 130 B4, listen up! The FAA wants you to regularly clean and check a part called the lighting and ancillaries control unit to stop short circuits caused by dust or debris. You might also need to update your emergency floatation switches and flight manual soon, so get ready to keep your chopper safe and sound.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 4 costs, 0 mixed.
Required repetitive LACU cleaning and inspection
If you operate an Airbus Helicopter Model AS 350B2, AS 350B3, EC120B, or EC 130 B4, the FAA would require repetitively cleaning and inspecting the lighting and ancillaries control unit (LACU) for foreign object debris (FOD). The FAA estimated the cleaning and inspection takes 2 work-hours at $85 per hour (total $170) per helicopter per inspection, and applying that per-inspection cost to U.S. registry helicopters equals $97,920 per inspection for the affected fleet.
EFS activation-switch modification required
Depending on helicopter configuration, you would need to modify emergency flotation system (EFS) activation switches as a terminating action for the repetitive cleaning and inspection requirement. The FAA estimated the modification takes 16 work-hours at $85 per hour (total $1,360) per helicopter and estimated the cost on U.S. operators to be $783,360.
Installation and part removal restrictions
The proposed AD would prohibit installing certain affected LACUs and EFS units on any helicopter unless specified requirements are met, and where the referenced EASA material specifies to discard parts, the FAA requires removing those parts from service. These installation and removal rules apply to the affected Airbus Helicopters models (AS 350B2, AS 350B3, EC120B, EC 130 B4).
Number of helicopters affected and per-action fleet costs
The FAA estimates this AD would affect 576 helicopters of U.S. registry. The FAA's cost estimates shown in the proposal are: $170 per helicopter per inspection (2 work-hours x $85) totaling $97,920 per inspection across U.S. operators; $1,360 per helicopter for the EFS modification totaling $783,360 for U.S. operators; and $85 per helicopter to revise the RFM totaling $48,960 for U.S. operators.
Rotorcraft flight manual must be revised
The proposed AD requires revising the existing Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM) for the helicopter to reflect the EFS activation-switch modification and updated procedures. The FAA estimated revising the RFM takes 1 work-hour at $85 per hour per helicopter, totaling $48,960 for the affected U.S. fleet.
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