# 2026-07101: FAA Orders Helicopter Window Ring Inspections for Safety

2026-07101, Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters, is a Federal Register proposed rule from Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration published 2026-04-13, effective The FAA must receive comments on this NPRM by May 28, 2026.; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-06-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-07101
- As of: 2026-06-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-07101
- Title: Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters
- Type: Proposed Rule
- Agencies: Transportation Department; Federal Aviation Administration
- Citation: 91 FR 18790
- Published: 2026-04-13
- Effective: The FAA must receive comments on this NPRM by May 28, 2026.
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: 2120-AA64
- Last updated: 2026-06-11

## In one line

FAA Orders Helicopter Window Ring Inspections for Safety

## Summary

The FAA wants Airbus Helicopters Model H160-B owners to check their jettisonable windows for missing retaining rings on hinge pins. If any rings are missing, they must be installed to keep the helicopter safe. Comments on this plan are open until May 28, 2026, and fixing this issue could save money by preventing bigger problems later.

## Abstract

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Helicopters Model H160-B helicopters. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of missing retaining rings on the hinge pins installed on the jettisonable window systems. This proposed AD would require inspecting for missing retaining rings on all the hinge pins installed on the jettisonable window systems and, depending on findings, installing missing retaining rings. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

## Effects PRIA read

- Inspect and Fix H160-B Jettison Windows: cost, low. If you operate an Airbus Helicopters Model H160-B (as identified in EASA AD 2025-0161), you must inspect all hinge pins on the jettisonable window systems for missing retaining rings and install any missing retaining rings. The FAA proposes to require compliance with EASA AD 2025-0161 (dated July 2…
- FAA Cost Estimates for Compliance: cost, low. The FAA estimates the proposed AD would affect 12 helicopters on the U.S. registry. Inspecting each helicopter is estimated at 2 work-hours × $85/hour = $170 per helicopter (covering 108 rings per helicopter in the inspection), and installing a missing retaining ring is estimated at $50 per ring.
- No Mandatory Reporting to Manufacturer: benefit, low. Although EASA AD 2025-0161 asks operators to submit certain information to the manufacturer, the FAA's proposed AD does not require submitting that information. Operators are therefore not required by this FAA AD to send inspection results to the manufacturer.

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## Sources
- [2026-07101 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/13/2026-07101/airworthiness-directives-airbus-helicopters)
- [2026-07101 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-04-13/pdf/2026-07101.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-07085, Excise Tax on Remittance Transfers](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-07085)
- [Next: 2026-07161, Proposed Amendment of Class C Airspace at Raleigh-Durham International Airport,…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-07161)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-07101 (as of 2026-06-11).