Airworthiness Directives; Leonardo S.p.a. Helicopters

Built by the Tribune's code from the Federal Register. No AI wrote this page. Published in the Federal Register March 16, 2026. Document 2026-05098. Updated Nov. 13, 2026.

What it does

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Leonardo S.p.a. Model AB139 and AW139 helicopters with a certain supplemental type certificate (STC) installed. This AD was prompted by the absence of instructions on the information placards located next to the rear-facing seats to lock the seat headrest in the highest position during takeoff and landing. This AD requires revising the existing rotorcraft flight manual supplement (RFMS) and replacing the information placard with one that specifies instructions for locking the seat headrest. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Federal Aviation Administration's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What changed in the regulation

1 part of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

14 CFR 39

Wording on eCFR: the day before it took effect and from the day it took effect (first part listed).

Compared with

The Federal Aviation Administration has published 488 final rules in 2026 so far, compared with 518 in all of 2025.

Counted by the Tribune from Federal Register records since Jan. 1, 2025.

Before this

696 earlier Federal Register documents under regulation identifier 2120-AA64 since Jan. 1, 2025.

March 16, 2026 Final rule. Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes
March 16, 2026 Final rule. Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters
March 16, 2026 Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). Airworthiness Directives; Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG Engines
March 13, 2026 Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes
March 13, 2026 Final rule. Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters
March 13, 2026 Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). Airworthiness Directives; Various Helicopters
March 13, 2026 Final rule. Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (AHD) Helicopters
March 13, 2026 Final rule. Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters

Since then:

What happens next and when

This AD is effective March 31, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

The record as published

Document number	2026-05098
Action	Final rule; request for comments.
Agencies	Transportation Department; Federal Aviation Administration
Published	March 16, 2026
Effective date	March 31, 2026
Comments close	April 30, 2026
Regulation identifier (RIN)	2120-AA64
Docket	FAA-2026-2711

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register