Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters

Built by the Tribune's code from the Federal Register. No AI wrote this page. Published in the Federal Register April 14, 2026. Document 2026-07170. Updated Nov. 12, 2026.

What it does

The FAA is removing Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2026-01-51, which applied to all Airbus Helicopters Model H160-B helicopters. Emergency AD 2026-01-51 required replacing the upper and lower pitch rod end bearings on the pitch rods of the main rotor with new pitch rod end bearings and reporting information after accomplishment of the replacement. Emergency AD 2026-01-51 also prohibited installing any affected main rotor lower and upper pitch rod end bearings on any helicopter, unless it is a serviceable part. The FAA issued Emergency AD 2026-01-51 to address the structural failure of the main rotor lower and upper pitch rod end bearings. Since the FAA issued Emergency AD 2026-01-51, the manufacturer determined the failure of the main rotor pitch rod end was caused by an inadequate maintenance procedure and that the airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition and therefore no AD is warranted. The FAA concurs and removes Emergency AD 2026-01-51.

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 485 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

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

April 14, 2026 Final rule. Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Airplanes
April 14, 2026 Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). Airworthiness Directives; Columbia Helicopters, Inc. and Restricted Category Model CH-47D Helicopters
April 14, 2026 Final rule; request for comments. Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes
April 14, 2026 Final rule. Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters
April 14, 2026 Final rule; request for comments. Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters
April 13, 2026 Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters
April 13, 2026 Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes
April 10, 2026 Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes

Since then:

What happens next and when

This AD becomes effective April 14, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

The record as published

Document number	2026-07170
Action	Final rule; removal.
Agencies	Transportation Department; Federal Aviation Administration
Published	April 14, 2026
Effective date	April 14, 2026
Comments close	May 29, 2026
Regulation identifier (RIN)	2120-AA64
Docket	FAA-2026-0732

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