Data / Federal rules / 2026-15978
Airworthiness Directives; Various Helicopters
The Federal Aviation Administration published this final rule in the Federal Register on August 6, 2026. It took effect on September 10, 2026.
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What the agency says
The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2015-20-12 for certain Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Model S-61A, D, E, L, N, NM, R, and V; Croman Corporation Model SH-3H; Carson Helicopters, Inc., Model S-61L and SH-3H; Glacier Helicopter, Inc., Model CH-3E; Robinson Air Crane, Inc., Model CH-3E, CH-3C, HH-3C and HH-3E; and Siller Helicopters Model CH-3E and SH-3A helicopters. AD 2015-20-12 required performing calculations to determine whether the main rotor shaft (MRS) was used in repetitive external lift (REL) operations or non-REL operations, performing a nondestructive inspection (NDI) of the REL MRS for cracks and, depending on the results of the NDI, replacing the MRS, marking any REL MRS at the time of the NDI, establishing retirement lives for each REL MRS, and removing from service any MRS with oversized dowel pin bores. Since the FAA issued AD 2015-20-12, a design re-evaluation shows that the MRS on certain helicopter models requires a lower life limit. This AD retains some of the requirements of AD 2015-20-12, and also reduces the retirement life for a certain MRS installed on certain helicopters and updates the type certificate holder name for some of the affected helicopter models. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2026-15978
- Type
- Final rule
- Action
- Final rule
- Agency
- Transportation Department; Federal Aviation Administration
- Published
- August 6, 2026
- Takes effect
- September 10, 2026
- Dates
- This AD is effective September 10, 2026.
- Docket
- Docket No. FAA-2026-3488; Project Identifier AD-2024-00583-R; Amendment 39-23429; AD 2026-15-17
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 2120-AA64
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 14 CFR 39
- Topics
- Air transportation; Aircraft; Aviation safety; Incorporation by reference; Safety
- Pages
- 3
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Everything from the Federal Aviation Administration · Rules on air transportation · Rules on aircraft · Rules on aviation safety · Published in August 2026
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.