FAA Proposes New Airworthiness Directive for Leonardo A119 and AW119 MKII Helicopters

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a proposal to supersede an existing airworthiness directive affecting Leonardo S.p.A. Model A119 and AW119 MKII rotorcraft. The previous directive, designated as AD 2024-18-01, currently mandates repetitive checks of certain collective stick torque tube assemblies to identify and correct any deficiencies.

Following the publication of the earlier directive, the manufacturer engineered an improved collective stick torque tube assembly and released corresponding replacement instructions. Consequently, the new proposal would require operators to continue conducting repetitive inspections of the affected components and carry out corrective replacements based on the inspection findings.

Furthermore, the proposed regulatory action would require modifying the rotorcraft by swapping out the affected component for a serviceable part. Performing this modification would serve as a terminating action, permanently ending the requirement for repetitive inspections.

As part of the proposed measures, the regulatory agency would also forbid the installation of any affected parts on rotorcraft in the future. The Federal Aviation Administration stated that these proposed requirements are necessary to address the identified unsafe condition across the affected aircraft models.

Sources: FAA (Federal Register)