The directive was prompted by a report of a second crack in sleeves with part number 332A31-3071-00. This issue had already been addressed in a previous directive, FAA 2022-14-51, which also sought to mitigate risks following the discovery of an initial crack in this component.
However, recent investigations conducted by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) determined that the cause of the new crack is not related to the original issue. This led to the issuance of emergency directive EASA 2024-0215-E, published on November 14, 2024, which the FAA has adopted in this new regulation.
Mandatory measures
The FAA directive requires operators to:
- Perform repetitive inspections on the affected sleeves before the first flight of the day.
- Replace the sleeve and blade pins if cracks are detected.
- Prohibit the installation of these sleeves on any helicopter unless the stipulated requirements are met.
The FAA also prohibits the issuance of special flight permits and eliminates the obligation to submit reports to the manufacturer, as required by the European directive.
The agency states that this directive is interim, while a deeper analysis of the root cause of the problem is conducted. The severity of the risk – which could result in the loss of a main rotor blade and loss of aircraft control – justified the immediate adoption of this regulation without the usual public comment period.
Operators of Airbus EC225LP helicopters must comply with these mandatory actions to ensure operational safety. The measure may cause fleet availability disruptions due to inspections and potential component replacements.
