FAA Proposes Airworthiness Directive to Prevent Fuel Leakage on Airbus MBB-BK 117 D-2 Helicopters After Survivable Accidents
ANALYSIS · October 15, 2026
Slug: airworthiness-directives-airbus-helicopters-deutschland-gmbh-ahd
Package note: This document is a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Federal Register on October 15, 2026 (91 FR 65492), Docket No. FAA-2026-11812. It proposes a new airworthiness directive (AD) under 14 CFR Part 39 that would require modification of the common cargo hook beam (CCHB) and fuel system plus structural reinforcement on all affected U.S.-registered helicopters. It does not issue a final rule, impose immediate legal obligations, or affect helicopters outside the defined applicability.
Primary sources
- Federal Register Documents (October 15, 2026): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/15/2026-21123/airworthiness-directives-airbus-helicopters-deutschland-gmbh-ahd-helicopters
The FAA has proposed a new airworthiness directive for all Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH Model MBB-BK 117 D-2 helicopters. The proposal stems from certification testing that showed a certain common cargo hook beam installation could cause fuel leakage after a survivable accident. If adopted, the AD would require modification of the CCHB and fuel system, installation of structural reinforcement, and would prohibit installation of the affected CCHB on any helicopter.
Core Tension
The document frames the action as addressing an “unsafe condition” identified through testing on similar models that, due to design similarity, also applies to the entire U.S. fleet of 28 MBB-BK 117 D-2 helicopters. It proposes mandatory modifications estimated to cost operators up to $229,920 per helicopter in one configuration, while offering an alternative prohibition on operating with the affected part. Open questions remain on exact compliance times, which are defined in the incorporated EASA AD 2025-0153 rather than stated directly here, and on whether the final rule will adopt any changes based on public comments due by November 30, 2026.
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