Proposed Rule2026-19970
Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited Helicopters
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 30, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bell Textron Canada Limited (Bell) Model 505 helicopters. This proposed AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This proposed AD would require revising the airworthiness limitation schedule (ALS) of the existing maintenance manual (MM) or instructions for continued airworthiness (ICA) and the existing approved maintenance or inspection program, as applicable. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 188 (Wednesday, September 30, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 188 (Wednesday, September 30, 2026)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 61806-61808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19970]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2026-11791; Project Identifier MCAI-2026-00491-R]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited Helicopters
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD)
for certain Bell Textron Canada Limited (Bell) Model 505 helicopters.
This proposed AD was prompted by a determination that new or more
restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This proposed AD
would require revising the airworthiness limitation schedule (ALS) of
the existing maintenance manual (MM) or instructions for continued
airworthiness (ICA) and the existing approved maintenance or inspection
program, as applicable. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the
unsafe condition on these products.
DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this NPRM by November 16, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments.
<bullet> Fax: (202) 493-2251.
<bullet> Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
<bullet> Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> under
Docket No. FAA-2026-11791; or in person at Docket Operations between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD
docket contains this NPRM, the mandatory continuing airworthiness
information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The
street address for Docket Operations is listed above.
Material Incorporated by Reference
<bullet> For Transport Canada material identified in this AD,
contact Transport Canada, Transport Canada National Aircraft
Certification, 159 Cleopatra Drive, Nepean, Ontario, K1A 0N5, Canada;
phone: (888) 663-3639; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6a3e29442b03181d05181e0203040f19192e03180f091e031c0f194729050419030d040f190e0f040b1c030d0b080306031e0f443e292a1e09440d0944090b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ca9e89e48ba3b8bda5b8bea2a3a4afb9b98ea3b8afa9bea3bcafb9e789a5a4b9a3ada4afb9aeafa4abbca3adaba8a3a6a3beafe49e898abea9e4ada9e4a9ab">[email protected]</span></a>. You may find the Transport Canada
material on the Transport Canada website at tc.canada.ca/en/aviation.
<bullet> You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 10101 Hillwood Parkway,
Fort Worth, TX 76177. For information on the availability of this
material at the FAA, call (817) 222-5110.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Zakaria Abdi, Aviation Safety
Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590;
phone: (316) 946-4141; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3c465d575d4e555d125a125d5e58557c5a5d5d125b534a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2d574c464c5f444c034b034c4f49446d4b4c4c034a425b">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or
arguments about this proposal. Send your comments using a method listed
under ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2026-11791; Project
Identifier MCAI-2026-00491-R'' at the beginning of your comments. The
most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the proposal,
explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting
data. The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date
and may amend this proposal because of those comments.
Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in
the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR
11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to
<a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>, including any personal information you provide. The
agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal
contact received about this NPRM.
Confidential Business Information
CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily
and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public
disclosure. If your comments responsive to this NPRM contain commercial
or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that
you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to
this NPRM, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing
CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such
[[Page 61807]]
marked submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be
placed in the public docket of this NPRM. Submissions containing CBI
should be sent to Zakaria Abdi, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600
Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590. Any commentary that the
FAA receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed
in the public docket for this rulemaking.
Background
Transport Canada, which is the aviation authority for Canada, has
issued Transport Canada AD CF-2026-20R1, dated July 21, 2026 (Transport
Canada AD CF-2026-20R1) (also referred to as the MCAI), to correct an
unsafe condition on certain Bell Model 505 helicopters. Transport
Canada AD CF-2026-20R1 supersedes Transport Canada AD CF-2026-20, dated
May 7, 2026, to clarify the issue number of the Chapter 4 of the ALS
referenced in the corrective actions. The MCAI states that Bell has
introduced new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations due to
revised fatigue assessments that revealed the need for new or more
restrictive airworthiness limitations on certain life-limited
components than were initially proposed. This condition, if not
addressed, could result in failure of critical parts and primary
structural components and loss of control of the helicopter.
You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> under
Docket No. FAA-2026-11791.
Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51
The FAA reviewed Transport Canada AD CF-2026-20R1, which specifies
procedures for replacing components before exceeding their life limits
and accomplishing all applicable maintenance tasks within thresholds
and intervals specified in the ALS as defined in Transport Canada AD
CF-2026-20R1.
This material is reasonably available because the interested
parties have access to it through their normal course of business or by
the means identified in ADDRESSES.
FAA's Determination
These products have been approved by the civil aviation authority
(CAA) of another country and are approved for operation in the United
States. Pursuant to the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of
Design Authority, that authority has notified the FAA of the unsafe
condition described in the MCAI referenced above. The FAA is issuing
this NPRM after determining that the unsafe condition described
previously is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same
type design.
Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM
This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified
in Transport Canada AD CF-2026-20R1, described previously, as
incorporated by reference, except for any differences identified as
exceptions in the regulatory text of this proposed AD. See
``Differences Between this Proposed AD and the MCAI'' for a discussion
of the general differences included in this proposed AD.
Differences Between This Proposed AD and the MCAI
Where Transport Canada AD CF-2026-20R1 specifies, within the
discard times identified, completion of the new or more restrictive
airworthiness limitations, this proposed AD would require revising the
ALS of the existing MM or ICA and the existing approved maintenance or
inspection program to incorporate the new or more restrictive
airworthiness limitations, as applicable, within 30 days after the
effective date of this proposed AD.
Explanation of Required Compliance Information
In the FAA's ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of the AD
process, the FAA developed a process to use some CAA ADs as the primary
source of information for compliance with requirements for
corresponding FAA ADs. The FAA has been coordinating this process with
manufacturers and CAAs. As a result, the FAA proposes to incorporate
Transport Canada AD CF-2026-20R1 by reference in the FAA final rule.
This proposed AD would, therefore, require compliance with Transport
Canada AD CF-2026-20R1 in its entirety through that incorporation,
except for any differences identified as exceptions in the regulatory
text of this proposed AD. Material required by Transport Canada AD CF-
2026-20R1 for compliance will be available at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> under
Docket No. FAA-2026-11791 after the FAA final rule is published.
Costs of Compliance
The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would
affect 191 helicopters of U.S. registry.
The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed
AD:
Estimated Costs
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Cost per Cost on U.S.
Action Labor cost Parts cost product operators
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Revise the ALS........................ 1 work-hour x $85 per $0 $85 $16,235
hour = $85.
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Authority for This Rulemaking
Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to
issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the
authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII: Aviation Programs,
describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's authority.
The FAA is issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in
Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: General requirements.
Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with promoting safe flight
of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing regulations for
practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator finds necessary
for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within the scope of that
authority because it addresses an unsafe condition that is likely to
exist or develop on products identified in this rulemaking action.
Regulatory Findings
The FAA determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism
implications under Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD would not
have a substantial direct effect on the States, on the relationship
between the national government and the States, or on the distribution
of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government.
For the reasons discussed above, I certify this proposed
regulation:
(1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive
Order 12866,
(2) Would not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
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(3) Would not have a significant economic impact, positive or
negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by
reference, Safety.
The Proposed Amendment
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the FAA proposes to amend 14 CFR part 39 as follows:
PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
0
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
0
2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness
directive:
Bell Textron Canada Limited: Docket No. FAA-2026-11791; Project
Identifier MCAI-2026-00491-R.
(a) Comments Due Date
The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive
(AD) by November 16, 2026.
(b) Affected ADs
None.
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to Bell Textron Canada Limited (Bell) Model 505
helicopters, certified in any category, as identified in Transport
Canada AD CF-2026-20R1, dated July 21, 2026 (Transport Canada AD CF-
2026-20R1).
(d) Subject
Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 05, Time limits/
maintenance checks.
(e) Unsafe Condition
This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more
restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. The FAA is
issuing this AD to prevent failure of critical parts and primary
structural components, which if not addressed could result in loss
of control of the helicopter.
(f) Compliance
Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified,
unless already done.
(g) Requirements
Except as specified in paragraphs (h) and (i) of this AD: Comply
with all required actions and compliance times specified in, and in
accordance with, Transport Canada AD CF-2026-20R1.
(h) Exceptions to Transport Canada AD CF-2026-20R1
Where Transport Canada AD CF-2026-20R1 specifies ``Within the
discard times identified, complete the new or more restrictive
AWLs'', this AD requires replacing that text with ``Within 30 days
after the effective date of this AD, revise the airworthiness
limitations section of the existing maintenance manual or
instructions for continued airworthiness and the existing approved
maintenance or inspection program to incorporate the new or more
restrictive airworthiness limitations''.
(i) Provisions for Alternative Actions and Intervals
After the action required by paragraph (g) of this AD has been
done, no alternative actions and associated thresholds and
intervals, including life limits, are allowed unless they are
approved as specified in Transport Canada AD CF-2026-20R1.
(j) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs):
(1) The Manager, International Validation Branch, FAA, has the
authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the
procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19,
send your request to your principal inspector or local Flight
Standards District Office, as appropriate. If sending information
directly to the manager of the International Validation Branch, send
it to the attention of the person identified in paragraph (k) of
this AD and email to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9cddd1d3dfdcfafdfdb2fbf3ea"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="32737f7d71725453531c555d44">[email protected]</span></a>.
(2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager
of the local flight standards district office/certificate holding
district office.
(k) Additional Information
For more information about this AD, contact Zakaria Abdi,
Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410,
Westbury, NY 11590; phone: (316) 946-4141; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#116b707a706378703f773f70737578517770703f767e67"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f78d969c96859e96d991d99695939eb7919696d9909881">[email protected]</span></a>.
(l) Material Incorporated by Reference
(1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the
incorporation by reference of the material listed in this paragraph
under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
(2) You must use this material as applicable to do the actions
required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
(i) Transport Canada AD CF-2026-20R1, dated July 21, 2026.
(ii) Reserved
(3) For Transport Canada material identified in this AD, contact
Transport Canada National Aircraft Certification, 159 Cleopatra
Drive, Nepean, Ontario K1A 0N5, Canada phone: (888) 663-3639; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7420375a351d06031b06001c1d1a110707301d061117001d02110759371b1a071d131a110710111a15021d1315161d181d00115a20373400175a13175a1715"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fbafb8d5ba92898c94898f9392959e8888bf92899e988f928d9e88d6b8949588929c959e889f9e959a8d929c9a999297928f9ed5afb8bb8f98d59c98d5989a">[email protected]</span></a>. You
may find this material on the Transport Canada website at
tc.canada.ca/en/aviation.
(4) You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 10101 Hillwood Parkway,
Fort Worth, TX 76177. For information on the availability of this
material at the FAA, call (817) 222-5110.
(5) You may view this material at the National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability
of this material at NARA, visit <a href="http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations">www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations</a> or email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a1c7d38fc8cfd2d1c4c2d5c8cecfe1cfc0d3c08fc6ced7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7117035f181f0201141205181e1f311f1003105f161e07">[email protected]</span></a>.
Issued on September 25, 2026.
Steven W. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-19970 Filed 9-29-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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