FAA Enforces Emergency Directive for Specific Bell 505 Helicopters
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive AD 2026-05-51 for certain Bell 505 helicopters. This directive addresses a critical safety fault that, if left unchecked, could result in total loss of control.
This emergency order is applicable to Bell Model 505 helicopters with serial numbers 65011 and above. These helicopters are equipped with aft movable ballast box assemblies. The directive comes in the wake of Transport Canada’s emergency order, which addressed issues with a hinge assembly discovered during post-flight inspections.
The FAA has mandated operators to revise the Limitations section of the Rotorcraft Flight Manual. This is to prohibit the use of ballast weights in the affected assemblies before further flight. The issue originates from deformation and improper pin engagement in door hinge knuckles. This could potentially allow ballast weights to escape the box and strike the tail rotor assembly. The resulting damage could lead to loss of thrust, severe vibration, and catastrophic loss of controllability.
Any owner or operator holding at least a private pilot certificate can implement the procedural fix. This can be done by inserting a copy of the AD into the aircraft’s flight manual.
Source: Aero News