FAA Proposes Airworthiness Directive for Airbus Helicopters H160-B Over Blocked Window Jettison Mechanism
Why It MattersThe case shows how a maintenance-material residue can quietly defeat an emergency-egress system, and how FAA directives often adopt the European regulator's findings, so type-wide inspections follow one manufacturer investigation.
What happened
The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a new airworthiness directive covering all Airbus Helicopters Model H160-B helicopters. The notice of proposed rulemaking, document 2026-20885 (91 FR 64809), was published in the Federal Register on October 13, 2026, under docket number FAA-2026-11806 (Project Identifier MCAI-2026-00589-R).
The proposal was prompted by a report that the jettisoning function of a window could not be operated because the jettisoning mechanism was blocked. EASA AD 2026-0116, dated June 15, 2026, states that a manufacturer investigation found white particles, caused by fire retardant residue, on the rope of the jettisoning system. The residue prevented the rope from sliding and blocked the window's jettison mechanism.
The condition, if not addressed, could reduce the capability to evacuate occupants during an emergency and result in injury to occupants. The proposed AD would require removing the jettisonable windows, cleaning their ropes, and performing an operational test of the windows jettison systems. Those procedures are specified in EASA AD 2026-0116, which the FAA reviewed and proposes to incorporate by reference.
The FAA must receive comments on the NPRM by November 27, 2026. Comments may be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at regulations.gov or by hand delivery.
Industry impact & what to watch
The directive follows a familiar route: the European regulator issues a mandatory action, and the FAA reviews it and proposes to adopt it for the US-registered fleet by reference. For a type like the H160-B, a single manufacturer investigation therefore translates into a coordinated requirement on both sides of the Atlantic, rather than leaving operators to act on separate timetables.
The underlying issue is a maintenance-material interaction, not a structural fault. Fire retardant residue on a rope is the kind of contaminant that is easy to overlook in routine inspection yet can defeat a system whose only purpose is emergency egress. Egress features such as jettisonable windows are rarely exercised in normal service, so a blockage can stay hidden until the moment it matters, which is why the required work includes an operational test and not only cleaning.
The next dated milestone is the November 27, 2026 comment deadline. Whether the final rule keeps the same removal, cleaning and testing steps will depend on what comments the FAA receives by then.
