Fire Protection — Hand-held Fire Extinguishers — Replacement
- Published
- Effective
- Deadline
AI-generated summary of the official EASA document. Verify against the PDF before acting.
What to do
Operators must remove and replace the affected umlaut engineering GmbH Halon-free hand-held fire extinguishers during the next scheduled annual inspection or within four months after 12 February 2020, whichever is later. From the effective date, no affected parts may be installed on any helicopter. Compliance must be performed following the instructions in umlaut engineering GmbH Vendor Service Bulletin P3VSB000001, issue C.
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2020-0013 is an airworthiness directive addressing fire protection on various Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo, and WSK PZL – ŚWIDNIK helicopter models. It specifically targets the replacement of certain umlaut engineering GmbH Halon-free hand-held fire extinguishers with manufacturing defects that could render them inoperative. The affected helicopter models include AS 332, AS 365, EC 155, EC 175, EC 225, SA 330, SA 365, EC135, EC635, MBB-BK117, AB139, AB 204, AB 205, AB 212, AB 412, AS-61, AW139, AW169, AW189, and PZL W-3A series helicopters.
What changed
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2020-0013 introduces a mandatory replacement requirement for specific Halon-free hand-held fire extinguishers manufactured by umlaut engineering GmbH that have spindle geometry defects. It prohibits the installation of affected fire extinguishers from the effective date and requires removal and replacement of these parts within a specified timeframe. This is a new directive addressing a previously uncorrected unsafe condition.
Why it matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals because the defective fire extinguishers may fail to operate properly after prolonged exposure to high temperatures, potentially compromising fire suppression capability in the helicopter cabin. Operators and maintenance organizations must ensure compliance to maintain aircraft airworthiness and safety, preventing possible fire damage and occupant injury. Compliance teams must track affected serial numbers and part numbers to avoid installation of faulty extinguishers.
More for Airbus Helicopters EC175
All 73- EASA AD 2026-0179Tail Rotor – Tail Rotor Blade – Service Life Limit Amendment / ReplacementSep 18, 2026
- EASA PAD 26-090Tail Rotor – Tail Rotor Blade – Service Life Limit Amendment / ReplacementJul 24, 2026
- EASA AD 2026-0110[Correction] Fuselage – Screws and Nuts installed on Firewalls – InspectionJun 10, 2026
- EASA AD 2026-0039Time Limits / Maintenance Checks — Airworthiness Limitations Section — AmendmentFeb 27, 2026
- EASA PAD 26-026
Get the next one by email
New ADs and bulletins for these 34 aircraft types, summarized like this page, every Monday.