EASA AD 2025-0162
Equipment / Furnishings — Emergency Life-Raft Personal Locator Beacon — Inspection
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2025-0162 is an airworthiness directive issued by EASA concerning Airbus Helicopters H160-B models. It mandates inspection of the emergency life-raft personal locator beacon (PLB) with Part Number U256M30T1001 and its rope connection to ensure proper battery charge and secure attachment. The directive aims to prevent operational failures of the PLB during emergencies.
What Changed
This new airworthiness directive introduces mandatory inspections of the PLB battery and rope connections on affected H160-B helicopters within 330 flight hours or 6 months after the effective date. It also requires corrective actions if discrepancies are found and allows installation of the affected parts only if inspected and corrected as necessary. No previous AD is superseded by this directive.
Why It Matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals to ensure the reliability of emergency life-raft locator beacons, which are essential for timely rescue operations after a ditching. Operators and maintenance teams must comply to avoid potential failures that could delay rescue services and medical assistance. Compliance ensures continued airworthiness and regulatory adherence for affected helicopters.
What To Do
Operators of Airbus Helicopters H160-B must inspect the PLB battery and rope connections within 330 flight hours or 6 months from 12 August 2025, following Airbus Helicopters Alert Service Bulletin H160-25-63-0001. Any discrepancies found must be corrected before the next flight. Installation of affected parts is permitted only after inspection and correction as required by the directive.