Equipment / Furnishings — Emergency Sea Anchor Pin — Inspection / Replacement
- Published
- Effective
- Replaces
- 2025-0146-E
- Replaces
- 2025-0278
AI-generated summary of the official EASA document. Verify against the PDF before acting.
What to do
Operators of Airbus Helicopters AS 332 L series and EC 225 LP must inspect the emergency sea anchor pin within specified flight hours or days depending on prior inspections. Any detected discrepancies require replacement of the affected part within defined compliance times or installation of a locally made plug as a temporary fix. Only serviceable parts may be installed from 24 December 2025 onward.
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2025-0278R1 is an updated safety directive addressing the inspection and replacement of the emergency sea anchor pin on Airbus Helicopters AS 332 L, L1, L2 and EC 225 LP models. The directive mandates inspections and potential replacement of affected emergency sea anchor parts with specific part numbers to prevent corrosion-related failures. This directive applies to all serial numbers of the specified helicopter models.
What changed
This revision of EASA AD 2025-0278 includes the EC 225 helicopter model explicitly in the type/model designation field, correcting an omission in the previous version. It also retains the inspection and replacement requirements from earlier ADs and adds an additional inspection step for the affected parts. The directive clarifies compliance timelines and allows for the installation of a locally made plug as a temporary measure.
Why it matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals to prevent potential in-flight failure of the emergency sea anchor pin, which could cause rotor damage and loss of helicopter control. Operators and maintenance teams must ensure timely inspections and replacements to maintain airworthiness and comply with EU regulations. Failure to comply could result in unsafe flight conditions and regulatory penalties.
More for Airbus Helicopters SA 330
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