Airworthiness Directive 2025-24-04

recurring
Official AD 2025-24-04 · FR doc 2025-22234 · 2025-12-08 · airframe

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters

What this AD requires

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2021-20- 16, which applied to all Airbus Helicopters Model AS355E, AS 355-F, AS 355-F1, AS355F2, AS355N, and AS355NP helicopters and certain Model AS 350B3 helicopters. AD 2021-20-16 required repetitive cleaning and visual and detailed inspections of the right-hand side of the vertical fin spar and vertical fin upper attachments for discrepancies (cracking) with corrective action, if necessary. Since the FAA issued AD 2021-20-16, Airbus Helicopters developed a modification of the upper fin assembly. This AD requires the same actions as AD 2021-20-16 and replacement of the upper fin assembly with a modified upper fin assembly, which constitutes a terminating action for the repetitive inspections. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

Repetitive inspection. Re-inspect. The next-due date/hours depend on this aircraft’s time in service — a records report computes it from the logbooks.

Which aircraft AD 2025-24-04 applies to

MakesAirbus Helicopters
ModelsAS350B3, AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2, AS355N, AS355NP, AS350, AS355

Applicability as identified in European Union Aviation Safety Agency AD 2024-0139, dated July 12, 2024 (EASA AD 2024-0139).

Whether AD 2025-24-04 actually applies to your aircraft (by serial and installed parts) and whether it’s already complied with comes from that aircraft’s records.

How AD compliance is recorded

A valid compliance record (14 CFR 43.9) states:

Method of complianceThe specific action taken (inspected, replaced, modified) and to what revision.
DateWhen the work was done.
Aircraft timeTotal time in service / tach at compliance — how recurring next-due is computed.
Signature & certificateThe A&P/IA who returned it to service, with certificate number.
Is AD 2025-24-04 complied with on your aircraft?

Tailplate reads a tail number’s logbooks and matches every applicable AD — including this one — to its compliance evidence, with recurring next-due dates computed.

Look up a tail number →Read the full directive (Federal Register)

Applicability is derived from the FAA directive corpus and is advisory, not a legal airworthiness determination. Compliance is established only from an aircraft’s actual records.