Helicopter owners must now check for a specific defect or replace the landing gear

The US aviation regulator is ordering owners of specific Leonardo S.p.a. helicopters to repeatedly inspect their main landing gear. If a defect is found, the entire shock absorber assembly must be replaced.

This rule means helicopter operators now have a mandatory, recurring maintenance task for a specific part. It shifts the burden of identifying a potential failure from a reactive response to a proactive inspection and replacement schedule. This could prevent future accidents caused by the identified defect.