Helicopter blades must be inspected for manufacturing defects, or replaced

The US aviation regulator is proposing new rules for certain Leonardo S.p.a. helicopters. This means specific main rotor blades must be repeatedly checked for defects, and replaced if found faulty.

A manufacturing quality problem with helicopter rotor blades means some helicopters could have structural failures. This rule forces operators to find and fix those problems. It also prevents new faulty blades from being installed.