Helicopter bolt inspection rule closes manufacturing safety gap

The FAA is now requiring that certain bolts used in helicopter flight controls be inspected for invisible cracks during manufacturing — a step that wasn't being done before. This means helicopters already in service will need those bolts replaced, and any future installation of the old bolts is prohibited, closing a potential failure point in flight safety.

Some helicopters have been flying with flight control bolts that were never checked for cracks because manufacturers skipped a standard inspection step, revealing that even certified aircraft can have safety gaps in their production history that only surface after deployment.