In 2013, a 552-lb test dummy kept reeling out on its own and struck the ground. Thirteen years and three ADs later, the FAA is once again addressing the same component: the overload clutch, located deep inside the hoist. The latest issue is not wear, misuse, or a design flaw. On a batch of hoists, the clutch may never have been properly broken in at the factory.

The Story: AD 2026-17-05 (Amendment 39-23448) took effect October 2, 2026. It covers all Airbus H160-B, EC225LP, AS 365 N3, and AS332L2; Airbus Helicopters Deutschland EC135 (P1, P2, P2+, P3, T1, T2, T2+, T3), EC635T2+, and MBB-BK 117 C-2/D-2/D-3; and Leonardo AB139, AW109SP, AW139, AW169, and AW189 helicopters.

The FAA's wording is vague: some hoists "may have been equipped, during manufacturing or maintenance, with a non-conformant overload clutch assembly." The Airbus and Leonardo service bulletins behind the AD explain what went wrong. In Airbus's words:

"The supplier of the electric hoist noticed that run-in steps of the overload clutch have not been performed as required in the instructions. These steps are necessary for the conditioning of the friction discs to improve stability of the clutch."

Leonardo describes "a batch of Hoist Assemblies" whose clutches "may not have been assembled in accordance with the manufacturing 'run-in' steps." The FAA warns this "could lead to failure of the rescue hoist assembly, which could result in injury to a person being lifted or to persons on the ground."

The manufacturers moved first: Leonardo issued its bulletins in late 2024 and Airbus in February 2025. EASA made its AD final immediately, postponing public comment until after it took effect on March 14, 2025. The FAA went through a full comment period first, so its version took effect more than 18 months later.

The clutch's history

2013. During a maintenance check flight on an MBB-BK 117 C-2, a 552-lb dummy load "continued to reel-out without further command by the winch operator," striking the ground. The overload clutch had failed. Emergency AD 2013-06-51 ordered load tests fleet-wide. Goodrich noted the clutch design "is common to all externally-mounted rescue hoists."

2015. EASA kept tightening its own rules through a string of ADs starting in 2013. According to EASA, after its AD 2015-0160 was published, "18 hoists were confirmed to be below limit, with 22 more under investigation." Goodrich developed a new overload clutch "with improved process control," and EASA AD 2015-0226 (effective Nov. 21, 2015) required it.

2022. AD 2022-05-10 followed hoists "failing lower load limit inspections." The clutch is supposed to slip only well above rated load: at 32°F, the lower limit is 1,200 lb for a 600-lb hoist. A clutch that slips early can let a normal rescue load pay out. The AD required:

• replacing any hoist without the improved clutch (serial number starting with "4")
• placarded load limits and a 20° bank-angle limit
• a slip-load test every 6 months, 400 lifts, or 300 cycles

The FAA called it "interim action."

FAA vs. EASA. Both regulators started from the same 2013 failure and diverged. They agree on the 20° bank limit and on the same reduced maximum loads for both 500-lb and 600-lb hoists. The table compares AD 2022-05-10 with the EASA 2015-0226 series, including PAD 26-060, a proposal issued in May 2026.

FAAEASAHoist replacementOne time, with the improved clutchRecurring: 24 to 36 months depending on model, or sooner if a cycle or lift limit is reached. PAD 26-060 would measure this from new or last overhaul, instead of from installation as the current AD doesSlip-load testingFixed interval in the ADPer the manufacturer's instructionsCable checksInspection and diameter measurement at each testNot requiredCrew limitsNone. The FAA called a pendulum limit not "measurable or enforceable"15° pendulum-angle warning; maximum two persons hoisted; a placard caution that the "overload clutch is unlikely to function in case of overload"

In short, the FAA treats the improved clutch as the fix and continues to monitor it through testing, while EASA still assigns life limits to individual hoists. The FAA regulates the hoist as common equipment across multiple helicopter types, while EASA sets its life limits model by model.

2026. The concern is the same, clutch stability, but this time the cause is a production step, not the design. Serial-number prefixes don't help here. A hoist is renumbered with a leading "4" when it gets the new clutch ("00304 becomes 40304"), so the same hoist can carry different prefixes over its life. EASA notes that the leading digit is irrelevant: a 0XXXX serial number may represent the same hoist as 4XXXX or 5XXXX.

Field Notes: The AD is broad; the problem is narrow. The AD applies to 858 U.S. helicopters. Only hoists whose serial numbers appear in the bulletins must come off, and the lists are short. For most operators, compliance is a records check that Airbus estimates at half an hour.

To find your list, check the alert bulletin for your model:

• Airbus: AS332-25-97-0005, AS365-25-97-0003, EC225-25-97-0005, H160-25-97-0011, EC135-25-97-0004, and MBB-BK117-25-97-0008.
• Leonardo: 109SP-167, 139-805, 169-281, and 189-403.

Many hoists appear in more than one bulletin. For example, the same 28 AW hoists are listed for the AW109SP, AW139, and AW189.

Checking a hoist.

• Match the P/N and the last four digits of the S/N.
• Look for a label reading "ASB 44301-398-01" (Airbus) or "ASB 44314-398-01" (Leonardo) next to the ID plate, and a matching log card entry. Both the plate and the label are on the outside of the hoist housing. A listed hoist with the label has been reworked and is serviceable; the part number doesn't change.
• Check spares on the shelf too. Leonardo's effectivity covers hoists "kept in stock."
• Only Onboard Systems or facilities it authorizes can do the rework. The field job is to remove, ship, and replace.

Compliance time. A listed hoist must come off by the later of two deadlines:

• Its normal limit: 24 months or 1,200 hoist cycles since manufacture or last clutch replacement, whichever comes first. Leonardo adds a third limit of 1,600 lifts.
• A grace period: 30 days or 50 hoist cycles from Oct. 2, 2026, whichever comes first. Leonardo adds 66 lifts.

In practice, a hoist with plenty of time left on its normal limit can keep flying until it reaches that limit. A hoist already past its normal limit gets only the grace period: until about November 1, or 50 hoist cycles, whichever comes first. The bulletins say "1 month"; the AD's 30 days controls.

Two ADs, one hoist. Most affected part numbers are also covered by AD 2022-05-10. Until a listed hoist comes off, the 2022 requirements still apply, including:

• slip-load tests
• placarded load limits
• the 20° bank limit
• the partial peel-out rule: 20 inches or more of slip in one event grounds the hoist

The exception is the 44301-12-xxx hoists on the EC135 and BK117. They aren't in the 2022 AD's reference table, so check their own documentation.

Where the FAA differs from EASA.

• No reporting or parts return to the manufacturer is required.
• Ferry flights are allowed "provided that the rescue hoist is not used."
• The FAA list is shorter. The EC 175 B is excluded because it has no FAA type certificate (so only ten of EASA's eleven bulletins apply in the U.S.), and the FAA AD names only the EC635T2+ (EASA also lists the EC635 P2+, P3, T1, and T3) and doesn't list the MBB-BK117 D-3m.
• EASA accepts "later approved revisions" of the bulletins. The FAA AD points to the original issues.

Cost. The FAA estimates $46,913 per helicopter, or $40.25 million total. That figure assumes every one of the 858 helicopters needs a new hoist, and the real cost will be a small fraction of it, for two reasons:

• Most helicopters only need a records check. Airbus estimates half an hour to confirm a hoist's serial number against the list.
• Replacement hoists may cost nothing. All four Leonardo bulletins say replacements are "provided free of charge by Onboard Systems," provided you comply on time and return the removed hoist within 30 days (or be invoiced). The Airbus bulletins don't address cost, but the FAA notes that "some of the costs of this AD may be covered under warranty."

For a listed hoist, Airbus estimates 3.5 hours in total to identify, remove, and close up; Leonardo estimates about 4.

Why It Matters: Since 2013, operators have responded to overload-clutch problems with testing, placards, load limits, recurring inspections, and a fleet-wide hardware upgrade. Thirteen years in, the regulators still haven't closed the original clutch issue: both the FAA's 2022 AD and EASA's latest proposal are labeled "interim action." And all of those measures assume the clutch was built correctly. A missed run-in step leaves no visible evidence. The hoist carries the correct part number, passes visual inspection, and looks identical to every other unit on the shelf. What you can see is the outside of the hoist: the serial number on the ID plate and, on a reworked unit, the ASB label next to it.

So the lesson is not really about inspections. It’s about traceability. For most hoists, compliance is a half-hour look at the data plate and the label: if the serial number isn’t on the list, or the hoist carries the rework label, you’re done. Records matter for the hoists that are on the list. The log card’s clutch replacement date and the cycle or lift counts decide whether you have months left or 30 days.

In the end, this AD isn’t about finding a defective part. It’s about proving which parts were built correctly in the first place.

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