WASHINGTON—The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Friday it was requiring emergency inspections for more than 500 additional helicopters worldwide after a fatal Bell helicopter crash in Canada. On Wednesday, the FAA issued an emergency directive requiring main rotor inspections for some Bell model 212, 204 and 205 helicopters covering 140 U.S. helicopters and about 400 worldwide before further flights. The new directive affects another 359 helicopters in the United States and approximately 529 worldwide. Helicopter maker Bell, a unit of Textron Inc, on Friday confirmed the expansion noting it covers military variants. The new directive covers various restricted category helicopters that were originally manufactured by Bell Helicopter. The restricted aircraft are primarily used by the military and law enforcement. They are also used for forest and wildlife conservation, mineral exploration and other tasks requiring specialized aircraft. Bell said on Wednesday that even though the investigation was still under …
Originally found on the Epoch Times Read More
