Regulations & Safety
AAIB Report Details Leonardo AW139 Tail Rotor Bearing Near-Miss
The AAIB report reveals a severe tail rotor duplex bearing failure on a Leonardo AW139 in 2022, prompting safety recommendations for offshore helicopter operations.
According to the official AAIB report, the critical defect was only discovered during a routine post-flight MRO check at Norwich Airport. The helicopter had spent the day transporting passengers to North Sea oil rigs. The findings highlight a severe safety issue, as investigators noted that continued operation would likely have resulted in a complete loss of tail rotor control.
This incident has raised fresh concerns within the aviation industry, drawing stark parallels to the fatal 2018 Leicester City helicopter crash, which involved a similar Leonardo rotorcraft and a comparable bearing failure. In response to the findings, the AAIB has issued three new safety recommendations.
The Incident and Investigation Findings
Routine Inspection Averts Disaster
The incident on June 13, 2022, involved a Leonardo AW139 flying offshore routes from Norwich Airport. Upon returning to base, maintenance engineers conducting a standard post-flight inspection noticed a glaring anomaly: a hole had worn completely through the protective bearing and actuator cover over the tail rotor duplex bearing assembly.
When personnel removed the cover, they discovered extensive internal damage. The AAIB report details that the assembly contained exposed ball bearings, heavy wear, and significant accumulations of carbon dust. The degradation was so severe that the bearing completely disintegrated when engineers attempted to remove it from the aircraft.
AAIB Conclusions and Safety Recommendations
Despite a comprehensive forensic assessment by investigators, the exact root cause of the initial failure remains inconclusive because the bearing was too badly damaged and degraded. However, the AAIB was unequivocal about the potential consequences of the mechanical fault.
“A loss of tail rotor control event would likely have occurred had the helicopter continued to operate with the bearing fitted,” the AAIB stated in its official report.
In response to these alarming findings, the AAIB has issued three specific Safety Recommendations. According to the agency, these measures are aimed at addressing ongoing Safety concerns related to the failure of tail rotor duplex bearings across the AW139 fleet.
Historical Context and Industry Impact
Echoes of the 2018 Leicester City Tragedy
The failure mechanism identified in the G-CIMU incident closely mirrors one of the most high-profile helicopter accidents in recent UK history. On October 27, 2018, a Leonardo AW169 helicopter crashed outside the King Power Stadium, resulting in the deaths of all five people on board, including Leicester City Football Club owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
The AAIB’s Investigation into the 2018 fatal crash concluded that the root cause was the failure of the tail rotor control system, specifically the tail rotor duplex bearing. According to the latest AAIB report, the bearing on the AW139 is defined as a “critical part” and shares a similar design with the component that failed on the AW169.
AirPro News analysis
At AirPro News, we observe that the recurrence of a tail rotor duplex bearing failure, four years after the Leicester City tragedy, highlights a persistent engineering vulnerability within this family of Leonardo rotorcraft. The fact that this 2022 incident occurred on a passenger-carrying offshore flight underscores the critical reliance on rigorous maintenance protocols.
The offshore helicopter industry operates in notoriously harsh environments over the North Sea, where component stress is high. This near-miss scenario demonstrates that while engineering flaws may still exist, strict adherence to post-flight inspections serves as a vital, life-saving safety net. Industry reporting, including recent coverage by aviation journalist Joanna Bailey, indicates that these findings will likely prompt operators to scrutinize tail rotor assemblies even more closely to prevent future catastrophic failures.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What caused the Leonardo AW139 tail rotor bearing failure?
According to the AAIB, the exact root cause of the initial failure is inconclusive because the bearing was too severely damaged and degraded by the time it was inspected. However, investigators found exposed ball bearings, heavy wear, and large accumulations of carbon dust.
Was anyone injured in the June 2022 incident?
No. The helicopter safely completed its passenger flights to North Sea oil rigs and returned to Norwich Airport. The severe damage was discovered during a routine post-flight maintenance check, preventing a potential in-flight disaster.
How does this relate to the 2018 Leicester City helicopter crash?
The 2018 crash of a Leonardo AW169 was caused by the failure of its tail rotor duplex bearing. The AAIB notes that the bearing on the AW139 is a “critical part” of a similar design, highlighting a recurring engineering concern across these aircraft models.
Sources:
Photo Credit: AAIB
Regulations & Safety
Bridger Aerospace Integrates TracPlus Data into IGNIS Platform
Bridger Aerospace partners with TracPlus to stream real-time wildfire aircraft data into its IGNIS incident management platform.
Bridger Aerospace Group Holdings, Inc. has partnered with aviation data provider TracPlus to integrate real-time aircraft tracking and drop event data directly into Bridger’s IGNIS software platform. Announced on July 20, 2026, the collaboration aims to provide wildland firefighters and incident management teams with a unified operational picture of aerial suppression efforts.
In a press release issued from its Belgrade, Montana headquarters, Bridger Aerospace stated the integration is designed to break down information silos between disparate systems. The move directly responds to recent federal directives, specifically the June 2025 Executive Order 14308, which mandated the modernization of wildfire firefighting technology and improved data sharing across agencies.
Integrating aviation intelligence for ground crews
TracPlus currently manages approximately 2,500 wildfire suppression Commercial-Aircraft and processes 800,000 flight hours annually for over 700 customers in more than 40 countries. Under the new partnership, this extensive aviation intelligence, including real-time aircraft positioning and specific drop event data, will stream directly into the IGNIS platform.
The integration allows ground crews, aviation teams, and incident managers to view exact aircraft operating locations and suppression activity impacts within the broader incident environment. By connecting these specialized platforms, the companies intend to shift aerial firefighting response from a reactive model to a proactive one.
“Trying to do everything yourself isn’t the best way in modern wildfire response,” said Todd O’Hara, CEO of TracPlus. “Our industry moves forward when specialists each perform what they do best and connect their work. By delivering our expertise in bringing aviation data together from every source and streaming it directly into the IGNIS platform, we are empowering the people on the frontline with a more complete operational picture to do their jobs better and help keep their communities safe.”
Aligning with federal modernization directives
The Partnerships aligns with the federal government’s ongoing push for connected, interoperable wildfire technology. In 2025, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy called for a national roadmap to modernize firefighting technology and improve data sharing between systems under Executive Order 14308.
Bridger Aerospace CEO Sam Davis noted that the combined solution will enhance situational awareness for both the company’s own aerial firefighting operations and incident management teams nationwide.
“Technology is the new frontier in our mission to protect lives, property, and the environment and we just got stronger with TracPlus as a strategic partner,” Davis said.
The announcement follows Bridger Aerospace’s recent expansion in federal contracting, including a Department of the Interior task order secured on July 16, 2026, for the deployment of its multi-mission wildfire aircraft.
AirPro News analysis
We view the Bridger-TracPlus integration as a direct commercial response to the interoperability mandates outlined in Executive Order 14308. Historically, aerial firefighting has suffered from fragmented data, with ground crews, dispatchers, and pilots relying on separate, non-communicating systems. By embedding TracPlus’s massive data feed into the IGNIS platform, Bridger Aerospace is positioning its Software not just as an internal operational tool, but as a comprehensive incident management solution. This strategic alignment with federal modernization goals likely strengthens Bridger’s competitive posture for future government Contracts as agencies prioritize unified operating pictures.
Sources: Bridger Aerospace
Photo Credit: TracPlus
Regulations & Safety
AIAA Calls for Faster FAA Certification Path for AAM Aircraft
AIAA urges the FAA to adopt predictable AAM certification timelines as bipartisan legislation targets the 5-9 year type certificate process.
This article summarizes reporting by Aerospace America by Ryan Cooperman, J.D.
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is calling for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish a more predictable certification pathway for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft, warning that regulatory uncertainty threatens United States aerospace leadership.
In a July 2, 2026, policy article published in Aerospace America, the AIAA outlined the critical balance between maintaining rigorous safety standards and fostering innovation. The publication notes that while traditional amended type certifications typically require three to five years, certifying entirely new aircraft types like AAM platforms currently takes five to nine years under existing FAA processes.
Legislative push for regulatory predictability
To address these extended timelines, bipartisan lawmakers introduced the Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act on February 13, 2026. The legislation seeks to mandate standard expected timelines for the FAA type certification process regarding AAM aircraft. It also aims to clarify the specific conditions under which the agency must require an issue paper, a regulatory step that often introduces variability into the certification timeline.
The AIAA has formally endorsed the legislation, aligning the bill with the institute’s designation of AAM and autonomous flight integration as a 2026 Aviation Priority Issue. According to Aerospace America, securing a predictable regulatory framework is vital not only for engineering progress but also for maintaining the capital investment required to bring hybrid and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to market.
Overcoming historical bottlenecks and workforce gaps
The push for modernization follows years of documented regulatory friction. On June 21, 2023, the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG) released a report indicating that communication and management issues had hindered the FAA’s ability to certify AAM aircraft efficiently. Congress subsequently passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 on May 16, 2024, which included specific provisions targeting AAM integration.
Beyond statutory changes, Aerospace America highlights that certification modernization is fundamentally a workforce challenge. As aircraft designs incorporate more autonomous flight systems, the FAA must attract and retain technical specialists, software engineers, and flight-test experts capable of evaluating highly complex architectures.
“The challenge is ensuring that America’s certification system can efficiently evaluate increasingly novel aircraft and enabling technologies while preserving the world’s safest aviation system,” Cooperman wrote.
AirPro News analysis
We view the AIAA’s public policy push as a reflection of broader aerospace industry frustration with the ad-hoc nature of early eVTOL certification bases. While the FAA has made strides since the 2023 DOT OIG report, the five to nine year timeline for new type certificates remains a significant barrier for manufacturers relying on continuous venture capital funding. If the Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act passes, the mandated timelines could provide financial markets with the predictability they require. However, the FAA will still face the practical hurdle of staffing enough specialized engineers to meet those statutory deadlines without compromising its safety mandate.
Sources: Aerospace America
Photo Credit: Aerospace America
Regulations & Safety
FAA Awards L3Harris Contract to Modernize US Airspace Through 2045
The FAA awarded L3Harris a contract to upgrade 700+ ground stations and operate the US aircraft tracking network through 2045.
On July 1, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded L3Harris Technologies a contract to upgrade and operate the United States aircraft tracking network through 2045. The modernization effort will overhaul ground infrastructure to support the integration of advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicles and drones into the National Airspace System.
In a press release issued on July 1, 2026, L3Harris announced the agreement, which mandates the upgrade of at least 700 ground stations across the country. The enhanced network will provide real-time, satellite-based flight positioning data while bolstering cybersecurity measures to protect air traffic management systems. The exact monetary value of the contract was not disclosed.
Expanding surveillance for next-generation airspace
The contract extends the role of L3Harris in managing the FAA surveillance infrastructure for nearly two more decades. The upgraded ground stations are designed to handle increased network capacity, a requirement as the airspace becomes more crowded with non-traditional aircraft.
Kathy Crandall, President of Mission Networks, Space & Mission Systems at L3Harris, emphasized the operational impact of the upgrades.
“L3Harris is propelling the FAA’s modernization vision forward by delivering an advanced surveillance infrastructure that will define the future of our airspace system and ensure increased safety for all air travelers.”
Crandall added that expanding network capacity ensures the United States maintains its position in global air traffic management.
Alignment with broader FAA modernization initiatives
This surveillance contract aligns with ongoing FAA efforts to replace aging infrastructure across the National Airspace System. The agency has been executing its Facility Replacement and Radar Modernization (FRRM) strategy, which targets the replacement of over 370 air traffic control facilities and 618 radars that average 36 years of age.
L3Harris is already involved in parallel infrastructure projects for the FAA. The company is currently executing the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) upgrade. That project replaces legacy copper wire connections with high-speed fiber optic networks across FAA facilities, providing the bandwidth necessary to support emerging aviation technologies like electric aviation vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and uncrewed aerial systems.
AirPro News analysis
The extension of the L3Harris mandate through 2045 highlights the reliance of the FAA on established defense and aerospace contractors to execute its long-term modernization goals. As the National Airspace System transitions to accommodate AAM and widespread drone operations, the data bandwidth and latency requirements for air traffic control will increase exponentially. We view the concurrent execution of the surveillance network upgrade and the FTI fiber optic rollout as a necessary synchronization. Without high-speed ground data transmission, the benefits of satellite-based, real-time tracking for low-altitude and autonomous aircraft would be severely bottlenecked.
Sources: L3Harris Technologies
Photo Credit: L3Harris Technologies
-
Aircraft Orders & Deliveries18 hours agoAerCap Orders 15 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners at Farnborough 2026
-
Aircraft Orders & Deliveries13 hours agoRiyadh Air Orders 31 A350-1000s and 67 Boeing 787s
-
Aircraft Orders & Deliveries16 hours agoPhilippine Airlines Orders Up to 20 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners
-
Commercial Aviation14 hours agoIndiGo Signs Record 1000 LEAP-1A Engine MoU with CFM
-
Aircraft Orders & Deliveries20 hours agoSMBC Aviation Capital Orders 100 Boeing 737 MAX at Farnborough