Ownership guide
Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135
240 registered in the US, built from about 2003 to 2013, 7 seats, most with the Pratt & Whitney PW206B2. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 240
- Built
- 2003 to 2013
- Half built by
- 2008
- Seats
- 7
- Engine type
- Turboshaft
- Most common engine
- Pratt & Whitney PW206B2
Engines installed
- Pratt & Whitney PW206B2132 aircraft (55%) · 2 ADs, 0 with a repeat action
- Pratt & Whitney PW206B52 aircraft (22%) · 3 ADs, 0 with a repeat action
- Turbomeca 2B237 aircraft (15%) · 2 ADs, 1 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
20 current ADs name the EC 135 airframe, 8 with a repeat action; 13 more were superseded. Its engines carry 7 more. 3 equipment ADs name the model.
The ones that come back
ADs with a repeat action: an inspection or replacement at an interval, for as long as the AD applies. These are the airworthiness costs an owner keeps paying.
- 2017-03-01Requires the same actionsMain rotor control · RotorcraftSupersedes 2014-05-06Repeat actionFeb 24, 2017
- 2013-21-06Requires inspecting the boom for a crack and, if a crack exists, replacing the boom with an airworthy boomFuselage, equipment attach fittings · RotorcraftRepeat actionDec 27, 2013
- 2012-23-07Requires inspecting each upper and lower plain journal bearing (bearing) and replacing the swashplate assembly with an airworthy swashplate assembly if a bearing is not correctly positionedMain rotor mast/swashplate · RotorcraftRepeat actionDec 7, 2012
- 2012-11-02Rotorcraft tailboomRotorcraftSupersedes 2008-22-51Repeat actionJun 25, 2012
- 2002-14-17Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH Model EC135 HelicoptersRotorcraftSupersedes 99-12-01Repeat actionJul 11, 2002
- 2000-13-08Requires conducting the survey and installing the Fenestron Shaft Retrofit KitEurocopter Deutschland GmbH Model EC 135 Helicopters · RotorcraftSupersedes 98-15-25Repeat actionJul 5, 2000
- 2000-01-19Requires replacing each expansion bolt, regardless of condition, no later than January 31, 2000Eurocopter Deutschland GMBH Model EC 135 P1 and EC 135 T1 Helicopters · RotorcraftRepeat actionJan 25, 2000
- 99-22-01Requires visually inspecting the frame flange for cracks or misalignment of the slippage marks at specified time intervalsEurocopter Deutschland GmbH Model EC135 P1 and T1 Helicopters · RotorcraftRepeat actionDec 2, 1999
Accident record
11 accidents since 2008, 4 fatal (9 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 3 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control in flight3
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT)2
- Airport occurrence1
- Part(s) separation from AC1
- Hard landing1
- Midair collision1
Phase of flight
- Enroute4
- Landing2
- Approach2
- Takeoff2
- Initial climb1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-10 | Canton, MS | Enroute: Unknown or undetermined | Fatal | CEN25MA115 |
| 2025-02-25 | Hampstead, NC | Enroute: Loss of control in flight | Serious | ERA25LA126 |
| 2023-03-09 | Franklin, NC | Enroute: Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) | Minor | ERA23LA147 |
| 2022-07-20 | Mount vernon, IL | Landing: Airport occurrence | None | CEN22LA328 |
| 2022-06-18 | Waukesha, WI | Initial climb: Part(s) separation from AC | None | CEN22LA258 |
| 2017-05-25 | New castle, DE | Approach: Loss of control in flight | Fatal | ERA17FA190 |
From the NTSB's aviation accident database, refreshed monthly; accidents only, homebuilts left out. Counts, not rates: nobody publishes how many hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Look up any case by its number in the NTSB's CAROL.
What it costs to run
Per hour flown
Per year, flown or not
- Fuel
- $0/hr
- Engine reserve
- $0/hr
- A year
- $0
- All in, per hour
- $0/hr
Everything else is yours to fill in: insurance, hangar and overhaul prices vary too much by pilot, airport and shop for a default to mean anything. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Before you buy one
- Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
- For each repeat-action AD (8 on the airframe), find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
- Compare the engine's time since overhaul with its maker's published overhaul time, and look for the reason behind any long gap in flying.
- 3 equipment ADs name the EC 135 (a muffler, a seat belt, a display): find out which of that equipment is installed.
- Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
- Work out the sales or use tax your state will charge with the aircraft tax calculator.
Questions
- How many Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135s are registered in the US?
- 240, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 built?
- From about 2003 to 2013. Half of those registered today were built by 2008.
- What engine does the Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 have?
- Most have the Pratt & Whitney PW206B2 (55% of those registered); others have the Pratt & Whitney PW206B, Turbomeca 2B2.
- How many accidents has the Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 had?
- 11 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 4 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of control in flight. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 have?
- 20 current ADs name the EC 135 airframe, 8 of them with a repeat action, and 7 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.
Figures from the FAA aircraft registry and the FAA's Airworthiness Directives, rebuilt daily. An AD listed for a model is one to read; whether it applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number, equipment and records.