Van Horn Aviation | Composite Rotor Blades

VHA Stands Behind Products

While the Van Horn Aviation family continues to mourn the loss of contract experimental test pilot Rucie Moore and VHA engineering manager Stephen Estes in a helicopter accident that occurred on Tuesday, April 16 near Fountain Hills, Ariz., we assure our customers that we continue to stand behind our current composite 206B JetRanger main and tail rotor blade designs.

“Rucie and Stephen were performing experimental flight test maneuvers when their JetRanger went down,” said VHA president Dean Rosenlof. “Current production blades were not on the aircraft. Our customers should feel secure that Van Horn Aviation rotor blades are safe to fly. While we cannot comment on the ongoing investigation, we are confident that the NTSB will not find our blades to be the cause of this tragic accident.”

VHA continues to support our customers in the field. As Estes was a key member of VHA’s customer support team, customers who had been working with him should direct their inquiries to Dean Rosenlof for the near future.

VHA is also working on a tribute page for Estes and Moore. Customers, colleagues and friends can submit photos and remembrances of these two men to info@vanhornaviation.com.

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AD Compliance Reminder for Certain 206L MRB Operators

By Kim VHA • April 25, 2025

For 206L LongRanger operators flying P/N 20633000-101 serial numbers A007-A009 or A012-A104, we would like to remind you that these blades are subject to AD 2022-22-08, which requires recurring tap inspections every 400 flight hours or 2,400 engine starts, whichever comes first. You can learn more about the tap test requirements and procedure in our video . These blades are likely to develop a delamination in the area of the weight pocket on the lower surface of the blade. The AD further requires removing the blades from service if the delamination reaches 6 inches in length. However, extensive company testing indicates that all blades will likely achieve their full retirement life before that occurs. So long as the delamination is monitored and does not exceed the permitted length, the blades are entirely safe to fly with no adverse effects on aircraft behavior or performance. Operators are required to report their findings at every inspection interval to VHA for tracking using the form on the last page of Service Bulletin 33000-4 . Completed forms should be emailed to info@vanhornaviation.com . Providing this data helps to ensure all operators of these blades remain safe. All of the identified blades are likely to have delaminations, so if none are detected please contact us for assistance. In addition, this AD is considered an interim action and once sufficient data is gathered it may be updated to reduce the required frequency of inspection. Refer to AD 2022-22-08 and SB 33000-4 for further information.