NOT ADOPTED - EASA DECISION ATTACHED
- Published
- Effective
- Deadline
AI-generated summary of the official EASA document. Verify against the PDF before acting.
What to do
Affected operators must review maintenance records to calculate factored service hours for each main wing spar and perform eddy current inspections of the lower main wing spar bolt holes when thresholds are met. Any detected cracks require immediate replacement of the wing spar with a new or serviceable part with known history. The directive is effective February 16, 2021, and compliance must begin by that date.
Summary
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Final Rule titled Airworthiness Directive 2020-26-16 addresses certain Piper Aircraft, Inc. models including PA-28-151, PA-28-161, PA-28-181, PA-28-235, PA-28R-180, PA-28R-200, PA-28R-201, PA-28R-201T, PA-28RT-201, PA-28RT-201T, PA-32-260, PA-32-300, PA-32R-300, PA-32RT-300, and PA-32RT-300T airplanes. This directive responds to a safety concern involving wing separation caused by fatigue cracking in the lower main wing spar cap. It mandates inspections and potential replacement of affected wing spars to ensure continued airworthiness.
What changed
This new airworthiness directive introduces mandatory inspections of the lower main wing spar bolt holes for cracks using eddy current methods and requires calculation of factored service hours to determine inspection intervals. It revises the applicability to include additional Piper models and removes allowance for replacing wing spars with used parts of unknown history. The directive also incorporates Piper Service Bulletin No. 1345 as the required inspection procedure.
Why it matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals as it addresses a potentially catastrophic structural failure due to fatigue cracking that is not visually accessible. Operators and maintenance organizations must comply to prevent wing separation accidents, particularly for aircraft used in high-load environments such as flight training. Compliance ensures the safety of flight operations and adherence to regulatory requirements.
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