Airworthiness Directives; Various Aircraft Equipped with Wing Lift Struts, 73997-74004 [2013-29396]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2013 / Rules and Regulations
Administrator, the following special
conditions are issued as part of the type
certification basis for Cessna Model 680
series airplanes.
Isolation or Security Protection of the
Aircraft Control Domain and the
Information Services Domain From the
Passenger Services Domain
1. The applicant must ensure that the
design provides isolation from, or
airplane electronic system security
protection against, access by
unauthorized sources internal to the
airplane. The design must prevent
inadvertent and malicious changes to,
and all adverse impacts upon, airplane
equipment, systems, networks, or other
assets required for safe flight and
operations.
2. The applicant must establish
appropriate procedures to allow the
operator to ensure that continued
airworthiness of the aircraft is
maintained, including all post-typecertification modifications that may
have an impact on the approved
electronic system security safeguards.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on
December 4, 2013.
Jeffrey E. Duven,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate,
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2013–29377 Filed 12–9–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
99–01–05, we were informed that
paragraph (c) had been misinterpreted
and caused confusion. This AD clarifies
the intent of the language in paragraph
(c) of AD 99–01–05 and retains all other
requirements of AD 99–01–05. We are
issuing this AD to correct the unsafe
condition on these products.
DATES: This AD is effective January 14,
2014.
The Director of the Federal Register
approved the incorporation by reference
of certain other publications listed in
this AD as of February 8, 1999 (63 FR
72132, December 31, 1998).
ADDRESSES: For service information
identified in this AD, contact Piper
Aircraft, Inc., Customer Services, 2926
Piper Drive, Vero Beach, Florida 32960;
telephone: (772) 567–4361; Internet:
www.piper.com. Copies of the
instructions to the F. Atlee Dodge
supplemental type certificate (STC) and
information about the Jensen Aircraft
STCs may be obtained from F. Atlee
Dodge, Aircraft Services, LLC., 6672
Wes Way, Anchorage, Alaska 99518–
0409, Internet: www.fadodge.com. You
may review copies of the referenced
service information at the FAA, Small
Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust,
Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For
information on the availability of this
material at the FAA, call (816) 329–
4148.
Examining the AD Docket
You may examine the AD docket on
the Internet at https://
Federal Aviation Administration
www.regulations.gov by searching for
and locating it in Docket No. FAA–
14 CFR Part 39
2013–00023; or in person at the Docket
Management Facility between 9 a.m.
[Docket No. FAA–2013–0023; Directorate
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
Identifier 96–CE–072–AD; Amendment 39–
except Federal holidays. The AD docket
17688; AD 99–01–05 R1]
contains this AD, the regulatory
RIN 2120–AA64
evaluation, any comments received, and
other information. The address for the
Airworthiness Directives; Various
Docket Office (phone: 800–647–5527) is
Aircraft Equipped with Wing Lift Struts Document Management Facility, U.S.
Department of Transportation, Docket
AGENCY: Federal Aviation
Operations, M–30, West Building
Administration (FAA), DOT.
Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200
ACTION: Final rule.
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington,
SUMMARY: We are revising Airworthiness DC 20590.
Directive (AD) 99–01–05 for certain
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
aircraft equipped with wing lift struts.
Piper Aircraft, Inc. airplanes, contact:
AD 99–01–05 required repetitively
Gregory ‘‘Keith’’ Noles, Aerospace
inspecting the wing lift struts for
Engineer, FAA, Atlanta Aircraft
corrosion; repetitively inspecting the
Certification Office, 1701 Columbia
wing lift strut forks for cracks; replacing Avenue, College Park, Georgia 30337;
any corroded wing lift strut; replacing
phone: (404) 474–5551; fax: (404) 474–
any cracked wing lift strut fork; and
5606; email: gregory.noles@faa.gov.
repetitively replacing the wing lift strut
For FS 2000 Corp, FS 2001 Corp, FS
forks at a specified time for certain
2002 Corporation, and FS 2003
airplanes. AD 99–01–05 also required
Corporation airplanes, contact: Jeff
incorporating a ‘‘NO STEP’’ placard on
Morfitt, Aerospace Engineer, FAA,
the wing lift strut. Since we issued AD
Seattle Aircraft Certification Office,
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
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73997
1601 Lind Avenue SW, Renton,
Washington 98057; phone: (425) 917–
6405; fax: (245) 917–6590; email:
jeff.morfitt@faa.gov.
For LAVIA ARGENTINA S.A.
(LAVIASA) airplanes, contact: S.M.
Nagarajan, Aerospace Engineer, FAA,
Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust,
Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106;
telephone: (816) 329–4145; fax: (816)
329–4090; email: sarjapur.nagarajan@
faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Discussion
We issued a notice of proposed
rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR
part 39 to revise AD 99–01–05,
Amendment 39–10972 (63 FR 72132,
December 31, 1998), (‘‘AD 99–01–05’’).
AD 99–01–05 applied to the specified
products. The NPRM published in the
Federal Register on January 16, 2013
(78 FR 3356). The NPRM proposed to
retain all requirements of AD 99–01–05
and clarify our intent of required actions
if the seal on a sealed wing lift strut is
ever improperly broken.
Comments
We gave the public the opportunity to
participate in developing this AD. The
following presents the comments
received on the proposal and the FAA’s
response to each comment.
Request to Combine This AD with
Another AD
Len J. Buckel stated that AD 99–26–
19, Amendment 39–11470 (64 FR
72524, December 28, 1999), (‘‘AD 99–
26–19’’), and AD 99–01–05 should be
combined into one AD.
The commenter stated that since AD
99–01–05 is being revised, it should also
be revised to include Piper Aircraft, Inc.
(Piper) Model J–2 airplanes, which are
covered separately in AD 99–26–19, so
that all affected Piper airplanes would
be covered in one AD.
We do not agree with the commenter.
AD 99–01–05 is being revised only to
clarify language about how to maintain
a sealed wing lift strut assembly if the
seal is ever improperly broken. This
revision does not require any additional
actions for the owners/operators. The
same confusing and misleading
language that prompted this revision is
also included in AD 99–26–19, which
will also be revised. In order to avoid
any further confusion, we believe that it
is in the best interest of the owners/
operators to maintain two separate ADs.
We have not changed the final rule
AD action based on this comment.
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73998
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2013 / Rules and Regulations
Request to Further Clarify Paragraph
(g)
Jamison Peters of Airframes Alaska
stated that stronger and clearer language
should be added to this AD that
specifies allowing a sealed wing lift
strut to be temporarily unsealed in order
to perform proper maintenance actions.
The commenter stated that the
proposed language in Note 1 to
paragraph (g) seems somewhat
ambiguous using the word ‘‘never’’ in
regards to the seal of a strut being
‘‘never broken’’ but then saying that
‘‘. . . nor did we intend to preclude
proper maintenance action that may
temporarily unseal a sealed strut . . .’’
We agree with the commenter that the
proposed language could be interpreted
as ambiguous or conflicting. We have
revised Note 2 to paragraph (g) to
further clarify that properly unsealing
and resealing a sealed wing lift strut for
maintenance, as long as all regulations
and issues are considered, is still
considered a terminating action for the
repetitive inspection requirements of
this AD.
Conclusion
We reviewed the relevant data,
considered the comments received, and
determined that air safety and the
public interest require adopting this AD
with the change described previously
and minor editorial changes. We have
determined that these minor changes:
• Are consistent with the intent that
was proposed in the NPRM (78 FR 3356,
January 16, 2013) for correcting the
unsafe condition; and
• Do not add any additional burden
upon the public than was already
proposed in the NPRM (78 FR 3356,
January 16, 2013).
We also determined that these
changes will not increase the economic
burden on any operator or increase the
scope of this AD.
Costs of Compliance
We estimate that this AD affects
22,000 airplanes of U.S. registry.
We estimate the following costs to
comply with this AD. However, the only
difference in the costs presented below
and the costs associated with AD 99–
01–05 is the change in the labor rate
from $65 per hour to $85 per hour:
ESTIMATED COSTS
Cost on U.S.
operators
Action
Labor cost
Parts cost
Inspection of the wing
lift struts and wing
lift strut forks.
Installation placard .....
8 work-hours × $85 per hour = $680 per inspection cycle.
Not applicable ............
$680 per inspection
cycle.
$14,960,000 per inspection cycle.
1 work-hour × $85 = $85 ...............................
$30 .............................
$115 ...........................
$2,530,000.
We estimate the following costs to do
any necessary replacements that will be
required based on the results of the
inspection. We have no way of
Cost per product
determining the number of aircraft that
might need these replacements:
ON-CONDITION COSTS
Action
Labor cost per wing lift strut
Parts cost
per wing lift
strut
Cost per
product per
wing lift
strut
Replacement of the wing lift strut
and/or wing lift strut forks.
4 work-hours × $85 per hour = $340 .............................................................
$440
$780
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Authority for This Rulemaking
Title 49 of the United States Code
specifies the FAA’s authority to issue
rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I,
section 106, describes the authority of
the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII,
Aviation Programs, describes in more
detail the scope of the Agency’s
authority.
We are issuing this rulemaking under
the authority described in Subtitle VII,
Part A, Subpart III, section 44701,
‘‘General requirements.’’ Under that
section, Congress charges the FAA with
promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in
air commerce by prescribing regulations
for practices, methods, and procedures
the Administrator finds necessary for
safety in air commerce. This regulation
is within the scope of that authority
because it addresses an unsafe condition
that is likely to exist or develop on
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products identified in this rulemaking
action.
Regulatory Findings
We have determined that this AD will
not have federalism implications under
Executive Order 13132. This AD will
not have a substantial direct effect on
the States, on the relationship between
the national government and the States,
or on the distribution of power and
responsibilities among the various
levels of government.
For the reasons discussed above, I
certify that this AD:
(1) Is not a ‘‘significant regulatory
action’’ under Executive Order 12866,
(2) Is not a ‘‘significant rule’’ under
DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures
(44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979),
(3) Will not affect intrastate aviation
in Alaska, and
(4) Will not have a significant
economic impact, positive or negative,
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on a substantial number of small entities
under the criteria of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation
safety, Incorporation by reference,
Safety.
Adoption of the Amendment
Accordingly, under the authority
delegated to me by the Administrator,
the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as
follows:
PART 39—AIRWORTHINESS
DIRECTIVES
1. The authority citation for part 39
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2013 / Rules and Regulations
§ 39.13
[Amended]
2. The FAA amends § 39.13 by
removing Airworthiness Directive (AD)
99–01–05, Amendment 39–10972 (63
FR 72132, December 31, 1998), and
adding the following new AD:
■
99–01–05 R1 Various Aircraft: Amendment
39–17688; Docket No. FAA–2013–0023;
Directorate Identifier 96–CE–072–AD.
(a) Effective Date
This AD is effective January 14, 2014
(b) Affected ADs
This AD revises AD 99–01–05,
Amendment 39–10972 (63 FR 72132,
December 31, 1998), which superseded AD
93–10–06, Amendment 39–8586 (58 FR
29965, May 25, 1993). AD 99–26–19,
Amendment 39–11479 (64 FR 72524,
December 28, 1999), also relates to the
subject of this AD.
73999
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to the following airplanes
identified in table 1 of paragraph (c) of this
AD, that are:
(1) Equipped with wing lift struts,
including airplanes commonly known as a
‘‘Clipped Wing Cub,’’ which modify the
airplane primarily by removing
approximately 40 inches of the inboard
portion of each wing; and
(2) certificated in any category.
TABLE 1 TO PARAGRAPH (C) OF THIS AD—APPLICABILITY
Type certificate holder
Aircraft model
FS 2000 Corp .....................................................
FS 2001 Corp .....................................................
L–14 .................................................................
J5A (Army L–4F), J5A–80, J5B (Army L–4G),
J5C, AE–1, and HE–1.
PA–14 ..............................................................
PA–12 and PA–12S .........................................
PA–25, PA–25–235, and PA–25–260 .............
TG–8 (Army TG–8, Navy XLNP–1) .................
E–2 and F–2 ....................................................
J3C–40, J3C–50, J3C–50S, (Army L–4, L–4B,
L–4H, and L–4J), J3C–65 (Navy NE–1 and
NE–2), J3C–65S, J3F–50, J3F–50S, J3F–
60, J3F–60S, J3F–65 (Army L–4D), J3F–
65S, J3L, J3L–S, J3L–65 (Army L–4C), and
J3L–65S.
J4, J4A, J4A–S, and J4E (Army L–4E) ...........
PA–11 and PA–11S .........................................
PA–15 ..............................................................
PA–16 and PA–16S .........................................
PA–17 ..............................................................
PA–19 (Army L–18C), and PA–19S ................
PA–20, PA–20S, PA–20 ‘‘115’’, PA–20S
‘‘115’’, PA–20 ‘‘135’’, and PA–20S ‘‘135’’.
PA–22, PA–22–108, PA–22–135, PA–22S–
135, PA–22–150, PA–22S–150, PA–22–
160, and PA–22S–160.
FS 2002 Corporation ..........................................
FS 2003 Corporation ..........................................
LAVIA ARGENTINA S.A. (LAVIASA) .................
Piper Aircraft, Inc. ...............................................
Piper Aircraft, Inc. ...............................................
Piper Aircraft, Inc. ...............................................
Piper
Piper
Piper
Piper
Piper
Piper
Piper
Aircraft,
Aircraft,
Aircraft,
Aircraft,
Aircraft,
Aircraft,
Aircraft,
Inc.
Inc.
Inc.
Inc.
Inc.
Inc.
Inc.
...............................................
...............................................
...............................................
...............................................
...............................................
...............................................
...............................................
Piper Aircraft, Inc. ...............................................
(d) Subject
Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC)/
Air Transport Association (ATA) of America
Code 57, Wings.
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(e) Unsafe Condition
(1) The subject of this AD was originally
prompted by reports of corrosion damage
found on the wing lift struts. We are revising
AD 99–01–05, Amendment 39–10972 (63 FR
72132, December 31, 1998), because of
reports that paragraph (c) had been
misinterpreted and caused confusion. This
AD removes the language in paragraph (c) of
AD 99–01–05, which caused the confusion.
(2) This AD clarifies the FAA’s intention
that if a sealed wing lift strut assembly is
installed as a replacement part, the repetitive
inspection requirement is terminated only if
the seal is never improperly broken. If the
seal is improperly broken, then that wing lift
strut becomes subject to continued repetitive
inspections. We did not intend to promote
drilling holes into or otherwise unsealing a
sealed strut. This AD retains all the actions
required in AD 99–01–05 and this AD does
not require any actions over that already
required by AD 99–01–05. This AD does not
add any additional burden to the owners/
operators of the affected airplanes.
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Serial No.
(3) We are issuing this AD to detect and
correct corrosion and cracking on the front
and rear wing lift struts and forks, which
could cause the wing lift strut to fail. This
failure could result in the wing separating
from the airplane.
(f) Paragraph Designation Changes to AD
99–01–05 R1
Since AD 99–01–05, Amendment 39–
10972 (63 FR 72132, December 31, 1998),
was issued, the AD format has been revised,
and certain paragraphs have been rearranged.
As a result, the corresponding paragraph
identifiers have changed in this AD as listed
in the following table:
TABLE 2 TO PARAGRAPH (F) OF THIS
AD—REVISED PARAGRAPH IDENTIFIERS
Requirement in AD
99–01–05
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
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(a) .............
(a)(1) ........
(a)(1)(i) .....
(a)(1)(ii) ....
(a)(2) ........
(a)(2)(i) .....
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Corresponding
requirement in
AD 99–01–05 R1
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
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(h).
(i)(1).
(i)(1)(i).
(i)(1)(ii).
(i)(2).
(i)(2)(i).
All.
All.
14–1 through 14–523.
12–1 through 12–4036.
25–1 through 25–8156024.
All.
All.
All.
4–401 through 4–1649.
11–1 through 11–1678.
15–1 through 15–388.
16–1 through 16–736.
17–1 through 17–215.
19–1, 19–2, and 19–3.
20–1 through 20–1121.
22–1 through 22–9848.
TABLE 2 TO PARAGRAPH (F) OF THIS
AD—REVISED PARAGRAPH IDENTIFIERS—Continued
Requirement in AD
99–01–05
paragraph (a)(2)(ii) ....
paragraph (a)(3) ........
paragraph (a)(4) ........
paragraph (a)(5) ........
paragraph (b) .............
paragraph (b)(1) ........
paragraph (b)(1)(i) .....
paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(B)
and (b)(1)(iv).
paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(C)
and (b)(1)(iv).
paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(A)
and (b)(1)(iv).
paragraph (b)(1)(iii),
(b)(2), (b)(1)(iv).
paragraph (b)(3)
through (b)(3)(ii).
paragraph (b)(4)
through (b)(4)(vi).
paragraph (b)(5)
through (b)(5)(ii).
Paragraph (c) ............
paragraph (d) .............
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Corresponding
requirement in
AD 99–01–05 R1
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
paragraph
(i)(2)(ii).
(j)(1).
(j)(2).
(j)(3).
(k).
(l).
(l)(1).
(l)(2).
paragraph (l)(3).
paragraph (l)(4).
paragraph (m)(1).
paragraph (m)(2).
paragraph (m)(3) thru
(m)(3)(vi).
paragraph (m)(4).
Removed.
paragraph (n)(1).
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(h) Remove Wing Lift Struts
At whichever of the compliance times
specified in paragraphs (h)(1) or (h)(2) of this
AD that occurs later, remove the wing lift
struts following Piper Aircraft Corporation
Mandatory Service Bulletin (Piper MSB) No.
528D, dated October 19, 1990, or Piper MSB
No. 910A, dated October 10, 1989, as
applicable. Before further flight after the
removal, do the actions in one of the
following paragraphs (i)(1), (i)(2), (j)(1), (j)(2),
or (j)(3) of this AD, including all
subparagraphs.
(1) Within 1 calendar month after February
8, 1999 (the effective date retained from AD
99–01–05, Amendment 39–10972 (63 FR
72132, December 31, 1998)); or
(2) Within 24 calendar months after the last
inspection done in accordance with AD 93–
10–06, Amendment 39–8586 (58 FR 29965,
May 25, 1993) (which was superseded by AD
99–01–05, Amendment 39–10972 (63 FR
72132, December 31, 1998)), whichever
occurs later.
No. 528D, dated October 19, 1990, or Piper
MSB No. 910A, dated October 10, 1989, as
applicable.
(i) If no corrosion is visible and no
perceptible dents are found on any wing lift
strut during the inspection required in
paragraph (i)(1) of this AD, before further
flight, apply corrosion inhibitor to each wing
lift strut following Piper MSB No. 528D,
dated October 19, 1990, or Piper MSB No.
910A, dated October 10, 1989, as applicable.
Repetitively thereafter inspect each wing
lift strut at intervals not to exceed 24
calendar months following the procedures in
paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2) of this AD, including
all subparagraphs.
(ii) If corrosion or perceptible dents are
found on any wing lift strut during the
inspection required in paragraph (i)(1) of this
AD or during any repetitive inspection
required in paragraph (i)(1)(i) of this AD,
before further flight, replace the affected
wing lift strut with one of the replacement
options specified in paragraph (j)(1), (j)(2), or
(j)(3) of this AD. Do the replacement
following the procedures specified in those
paragraphs, as applicable.
(2) Inspect each wing lift strut for corrosion
following the procedures in the Appendix to
this AD. This inspection must be done by a
Level 2 or Level 3 inspector certified using
the guidelines established by the American
Society for Non-destructive Testing or the
‘‘Military Standard for Nondestructive
Testing Personnel Qualification and
Certification’’ (MIL–STD–410E), which can
be found on the Internet at https://
aerospacedefense.thomasnet.com/Asset/MILSTD-410.pdf.
(i) If no corrosion is found on any wing lift
strut during the inspection required in
paragraph (i)(2) of this AD and all
requirements in the Appendix to this AD are
met, before further flight, apply corrosion
inhibitor to each wing lift strut following
Piper MSB No. 528D, dated October 19, 1990,
or Piper MSB No. 910A, dated October 10,
1989, as applicable. Repetitively thereafter
inspect each wing lift strut at intervals not to
exceed 24 calendar months following the
procedures in paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2) of this
AD, including all subparagraphs.
(ii) If corrosion is found on any wing lift
strut during the inspection required in
paragraph (i)(2) of this AD or during any
repetitive inspection required in paragraph
(i)(2)(i) of this AD, or if any requirement in
the Appendix of this AD is not met, before
further flight after any inspection in which
corrosion is found or the Appendix
requirements are not met, replace the affected
wing lift strut with one of the replacement
options specified in paragraph (j)(1), (j)(2), or
(j)(3) of this AD. Do the replacement
following the procedures specified in those
paragraphs, as applicable.
(i) Inspect Wing Lift Struts
Before further flight after the removal
required in paragraph (h) of this AD, inspect
each wing lift strut following paragraph (i)(1)
or (i)(2) of this AD, including all
subparagraphs, or do the wing lift strut
replacement following one of the options in
paragraph (j)(1), (j)(2), or (j)(3) of this AD.
(1) Inspect each wing lift strut for corrosion
and perceptible dents following Piper MSB
(j) Wing Lift Strut Replacement Options
Before further flight after the removal
required in paragraph (h) of this AD, replace
the wing lift struts following one of the
options in paragraph (j)(1), (j)(2), or (j)(3) of
this AD, including all subparagraphs, or
inspect each wing lift strut following
paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2) of this AD.
(1) Install original equipment manufacturer
(OEM) part number wing lift struts (or FAA-
TABLE 2 TO PARAGRAPH (F) OF THIS
AD—REVISED PARAGRAPH IDENTIFIERS—Continued
Requirement in AD
99–01–05
paragraph (d)(1) ........
paragraph (d)(2) ........
N/A .............................
Corresponding
requirement in
AD 99–01–05 R1
paragraph (n)(1)(i).
paragraph (n)(1)(ii).
paragraph (n)(2).
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(g) Compliance
Unless already done (compliance with AD
99–01–05, Amendment 39–10972 (63 FR
72132, December 31, 1998)), do the following
actions within the compliance times
specified in paragraphs (h) through (n) of this
AD, including all subparagraphs. Properly
unsealing and resealing a sealed wing lift
strut is still considered a terminating action
for the repetitive inspection requirements of
this AD as long as all appropriate regulations
and issues are considered, such as static
strength, fatigue, material effects, immediate
and long-term (internal and external)
corrosion protection, resealing methods, etc.
Current FAA regulations in 14 CFR 43.13(b)
specify that maintenance performed will
result in the part’s condition to be at least
equal to its original or properly altered
condition. Any maintenance actions that
unseal a sealed wing lift strut should be
coordinated with the Atlanta Aircraft
Certification Office (ACO) through the local
airworthiness authority (e.g., Flight
Standards District Office). There are
provisions in paragraph (o) of this AD for
approving such actions as an alternative
method of compliance (AMOC).
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approved equivalent part numbers) that have
been inspected following the procedures in
either paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2) of this AD,
including all subparagraphs, and are found to
be airworthy. Do the installations following
Piper MSB No. 528D, dated October 19, 1990,
or Piper MSB No. 910A, dated October 10,
1989, as applicable. Repetitively thereafter
inspect the newly installed wing lift struts at
intervals not to exceed 24 calendar months
following the procedures in either paragraph
(i)(1) or (i)(2) of this AD, including all
subparagraphs.
(2) Install new sealed wing lift strut
assemblies (or FAA-approved equivalent part
numbers) (these sealed wing lift strut
assemblies also include the wing lift strut
forks) following Piper MSB No. 528D, dated
October 19, 1990, and Piper MSB No. 910A,
dated October 10, 1989, as applicable.
Installing one of these new sealed wing lift
strut assemblies terminates the repetitive
inspection requirements in paragraphs (i)(1)
and (i)(2) of this AD, and the wing lift strut
fork removal, inspection, and replacement
requirement in paragraphs (k) and (l) of this
AD, including all subparagraphs, for that
wing lift strut assembly.
(3) Install F. Atlee Dodge wing lift strut
assemblies following F. Atlee Dodge Aircraft
Services, Inc. Installation Instructions No.
3233–I for Modified Piper Wing Lift Struts
Supplemental Type Certificate (STC)
SA4635NM, dated February 1, 1991, which
can be found on the Internet at https://
rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_
Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/
E726AAA2831BD20085256CC2000E3DB7?
OpenDocument&Highlight=sa4635nm.
Repetitively thereafter inspect the newly
installed wing lift struts at intervals not to
exceed 60 calendar months following the
procedures in paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2) of this
AD, including all subparagraphs.
(k) Remove Wing Lift Strut Forks
For all affected airplane models, except for
Models PA–25, PA–25–235, and PA–25–260
airplanes, within the next 100 hours time-inservice (TIS) after February 8, 1999 (the
effective date retained from AD 99–01–05,
Amendment 39–10972 (63 FR 72132,
December 31, 1998)) or within 500 hours TIS
after the last inspection done in accordance
with AD 93–10–06, Amendment 39–8586 (58
FR 29965, May 25, 1993) (which was
superseded by AD 99–01–05), whichever
occurs later, remove the wing lift strut forks
(unless already replaced in accordance with
paragraph (j)(2) of this AD). Do the removal
following Piper MSB No. 528D, dated
October 19, 1990, or Piper MSB No. 910A,
dated October 10, 1989, as applicable. Before
further flight after the removal, do the actions
in one of the following paragraphs (l) or (m)
of this AD, including all subparagraphs.
(l) Inspect and Replace Wing Lift Strut Forks
Before further flight after the removal
required in paragraph (k) of this AD, inspect
the wing lift strut forks following paragraph
(l) of this AD, including all subparagraphs, or
do the wing lift strut fork replacement
following one of the options in paragraph
(m)(1), (m)(2), (m)(3), or (m)(4) of this AD,
including all subparagraphs. Inspect the wing
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maindgalligan on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with RULES
lift strut forks for cracks using magnetic
particle procedures, such as those contained
in FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 43.13–1B,
Chapter 5, which can be found on the
Internet https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_
Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/
99c827db9baac81b86256b4500596c4e/
$FILE/Chapter%2005.pdf. Repetitively
thereafter inspect at intervals not to exceed
500 hours TIS until the replacement time
requirement specified in paragraph (l)(2) or
(l)(3) of this AD is reached provided no
cracks are found.
(1) If cracks are found during any
inspection required in paragraph (l) of this
AD or during any repetitive inspection
required in paragraph (l)(2) or (l)(3) of this
AD, before further flight, replace the affected
wing lift strut fork with one of the
replacement options specified in paragraph
(m)(1), (m)(2), (m)(3), or (m)(4) of this AD,
including all subparagraphs. Do the
replacement following the procedures
specified in those paragraphs, as applicable.
(2) If no cracks are found during the initial
inspection required in paragraph (l) of this
AD and the airplane is currently equipped
with floats or has been equipped with floats
at any time during the previous 2,000 hours
TIS since the wing lift strut forks were
installed, at or before accumulating 1,000
hours TIS on the wing lift strut forks, replace
the wing lift strut forks with one of the
replacement options specified in paragraph
(m)(1), (m)(2), (m)(3), or (m)(4) of this AD,
including all subparagraphs. Do the
replacement following the procedures
specified in those paragraphs, as applicable.
Repetitively thereafter inspect the newly
installed wing lift strut forks at intervals not
to exceed 500 hours TIS following the
procedures specified in paragraph (l) of this
AD, including all subparagraphs.
(3) If no cracks are found during the initial
inspection required in paragraph (l) of this
AD and the airplane has never been
equipped with floats during the previous
2,000 hours TIS since the wing lift strut forks
were installed, at or before accumulating
2,000 hours TIS on the wing lift strut forks,
replace the wing lift strut forks with one of
the replacement options specified in
paragraph (m)(1), (m)(2), (m)(3), or (m)(4) of
this AD, including all subparagraphs. Do the
replacement following the procedures
specified in those paragraphs, as applicable.
Repetitively thereafter inspect the newly
installed wing lift strut forks at intervals not
to exceed 500 hours TIS following the
procedures specified in paragraph (l) of this
AD, including all subparagraphs.
(m) Wing Lift Strut Fork Replacement
Options
Before further flight after the removal
required in paragraph (k) of this AD, replace
the wing lift strut forks following one of the
options in paragraph (m)(1), (m)(2), (m)(3), or
(m)(4) of this AD, including all
subparagraphs, or inspect the wing lift strut
forks following paragraph (1) of this AD,
including all subparagraphs.
(1) Install new OEM part number wing lift
strut forks of the same part numbers of the
existing part (or FAA-approved equivalent
part numbers) that were manufactured with
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rolled threads. Wing lift strut forks
manufactured with machine (cut) threads are
not to be used. Do the installations following
Piper MSB No. 528D, dated October 19, 1990,
or Piper MSB No. 910A, dated October 10,
1989, as applicable. Repetitively thereafter
inspect and replace the newly installed wing
lift strut forks at intervals not to exceed 500
hours TIS following the procedures specified
in paragraph (l) of this AD, including all
subparagraphs.
(2) Install new sealed wing lift strut
assemblies (or FAA-approved equivalent part
numbers) (these sealed wing lift strut
assemblies also include the wing lift strut
forks) following Piper MSB No. 528D, dated
October 19, 1990, and Piper MSB No. 910A,
dated October 10, 1989, as applicable. This
installation may have already been done
through the option specified in paragraph
(j)(2) of this AD. Installing one of these new
sealed wing lift strut assemblies terminates
the repetitive inspection requirements in
paragraphs (i)(1) and (i)(2) of this AD, and the
wing lift strut fork removal, inspection, and
replacement requirements in paragraphs (k)
and (l) of this AD, including all
subparagraphs, for that wing lift strut
assembly.
(3) For the airplanes specified below,
install Jensen Aircraft wing lift strut fork
assemblies specified below in the applicable
STC following Jensen Aircraft Installation
Instructions for Modified Lift Strut Fitting.
Installing one of these wing lift strut fork
assemblies terminates the repetitive
inspection requirement of this AD only for
that wing lift strut fork. Repetitively inspect
each wing lift strut as specified in paragraph
(i)(1) or (i)(2) of this AD, including all
subparagraphs.
(i) For Models PA–12 and PA–12S
airplanes: STC SA1583NM, which can be
found on the Internet at https://rgl.faa.gov/
Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/
0/2E708575849845B285256CC1008213CA?
OpenDocument&Highlight=sa1583nm;
(ii) For Model PA–14 airplanes: STC
SA1584NM, which can be found on the
Internet at https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_
Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/
39872B814471737685256CC1008213D0?
OpenDocument&Highlight=sa1584nm;
(iii) For Models PA–16 and PA–16S
airplanes: STC SA1590NM, which can be
found on the Internet at https://rgl.faa.gov/
Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/
0/B28C4162E30D941F85256CC1008213F6?
OpenDocument&Highlight=sa1590nm;
(iv) For Models PA–18, PA–18S, PA–18
‘‘105’’ (Special), PA–18S ‘‘105’’ (Special),
PA–18A, PA–18 ‘‘125’’ (Army L–21A), PA–
18S ‘‘125’’, PA–18AS ‘‘125’’, PA–18 ‘‘135’’
(Army L–21B), PA–18A ‘‘135’’, PA–18S
‘‘135’’, PA–18AS ‘‘135’’, PA–18 ‘‘150’’, PA–
18A ‘‘150’’, PA–18S ‘‘150’’, PA–18AS ‘‘150’’,
PA–18A (Restricted), PA–18A ‘‘135’’
(Restricted), and PA–18A ‘‘150’’ (Restricted)
airplanes: STC SA1585NM, which can be
found on the Internet at https://rgl.faa.gov/
Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/
0/A2BE010FB1CA61A285256CC1008213D6?
OpenDocument&Highlight=sa1585nm;
(v) For Models PA–20, PA–20S, PA–20
‘‘115’’, PA–20S ‘‘115’’, PA–20 ‘‘135’’, and
PA–20S ‘‘135’’ airplanes: STC SA1586NM,
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
74001
which can be found on the Internet at https://
rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_
Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/
873CC69D42C87CF585256CC1008213DC?
OpenDocument&Highlight=sa1586nm; and
(vi) For Model PA–22 airplanes: STC
SA1587NM, which can be found on the
Internet at https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_
Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/
B051D04CCC0BED7E85256CC1008213E0?
OpenDocument&Highlight=sa1587nm.
(4) Install F. Atlee Dodge wing lift strut
assemblies following F. Atlee Dodge
Installation Instructions No. 3233–I for
Modified Piper Wing Lift Struts (STC
SA4635NM), dated February 1, 1991, which
can be found on the Internet at https://
rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_
Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/
E726AAA2831BD20085256CC2000E3DB7?
OpenDocument&Highlight=sa4635nm. This
installation may have already been done in
accordance paragraph (j)(3) of this AD.
Installing these wing lift strut assemblies
terminates the repetitive inspection
requirements of this AD for the wing lift strut
fork only. Repetitively inspect the wing lift
struts as specified in paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2)
of this AD, including all subparagraphs.
(n) Install Placard
(1) Within 1 calendar month after February
8, 1999 (the effective date retained from AD
99–01–05, Amendment 39–10972 (63 FR
72132, December 31, 1998)), or within 24
calendar months after the last inspection
required by AD 93–10–06, Amendment 39–
8586 (58 FR 29965, May 25, 1993) (which
was superseded by AD 99–01–05), whichever
occurs later, and before further flight after
any replacement of a wing lift strut assembly
required by this AD, do the actions in one of
the following paragraphs (n)(1)(i) or (n)(1)(ii)
of this AD:
(i) Install ‘‘NO STEP’’ decal, Piper (P/N)
80944–02, on each wing lift strut
approximately 6 inches from the bottom of
the wing lift strut in a way that the letters can
be read when entering and exiting the
airplane; or
(ii) Paint the words ‘‘NO STEP’’
approximately 6 inches from the bottom of
the wing lift strut in a way that the letters can
be read when entering and exiting the
airplane. Use a minimum of 1-inch letters
using a color that contrasts with the color of
the airplane.
(2) The ‘‘NO STEP’’ markings required by
paragraph (n)(1)(i) or (n)(1)(ii) of this AD
must remain in place for the life of the
airplane.
(o) Alternative Methods of Compliance
(AMOCs)
(1) The Manager, Atlanta ACO, FAA, has
the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD
related to Piper Aircraft, Inc. airplanes; the
Manager, Seattle ACO, FAA has the authority
to approve AMOCs for this AD related to FS
2000 Corp, FS 2001 Corp, FS 2002
Corporation, and FS 2003 Corporation
airplanes; and the Manager, Standards Office,
FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs
for this AD related to LAVIA ARGENTINA
S.A. (LAVIASA) airplanes, if requested using
the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. In
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accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, send your
request to your principal inspector or local
Flight Standards District Office, as
appropriate. If sending information directly
to the manager of the ACO, send it to the
attention of the appropriate person identified
in paragraph (p) of this AD.
(2) Before using any approved AMOC,
notify your appropriate principal inspector,
or lacking a principal inspector, the manager
of the local flight standards district office/
certificate holding district office.
(3) AMOCs approved for AD 93–10–06,
Amendment 39–8586 (58 FR 29965, May 25,
1993) and AD 99–01–05, Amendment 39–
10972 (63 FR 72132, December 31, 1998) are
approved as AMOCs for this AD.
maindgalligan on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with RULES
(p) Related Information
(1) For more information about this AD
related to Piper Aircraft, Inc. airplanes,
contact: Gregory ‘‘Keith’’ Noles, Aerospace
Engineer, FAA, Atlanta ACO, 1701 Columbia
Avenue, College Park, Georgia 30337; phone:
(404) 474–5551; fax: (404) 474–5606; email:
gregory.noles@faa.gov.
(2) For more information about this AD
related to FS 2000 Corp, FS 2001 Corp, FS
2002 Corporation, and FS 2003 Corporation
airplanes, contact: Jeff Morfitt, Aerospace
Engineer, FAA, Seattle ACO, 1601 Lind
Avenue SW, Renton, Washington 98057;
phone: (425) 917–6405; fax: (245) 917–6590;
email: jeff.morfitt@faa.gov.
(3) For more information about this AD
related to LAVIA ARGENTINA S.A.
(LAVIASA) airplanes, contact: S.M.
Nagarajan, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small
Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301,
Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone:
(816) 329–4145; fax: (816) 329–4090; email:
sarjapur.nagarajan@faa.gov.
(q) Material Incorporated by Reference
(1) The Director of the Federal Register
approved the incorporation by reference
(IBR) of the service information listed in this
paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR
part 51.
(2) You must use this service information
as applicable to do the actions required by
this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
(3) The following service information was
approved for IBR on February 8, 1999 (63 FR
72132, December 31, 1998).
(i) Piper Aircraft Corporation Mandatory
Service Bulletin No. 528D, dated October 19,
1990.
(ii) Piper Aircraft Corporation Mandatory
Service Bulletin No. 910A, dated October 10,
1989.
(iii) F. Atlee Dodge Aircraft Services, Inc.
Installation Instructions No. 3233–I for
Modified Piper Wing Lift Struts
Supplemental Type Certificate (STC)
SA4635NM, dated February 1, 1991.
(iv) Jensen Aircraft Installation Instructions
for Modified Lift Strut Fittings, which
incorporates pages 1 and 5, Original Issue,
dated July 15, 1983; pages 2, 4, and 6,
Revision No. 1, dated March 30, 1984; and
pages a and 3, Revision No. 2, dated April
20, 1984.
(4) For Piper Aircraft, Inc. service
information identified in this AD, contact
Piper Aircraft, Inc., Customer Services, 2926
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:56 Dec 09, 2013
Jkt 232001
Piper Drive, Vero Beach, Florida 32960;
telephone: (772) 567–4361; Internet:
www.piper.com. Copies of the instructions to
the F. Atlee Dodge STC and information
about the Jensen Aircraft STCs may be
obtained from F. Atlee Dodge, Aircraft
Services, LLC., 6672 Wes Way, Anchorage,
Alaska 99518–0409, Internet:
www.fadodge.com.
(5) You may review copies of the
referenced service information at the FAA,
Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust,
Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information
on the availability of this material at the
FAA, call (816) 329–4148.
(6) You may view this service information
that is incorporated by reference at the
National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA). For information on
the availability of this material at NARA, call
202–741–6030, or go to: https://
www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibrlocations.html.
APPENDIX TO AD 99–01–05 R1
Procedures and Requirements for Ultrasonic
Inspection of Piper Wing Lift Struts
Equipment Requirements
1. A portable ultrasonic thickness gauge or
flaw detector with echo-to-echo digital
thickness readout capable of reading to
0.001-inch and an A-trace waveform display
will be needed to do this inspection.
2. An ultrasonic probe with the following
specifications will be needed to accomplish
this inspection: 10 MHz (or higher), 0.283inch (or smaller) diameter dual element or
delay line transducer designed for thickness
gauging. The transducer and ultrasonic
system shall be capable of accurately
measuring the thickness of AISI 4340 steel
down to 0.020-inch. An accuracy of +/0.002-inch throughout a 0.020-inch to 0.050inch thickness range while calibrating shall
be the criteria for acceptance.
3. Either a precision machined step wedge
made of 4340 steel (or similar steel with
equivalent sound velocity) or at least three
shim samples of same material will be
needed to accomplish this inspection. One
thickness of the step wedge or shim shall be
less than or equal to 0.020-inch, one shall be
greater than or equal to 0.050-inch, and at
least one other step or shim shall be between
these two values.
4. Glycerin, light oil, or similar non-water
based ultrasonic couplants are recommended
in the setup and inspection procedures.
Water-based couplants, containing
appropriate corrosion inhibitors, may be
utilized, provided they are removed from
both the reference standards and the test item
after the inspection procedure is completed
and adequate corrosion prevention steps are
then taken to protect these items.
• Note: Couplant is defined as ‘‘a
substance used between the face of the
transducer and test surface to improve
transmission of ultrasonic energy across the
transducer/strut interface.’’
• Note: If surface roughness due to paint
loss or corrosion is present, the surface
should be sanded or polished smooth before
testing to assure a consistent and smooth
surface for making contact with the
PO 00000
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Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
transducer. Care shall be taken to remove a
minimal amount of structural material. Paint
repairs may be necessary after the inspection
to prevent further corrosion damage from
occurring. Removal of surface irregularities
will enhance the accuracy of the inspection
technique.
Instrument Setup
1. Set up the ultrasonic equipment for
thickness measurements as specified in the
instrument’s user’s manual. Because of the
variety of equipment available to perform
ultrasonic thickness measurements, some
modification to this general setup procedure
may be necessary. However, the tolerance
requirement of step 13 and the record
keeping requirement of step 14, must be
satisfied.
2. If battery power will be employed, check
to see that the battery has been properly
charged. The testing will take approximately
two hours. Screen brightness and contrast
should be set to match environmental
conditions.
3. Verify that the instrument is set for the
type of transducer being used, i.e. single or
dual element, and that the frequency setting
is compatible with the transducer.
4. If a removable delay line is used, remove
it and place a drop of couplant between the
transducer face and the delay line to assure
good transmission of ultrasonic energy.
Reassemble the delay line transducer and
continue.
5. Program a velocity of 0.231-inch/
microsecond into the ultrasonic unit unless
an alternative instrument calibration
procedure is used to set the sound velocity.
6. Obtain a step wedge or steel shims per
item 3 of the Equipment Requirements. Place
the probe on the thickest sample using
couplant. Rotate the transducer slightly back
and forth to ‘‘ring’’ the transducer to the
sample. Adjust the delay and range settings
to arrive at an A-trace signal display with the
first backwall echo from the steel near the left
side of the screen and the second backwall
echo near the right of the screen. Note that
when a single element transducer is used, the
initial pulse and the delay line/steel interface
will be off of the screen to the left. Adjust the
gain to place the amplitude of the first
backwall signal at approximately 80% screen
height on the A-trace.
7. ‘‘Ring’’ the transducer on the thinnest
step or shim using couplant. Select positive
half-wave rectified, negative half-wave
rectified, or filtered signal display to obtain
the cleanest signal. Adjust the pulse voltage,
pulse width, and damping to obtain the best
signal resolution. These settings can vary
from one transducer to another and are also
user dependent.
8. Enable the thickness gate, and adjust the
gate so that it starts at the first backwall echo
and ends at the second backwall echo.
(Measuring between the first and second
backwall echoes will produce a measurement
of the steel thickness that is not affected by
the paint layer on the strut). If instability of
the gate trigger occurs, adjust the gain, gate
level, and/or damping to stabilize the
thickness reading.
9. Check the digital display reading and if
it does not agree with the known thickness
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of the thinnest thickness, follow your
instrument’s calibration recommendations to
produce the correct thickness reading. When
a single element transducer is used this will
usually involve adjusting the fine delay
setting.
10. Place the transducer on the thickest
step of shim using couplant. Adjust the
thickness gate width so that the gate is
triggered by the second backwall reflection of
the thick section. If the digital display does
not agree with the thickest thickness, follow
your instruments calibration
recommendations to produce the correct
thickness reading. A slight adjustment in the
velocity may be necessary to get both the
thinnest and the thickest reading correct.
Document the changed velocity value.
11. Place couplant on an area of the lift
strut which is thought to be free of corrosion
and ‘‘ring’’ the transducer to surface. Minor
adjustments to the signal and gate settings
may be required to account for coupling
improvements resulting from the paint layer.
The thickness gate level should be set just
high enough so as not to be triggered by
irrelevant signal noise. An area on the upper
surface of the lift strut above the inspection
area would be a good location to complete
this step and should produce a thickness
reading between 0.034-inch and 0.041-inch.
12. Repeat steps 8, 9, 10, and 11 until both
thick and thin shim measurements are within
tolerance and the lift strut measurement is
reasonable and steady.
13. Verify that the thickness value shown
in the digital display is within +/- 0.002-inch
of the correct value for each of the three or
more steps of the setup wedge or shims.
Make no further adjustments to the
instrument settings.
14. Record the ultrasonic versus actual
thickness of all wedge steps or steel shims
available as a record of setup.
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Jkt 232001
Inspection Procedure
1. Clean the lower 18 inches of the wing
lift struts using a cleaner that will remove all
dirt and grease. Dirt and grease will adversely
affect the accuracy of the inspection
technique. Light sanding or polishing may
also be required to reduce surface roughness
as noted in the Equipment Requirements
section.
2. Using a flexible ruler, draw a 1⁄4-inch
grid on the surface of the first 11 inches from
the lower end of the strut as shown in Piper
MSB No. 528D, dated October 19, 1990, or
Piper MSB No. 910A, dated October 10, 1989,
as applicable. This can be done using a soft
(#2) pencil and should be done on both faces
of the strut. As an alternative to drawing a
complete grid, make two rows of marks
spaced every 1⁄4-inch across the width of the
strut. One row of marks should be about 11
inches from the lower end of the strut, and
the second row should be several inches
away where the strut starts to narrow. Lay the
flexible ruler between respective tick marks
of the two rows and use tape or a rubber band
to keep the ruler in place. See Figure 1.
3. Apply a generous amount of couplant
inside each of the square areas or along the
edge of the ruler. Re-application of couplant
may be necessary.
4. Place the transducer inside the first
square area of the drawn grid or at the first
1⁄4-inch mark on the ruler and ‘‘ring’’ the
transducer to the strut. When using a dual
element transducer, be very careful to record
the thickness value with the axis of the
transducer elements perpendicular to any
curvature in the strut. If this is not done, loss
of signal or inaccurate readings can result.
5. Take readings inside each square on the
grid or at 1⁄4-inch increments along the ruler
and record the results. When taking a
thickness reading, rotate the transducer
slightly back and forth and experiment with
the angle of contact to produce the lowest
thickness reading possible. Pay close
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
74003
attention to the A-scan display to assure that
the thickness gate is triggering off of
maximized backwall echoes.
• NOTE: A reading shall not exceed .041
inch. If a reading exceeds .041-inch, repeat
steps 13 and 14 of the Instrument Setup
section before proceeding further.
6. If the A-trace is unsteady or the
thickness reading is clearly wrong, adjust the
signal gain and/or gate setting to obtain
reasonable and steady readings. If any
instrument setting is adjusted, repeat steps 13
and 14 of the Instrument Setup section before
proceeding further.
7. In areas where obstructions are present,
take a data point as close to the correct area
as possible.
• NOTE: The strut wall contains a
fabrication bead at approximately 40% of the
strut chord. The bead may interfere with
accurate measurements in that specific
location.
8. A measurement of 0.024-inch or less
shall require replacement of the strut prior to
further flight.
9. If at any time during testing an area is
encountered where a valid thickness
measurement cannot be obtained due to a
loss of signal strength or quality, the area
shall be considered suspect. These areas may
have a remaining wall thickness of less than
0.020-inch, which is below the range of this
setup, or they may have small areas of
localized corrosion or pitting present. The
latter case will result in a reduction in signal
strength due to the sound being scattered
from the rough surface and may result in a
signal that includes echoes from the pits as
well as the backwall. The suspect area(s)
shall be tested with a Maule ‘‘Fabric Tester’’
as specified in Piper MSB No. 528D, dated
October 19, 1990, or Piper MSB No. 910A,
dated October 10, 1989.
10. Record the lift strut inspection in the
aircraft log book.
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2013 / Rules and Regulations
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on
November 22, 2013.
Earl Lawrence,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2013–29396 Filed 12–9–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 71
[Docket No. FAA–2013–0948; Airspace
Docket No. 13–ASW–25]
Amendment of Class D and Class E
Airspace; Lake Charles, LA
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final rule, technical
amendment.
AGENCY:
This action amends Class D
and Class E airspace within the Lake
Charles, LA, area by updating the
geographic coordinates for Lake Charles
Regional Airport, and the airport name
and geographic coordinates for
Chennault International Airport,
formerly known as Chennault Industrial
Airpark. This action does not change the
boundaries or operating requirements of
the airspace.
DATES: Effective date: 0901 UTC,
February 6, 2014. The Director of the
Federal Register approves this
incorporation by reference action under
1 CFR Part 51, subject to the annual
maindgalligan on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with RULES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:56 Dec 09, 2013
Jkt 232001
revision of FAA Order 7400.9 and
publication of conforming amendments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Scott Enander, Central Service Center,
Operations Support Group, Federal
Aviation Administration, Southwest
Region, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Fort
Worth, TX 76137; telephone (817) 321–
7716.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Rule
This action amends Title 14 Code of
Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 71 by
adjusting the geographic coordinates,
within the Class D and Class E airspace
areas, of Lake Charles Regional Airport,
Lake Charles, LA, and Chennault
International Airport, formally known
as Chennault Industrial Airpark, Lake
Charles, LA, to coincide with the FAA’s
aeronautical database. An
administrative correction also is made
to the spelling of the Southland Field,
Sulphur, LA, navigation aid from
Sulphy NDB to Sulphur NDB. This is an
administrative change and does not
affect the boundaries, altitudes, or
operating requirements of the airspace,
therefore, notice and public procedures
under 5 U.S.C. 553(b) are unnecessary.
The FAA has determined that this
regulation only involves an established
body of technical regulations for which
frequent and routine amendments are
necessary to keep them operationally
current. Therefore, this regulation: (1) Is
not a ‘‘significant regulatory action’’
under Executive Order 12866; (2) is not
a ‘‘significant rule’’ under DOT
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44
FR 11034; February 26, 1979); and (3)
does not warrant preparation of a
regulatory evaluation as the anticipated
impact is so minimal. Since this is a
routine matter that only affects air traffic
procedures and air navigation, it is
certified that this rule, when
promulgated, does not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities under the
criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
The FAA’s authority to issue rules
regarding aviation safety is found in
Title 49 of the U.S. Code. Subtitle 1,
Section 106, describes the authority of
the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII,
Aviation Programs, describes in more
detail the scope of the agency’s
authority. This rulemaking is
promulgated under the authority
described in Subtitle VII, Part A,
Subpart I, Section 40103. Under that
section, the FAA is charged with
prescribing regulations to assign the use
of airspace necessary to ensure the
safety of aircraft and the efficient use of
airspace. This regulation is within the
scope of that authority as it amends
controlled airspace in the Lake Charles,
LA area.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71
Airspace, Incorporation by reference,
Navigation (air).
Adoption of the Amendment
In consideration of the foregoing, the
Federal Aviation Administration
amends 14 CFR Part 71 as follows:
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10DER1
ER10DE13.377</GPH>
74004
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 10, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 73997-74004]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-29396]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2013-0023; Directorate Identifier 96-CE-072-AD;
Amendment 39-17688; AD 99-01-05 R1]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Various Aircraft Equipped with Wing
Lift Struts
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are revising Airworthiness Directive (AD) 99-01-05 for
certain aircraft equipped with wing lift struts. AD 99-01-05 required
repetitively inspecting the wing lift struts for corrosion;
repetitively inspecting the wing lift strut forks for cracks; replacing
any corroded wing lift strut; replacing any cracked wing lift strut
fork; and repetitively replacing the wing lift strut forks at a
specified time for certain airplanes. AD 99-01-05 also required
incorporating a ``NO STEP'' placard on the wing lift strut. Since we
issued AD 99-01-05, we were informed that paragraph (c) had been
misinterpreted and caused confusion. This AD clarifies the intent of
the language in paragraph (c) of AD 99-01-05 and retains all other
requirements of AD 99-01-05. We are issuing this AD to correct the
unsafe condition on these products.
DATES: This AD is effective January 14, 2014.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of certain other publications listed in this AD as of
February 8, 1999 (63 FR 72132, December 31, 1998).
ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact Piper
Aircraft, Inc., Customer Services, 2926 Piper Drive, Vero Beach,
Florida 32960; telephone: (772) 567-4361; Internet: www.piper.com.
Copies of the instructions to the F. Atlee Dodge supplemental type
certificate (STC) and information about the Jensen Aircraft STCs may be
obtained from F. Atlee Dodge, Aircraft Services, LLC., 6672 Wes Way,
Anchorage, Alaska 99518-0409, Internet: www.fadodge.com. You may review
copies of the referenced service information at the FAA, Small Airplane
Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information
on the availability of this material at the FAA, call (816) 329-4148.
Examining the AD Docket
You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating it in Docket No. FAA-
2013-00023; or in person at the Docket Management Facility between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD
docket contains this AD, the regulatory evaluation, any comments
received, and other information. The address for the Docket Office
(phone: 800-647-5527) is Document Management Facility, U.S. Department
of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor,
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For Piper Aircraft, Inc. airplanes,
contact: Gregory ``Keith'' Noles, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Atlanta
Aircraft Certification Office, 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park,
Georgia 30337; phone: (404) 474-5551; fax: (404) 474-5606; email:
gregory.noles@faa.gov.
For FS 2000 Corp, FS 2001 Corp, FS 2002 Corporation, and FS 2003
Corporation airplanes, contact: Jeff Morfitt, Aerospace Engineer, FAA,
Seattle Aircraft Certification Office, 1601 Lind Avenue SW, Renton,
Washington 98057; phone: (425) 917-6405; fax: (245) 917-6590; email:
jeff.morfitt@faa.gov.
For LAVIA ARGENTINA S.A. (LAVIASA) airplanes, contact: S.M.
Nagarajan, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901
Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-
4145; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: sarjapur.nagarajan@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Discussion
We issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR
part 39 to revise AD 99-01-05, Amendment 39-10972 (63 FR 72132,
December 31, 1998), (``AD 99-01-05''). AD 99-01-05 applied to the
specified products. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on
January 16, 2013 (78 FR 3356). The NPRM proposed to retain all
requirements of AD 99-01-05 and clarify our intent of required actions
if the seal on a sealed wing lift strut is ever improperly broken.
Comments
We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing
this AD. The following presents the comments received on the proposal
and the FAA's response to each comment.
Request to Combine This AD with Another AD
Len J. Buckel stated that AD 99-26-19, Amendment 39-11470 (64 FR
72524, December 28, 1999), (``AD 99-26-19''), and AD 99-01-05 should be
combined into one AD.
The commenter stated that since AD 99-01-05 is being revised, it
should also be revised to include Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Piper) Model J-
2 airplanes, which are covered separately in AD 99-26-19, so that all
affected Piper airplanes would be covered in one AD.
We do not agree with the commenter. AD 99-01-05 is being revised
only to clarify language about how to maintain a sealed wing lift strut
assembly if the seal is ever improperly broken. This revision does not
require any additional actions for the owners/operators. The same
confusing and misleading language that prompted this revision is also
included in AD 99-26-19, which will also be revised. In order to avoid
any further confusion, we believe that it is in the best interest of
the owners/operators to maintain two separate ADs.
We have not changed the final rule AD action based on this comment.
[[Page 73998]]
Request to Further Clarify Paragraph (g)
Jamison Peters of Airframes Alaska stated that stronger and clearer
language should be added to this AD that specifies allowing a sealed
wing lift strut to be temporarily unsealed in order to perform proper
maintenance actions.
The commenter stated that the proposed language in Note 1 to
paragraph (g) seems somewhat ambiguous using the word ``never'' in
regards to the seal of a strut being ``never broken'' but then saying
that ``. . . nor did we intend to preclude proper maintenance action
that may temporarily unseal a sealed strut . . .''
We agree with the commenter that the proposed language could be
interpreted as ambiguous or conflicting. We have revised Note 2 to
paragraph (g) to further clarify that properly unsealing and resealing
a sealed wing lift strut for maintenance, as long as all regulations
and issues are considered, is still considered a terminating action for
the repetitive inspection requirements of this AD.
Conclusion
We reviewed the relevant data, considered the comments received,
and determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting
this AD with the change described previously and minor editorial
changes. We have determined that these minor changes:
Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the
NPRM (78 FR 3356, January 16, 2013) for correcting the unsafe
condition; and
Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was
already proposed in the NPRM (78 FR 3356, January 16, 2013).
We also determined that these changes will not increase the
economic burden on any operator or increase the scope of this AD.
Costs of Compliance
We estimate that this AD affects 22,000 airplanes of U.S. registry.
We estimate the following costs to comply with this AD. However,
the only difference in the costs presented below and the costs
associated with AD 99-01-05 is the change in the labor rate from $65
per hour to $85 per hour:
Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cost on U.S.
Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per product operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inspection of the wing lift 8 work-hours x $85 per Not applicable... $680 per $14,960,000 per
struts and wing lift strut hour = $680 per inspection cycle. inspection
forks. inspection cycle. cycle.
Installation placard........... 1 work-hour x $85 = $30.............. $115............. $2,530,000.
$85.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We estimate the following costs to do any necessary replacements
that will be required based on the results of the inspection. We have
no way of determining the number of aircraft that might need these
replacements:
On-Condition Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cost per
Parts cost product per
Action Labor cost per wing lift strut per wing wing lift
lift strut strut
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Replacement of the wing lift strut and/or 4 work-hours x $85 per hour = $340... $440 $780
wing lift strut forks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Authority for This Rulemaking
Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to
issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the
authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII, Aviation Programs,
describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's authority.
We are issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in
Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, section 44701, ``General
requirements.'' Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with
promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing
regulations for practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator
finds necessary for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within
the scope of that authority because it addresses an unsafe condition
that is likely to exist or develop on products identified in this
rulemaking action.
Regulatory Findings
We have determined that this AD will not have federalism
implications under Executive Order 13132. This AD will not have a
substantial direct effect on the States, on the relationship between
the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power
and responsibilities among the various levels of government.
For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this AD:
(1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive
Order 12866,
(2) Is not a ``significant rule'' under DOT Regulatory Policies and
Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979),
(3) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
(4) Will not have a significant economic impact, positive or
negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by
reference, Safety.
Adoption of the Amendment
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows:
PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
0
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.
[[Page 73999]]
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
0
2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by removing Airworthiness Directive (AD)
99-01-05, Amendment 39-10972 (63 FR 72132, December 31, 1998), and
adding the following new AD:
99-01-05 R1 Various Aircraft: Amendment 39-17688; Docket No. FAA-
2013-0023; Directorate Identifier 96-CE-072-AD.
(a) Effective Date
This AD is effective January 14, 2014
(b) Affected ADs
This AD revises AD 99-01-05, Amendment 39-10972 (63 FR 72132,
December 31, 1998), which superseded AD 93-10-06, Amendment 39-8586
(58 FR 29965, May 25, 1993). AD 99-26-19, Amendment 39-11479 (64 FR
72524, December 28, 1999), also relates to the subject of this AD.
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to the following airplanes identified in table 1
of paragraph (c) of this AD, that are:
(1) Equipped with wing lift struts, including airplanes commonly
known as a ``Clipped Wing Cub,'' which modify the airplane primarily
by removing approximately 40 inches of the inboard portion of each
wing; and
(2) certificated in any category.
Table 1 to Paragraph (c) of This AD--Applicability
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type certificate holder Aircraft model Serial No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FS 2000 Corp................ L-14................ All.
FS 2001 Corp................ J5A (Army L-4F), J5A- All.
80, J5B (Army L-
4G), J5C, AE-1, and
HE-1.
FS 2002 Corporation......... PA-14............... 14-1 through 14-523.
FS 2003 Corporation......... PA-12 and PA-12S.... 12-1 through 12-
4036.
LAVIA ARGENTINA S.A. PA-25, PA-25-235, 25-1 through 25-
(LAVIASA). and PA-25-260. 8156024.
Piper Aircraft, Inc......... TG-8 (Army TG-8, All.
Navy XLNP-1).
Piper Aircraft, Inc......... E-2 and F-2......... All.
Piper Aircraft, Inc......... J3C-40, J3C-50, J3C- All.
50S, (Army L-4, L-
4B, L-4H, and L-
4J), J3C-65 (Navy
NE-1 and NE-2), J3C-
65S, J3F-50, J3F-
50S, J3F-60, J3F-
60S, J3F-65 (Army L-
4D), J3F-65S, J3L,
J3L-S, J3L-65 (Army
L-4C), and J3L-65S.
Piper Aircraft, Inc......... J4, J4A, J4A-S, and 4-401 through 4-
J4E (Army L-4E). 1649.
Piper Aircraft, Inc......... PA-11 and PA-11S.... 11-1 through 11-
1678.
Piper Aircraft, Inc......... PA-15............... 15-1 through 15-388.
Piper Aircraft, Inc......... PA-16 and PA-16S.... 16-1 through 16-736.
Piper Aircraft, Inc......... PA-17............... 17-1 through 17-215.
Piper Aircraft, Inc......... PA-19 (Army L-18C), 19-1, 19-2, and 19-
and PA-19S. 3.
Piper Aircraft, Inc......... PA-20, PA-20S, PA-20 20-1 through 20-
``115'', PA-20S 1121.
``115'', PA-20
``135'', and PA-20S
``135''.
Piper Aircraft, Inc......... PA-22, PA-22-108, PA- 22-1 through 22-
22-135, PA-22S-135, 9848.
PA-22-150, PA-22S-
150, PA-22-160, and
PA-22S-160.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(d) Subject
Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC)/Air Transport Association
(ATA) of America Code 57, Wings.
(e) Unsafe Condition
(1) The subject of this AD was originally prompted by reports of
corrosion damage found on the wing lift struts. We are revising AD
99-01-05, Amendment 39-10972 (63 FR 72132, December 31, 1998),
because of reports that paragraph (c) had been misinterpreted and
caused confusion. This AD removes the language in paragraph (c) of
AD 99-01-05, which caused the confusion.
(2) This AD clarifies the FAA's intention that if a sealed wing
lift strut assembly is installed as a replacement part, the
repetitive inspection requirement is terminated only if the seal is
never improperly broken. If the seal is improperly broken, then that
wing lift strut becomes subject to continued repetitive inspections.
We did not intend to promote drilling holes into or otherwise
unsealing a sealed strut. This AD retains all the actions required
in AD 99-01-05 and this AD does not require any actions over that
already required by AD 99-01-05. This AD does not add any additional
burden to the owners/operators of the affected airplanes.
(3) We are issuing this AD to detect and correct corrosion and
cracking on the front and rear wing lift struts and forks, which
could cause the wing lift strut to fail. This failure could result
in the wing separating from the airplane.
(f) Paragraph Designation Changes to AD 99-01-05 R1
Since AD 99-01-05, Amendment 39-10972 (63 FR 72132, December 31,
1998), was issued, the AD format has been revised, and certain
paragraphs have been rearranged. As a result, the corresponding
paragraph identifiers have changed in this AD as listed in the
following table:
Table 2 to Paragraph (f) of This AD--Revised Paragraph Identifiers
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corresponding requirement
Requirement in AD 99-01-05 in AD 99-01-05 R1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
paragraph (a)............................. paragraph (h).
paragraph (a)(1).......................... paragraph (i)(1).
paragraph (a)(1)(i)....................... paragraph (i)(1)(i).
paragraph (a)(1)(ii)...................... paragraph (i)(1)(ii).
paragraph (a)(2).......................... paragraph (i)(2).
paragraph (a)(2)(i)....................... paragraph (i)(2)(i).
paragraph (a)(2)(ii)...................... paragraph (i)(2)(ii).
paragraph (a)(3).......................... paragraph (j)(1).
paragraph (a)(4).......................... paragraph (j)(2).
paragraph (a)(5).......................... paragraph (j)(3).
paragraph (b)............................. paragraph (k).
paragraph (b)(1).......................... paragraph (l).
paragraph (b)(1)(i)....................... paragraph (l)(1).
paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(B) and (b)(1)(iv).... paragraph (l)(2).
paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(C) and (b)(1)(iv).... paragraph (l)(3).
paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(A) and (b)(1)(iv).... paragraph (l)(4).
paragraph (b)(1)(iii), (b)(2), (b)(1)(iv). paragraph (m)(1).
paragraph (b)(3) through (b)(3)(ii)....... paragraph (m)(2).
paragraph (b)(4) through (b)(4)(vi)....... paragraph (m)(3) thru
(m)(3)(vi).
paragraph (b)(5) through (b)(5)(ii)....... paragraph (m)(4).
Paragraph (c)............................. Removed.
paragraph (d)............................. paragraph (n)(1).
[[Page 74000]]
paragraph (d)(1).......................... paragraph (n)(1)(i).
paragraph (d)(2).......................... paragraph (n)(1)(ii).
N/A....................................... paragraph (n)(2).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(g) Compliance
Unless already done (compliance with AD 99-01-05, Amendment 39-
10972 (63 FR 72132, December 31, 1998)), do the following actions
within the compliance times specified in paragraphs (h) through (n)
of this AD, including all subparagraphs. Properly unsealing and
resealing a sealed wing lift strut is still considered a terminating
action for the repetitive inspection requirements of this AD as long
as all appropriate regulations and issues are considered, such as
static strength, fatigue, material effects, immediate and long-term
(internal and external) corrosion protection, resealing methods,
etc. Current FAA regulations in 14 CFR 43.13(b) specify that
maintenance performed will result in the part's condition to be at
least equal to its original or properly altered condition. Any
maintenance actions that unseal a sealed wing lift strut should be
coordinated with the Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office (ACO)
through the local airworthiness authority (e.g., Flight Standards
District Office). There are provisions in paragraph (o) of this AD
for approving such actions as an alternative method of compliance
(AMOC).
(h) Remove Wing Lift Struts
At whichever of the compliance times specified in paragraphs
(h)(1) or (h)(2) of this AD that occurs later, remove the wing lift
struts following Piper Aircraft Corporation Mandatory Service
Bulletin (Piper MSB) No. 528D, dated October 19, 1990, or Piper MSB
No. 910A, dated October 10, 1989, as applicable. Before further
flight after the removal, do the actions in one of the following
paragraphs (i)(1), (i)(2), (j)(1), (j)(2), or (j)(3) of this AD,
including all subparagraphs.
(1) Within 1 calendar month after February 8, 1999 (the
effective date retained from AD 99-01-05, Amendment 39-10972 (63 FR
72132, December 31, 1998)); or
(2) Within 24 calendar months after the last inspection done in
accordance with AD 93-10-06, Amendment 39-8586 (58 FR 29965, May 25,
1993) (which was superseded by AD 99-01-05, Amendment 39-10972 (63
FR 72132, December 31, 1998)), whichever occurs later.
(i) Inspect Wing Lift Struts
Before further flight after the removal required in paragraph
(h) of this AD, inspect each wing lift strut following paragraph
(i)(1) or (i)(2) of this AD, including all subparagraphs, or do the
wing lift strut replacement following one of the options in
paragraph (j)(1), (j)(2), or (j)(3) of this AD.
(1) Inspect each wing lift strut for corrosion and perceptible
dents following Piper MSB No. 528D, dated October 19, 1990, or Piper
MSB No. 910A, dated October 10, 1989, as applicable.
(i) If no corrosion is visible and no perceptible dents are
found on any wing lift strut during the inspection required in
paragraph (i)(1) of this AD, before further flight, apply corrosion
inhibitor to each wing lift strut following Piper MSB No. 528D,
dated October 19, 1990, or Piper MSB No. 910A, dated October 10,
1989, as applicable.
Repetitively thereafter inspect each wing lift strut at
intervals not to exceed 24 calendar months following the procedures
in paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2) of this AD, including all
subparagraphs.
(ii) If corrosion or perceptible dents are found on any wing
lift strut during the inspection required in paragraph (i)(1) of
this AD or during any repetitive inspection required in paragraph
(i)(1)(i) of this AD, before further flight, replace the affected
wing lift strut with one of the replacement options specified in
paragraph (j)(1), (j)(2), or (j)(3) of this AD. Do the replacement
following the procedures specified in those paragraphs, as
applicable.
(2) Inspect each wing lift strut for corrosion following the
procedures in the Appendix to this AD. This inspection must be done
by a Level 2 or Level 3 inspector certified using the guidelines
established by the American Society for Non-destructive Testing or
the ``Military Standard for Nondestructive Testing Personnel
Qualification and Certification'' (MIL-STD-410E), which can be found
on the Internet at https://aerospacedefense.thomasnet.com/Asset/MIL-STD-410.pdf.
(i) If no corrosion is found on any wing lift strut during the
inspection required in paragraph (i)(2) of this AD and all
requirements in the Appendix to this AD are met, before further
flight, apply corrosion inhibitor to each wing lift strut following
Piper MSB No. 528D, dated October 19, 1990, or Piper MSB No. 910A,
dated October 10, 1989, as applicable. Repetitively thereafter
inspect each wing lift strut at intervals not to exceed 24 calendar
months following the procedures in paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2) of
this AD, including all subparagraphs.
(ii) If corrosion is found on any wing lift strut during the
inspection required in paragraph (i)(2) of this AD or during any
repetitive inspection required in paragraph (i)(2)(i) of this AD, or
if any requirement in the Appendix of this AD is not met, before
further flight after any inspection in which corrosion is found or
the Appendix requirements are not met, replace the affected wing
lift strut with one of the replacement options specified in
paragraph (j)(1), (j)(2), or (j)(3) of this AD. Do the replacement
following the procedures specified in those paragraphs, as
applicable.
(j) Wing Lift Strut Replacement Options
Before further flight after the removal required in paragraph
(h) of this AD, replace the wing lift struts following one of the
options in paragraph (j)(1), (j)(2), or (j)(3) of this AD, including
all subparagraphs, or inspect each wing lift strut following
paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2) of this AD.
(1) Install original equipment manufacturer (OEM) part number
wing lift struts (or FAA-approved equivalent part numbers) that have
been inspected following the procedures in either paragraph (i)(1)
or (i)(2) of this AD, including all subparagraphs, and are found to
be airworthy. Do the installations following Piper MSB No. 528D,
dated October 19, 1990, or Piper MSB No. 910A, dated October 10,
1989, as applicable. Repetitively thereafter inspect the newly
installed wing lift struts at intervals not to exceed 24 calendar
months following the procedures in either paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2)
of this AD, including all subparagraphs.
(2) Install new sealed wing lift strut assemblies (or FAA-
approved equivalent part numbers) (these sealed wing lift strut
assemblies also include the wing lift strut forks) following Piper
MSB No. 528D, dated October 19, 1990, and Piper MSB No. 910A, dated
October 10, 1989, as applicable. Installing one of these new sealed
wing lift strut assemblies terminates the repetitive inspection
requirements in paragraphs (i)(1) and (i)(2) of this AD, and the
wing lift strut fork removal, inspection, and replacement
requirement in paragraphs (k) and (l) of this AD, including all
subparagraphs, for that wing lift strut assembly.
(3) Install F. Atlee Dodge wing lift strut assemblies following
F. Atlee Dodge Aircraft Services, Inc. Installation Instructions No.
3233-I for Modified Piper Wing Lift Struts Supplemental Type
Certificate (STC) SA4635NM, dated February 1, 1991, which can be
found on the Internet at https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/E726AAA2831BD20085256CC2000E3DB7?OpenDocument&Highlight=sa4635nm.
Repetitively thereafter inspect the newly installed wing lift struts
at intervals not to exceed 60 calendar months following the
procedures in paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2) of this AD, including all
subparagraphs.
(k) Remove Wing Lift Strut Forks
For all affected airplane models, except for Models PA-25, PA-
25-235, and PA-25-260 airplanes, within the next 100 hours time-in-
service (TIS) after February 8, 1999 (the effective date retained
from AD 99-01-05, Amendment 39-10972 (63 FR 72132, December 31,
1998)) or within 500 hours TIS after the last inspection done in
accordance with AD 93-10-06, Amendment 39-8586 (58 FR 29965, May 25,
1993) (which was superseded by AD 99-01-05), whichever occurs later,
remove the wing lift strut forks (unless already replaced in
accordance with paragraph (j)(2) of this AD). Do the removal
following Piper MSB No. 528D, dated October 19, 1990, or Piper MSB
No. 910A, dated October 10, 1989, as applicable. Before further
flight after the removal, do the actions in one of the following
paragraphs (l) or (m) of this AD, including all subparagraphs.
(l) Inspect and Replace Wing Lift Strut Forks
Before further flight after the removal required in paragraph
(k) of this AD, inspect the wing lift strut forks following
paragraph (l) of this AD, including all subparagraphs, or do the
wing lift strut fork replacement following one of the options in
paragraph (m)(1), (m)(2), (m)(3), or (m)(4) of this AD, including
all subparagraphs. Inspect the wing
[[Page 74001]]
lift strut forks for cracks using magnetic particle procedures, such
as those contained in FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 43.13-1B, Chapter
5, which can be found on the Internet https://rgl.faa.gov/
Regulatory--and--Guidance--Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/
99c827db9baac81b86256b4500596c4e/$FILE/Chapter%2005.pdf.
Repetitively thereafter inspect at intervals not to exceed 500 hours
TIS until the replacement time requirement specified in paragraph
(l)(2) or (l)(3) of this AD is reached provided no cracks are found.
(1) If cracks are found during any inspection required in
paragraph (l) of this AD or during any repetitive inspection
required in paragraph (l)(2) or (l)(3) of this AD, before further
flight, replace the affected wing lift strut fork with one of the
replacement options specified in paragraph (m)(1), (m)(2), (m)(3),
or (m)(4) of this AD, including all subparagraphs. Do the
replacement following the procedures specified in those paragraphs,
as applicable.
(2) If no cracks are found during the initial inspection
required in paragraph (l) of this AD and the airplane is currently
equipped with floats or has been equipped with floats at any time
during the previous 2,000 hours TIS since the wing lift strut forks
were installed, at or before accumulating 1,000 hours TIS on the
wing lift strut forks, replace the wing lift strut forks with one of
the replacement options specified in paragraph (m)(1), (m)(2),
(m)(3), or (m)(4) of this AD, including all subparagraphs. Do the
replacement following the procedures specified in those paragraphs,
as applicable. Repetitively thereafter inspect the newly installed
wing lift strut forks at intervals not to exceed 500 hours TIS
following the procedures specified in paragraph (l) of this AD,
including all subparagraphs.
(3) If no cracks are found during the initial inspection
required in paragraph (l) of this AD and the airplane has never been
equipped with floats during the previous 2,000 hours TIS since the
wing lift strut forks were installed, at or before accumulating
2,000 hours TIS on the wing lift strut forks, replace the wing lift
strut forks with one of the replacement options specified in
paragraph (m)(1), (m)(2), (m)(3), or (m)(4) of this AD, including
all subparagraphs. Do the replacement following the procedures
specified in those paragraphs, as applicable. Repetitively
thereafter inspect the newly installed wing lift strut forks at
intervals not to exceed 500 hours TIS following the procedures
specified in paragraph (l) of this AD, including all subparagraphs.
(m) Wing Lift Strut Fork Replacement Options
Before further flight after the removal required in paragraph
(k) of this AD, replace the wing lift strut forks following one of
the options in paragraph (m)(1), (m)(2), (m)(3), or (m)(4) of this
AD, including all subparagraphs, or inspect the wing lift strut
forks following paragraph (1) of this AD, including all
subparagraphs.
(1) Install new OEM part number wing lift strut forks of the
same part numbers of the existing part (or FAA-approved equivalent
part numbers) that were manufactured with rolled threads. Wing lift
strut forks manufactured with machine (cut) threads are not to be
used. Do the installations following Piper MSB No. 528D, dated
October 19, 1990, or Piper MSB No. 910A, dated October 10, 1989, as
applicable. Repetitively thereafter inspect and replace the newly
installed wing lift strut forks at intervals not to exceed 500 hours
TIS following the procedures specified in paragraph (l) of this AD,
including all subparagraphs.
(2) Install new sealed wing lift strut assemblies (or FAA-
approved equivalent part numbers) (these sealed wing lift strut
assemblies also include the wing lift strut forks) following Piper
MSB No. 528D, dated October 19, 1990, and Piper MSB No. 910A, dated
October 10, 1989, as applicable. This installation may have already
been done through the option specified in paragraph (j)(2) of this
AD. Installing one of these new sealed wing lift strut assemblies
terminates the repetitive inspection requirements in paragraphs
(i)(1) and (i)(2) of this AD, and the wing lift strut fork removal,
inspection, and replacement requirements in paragraphs (k) and (l)
of this AD, including all subparagraphs, for that wing lift strut
assembly.
(3) For the airplanes specified below, install Jensen Aircraft
wing lift strut fork assemblies specified below in the applicable
STC following Jensen Aircraft Installation Instructions for Modified
Lift Strut Fitting. Installing one of these wing lift strut fork
assemblies terminates the repetitive inspection requirement of this
AD only for that wing lift strut fork. Repetitively inspect each
wing lift strut as specified in paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2) of this
AD, including all subparagraphs.
(i) For Models PA-12 and PA-12S airplanes: STC SA1583NM, which
can be found on the Internet at https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/2E708575849845B285256CC1008213CA?OpenDocument&Highlight=sa1583nm;
(ii) For Model PA-14 airplanes: STC SA1584NM, which can be found
on the Internet at https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/39872B814471737685256CC1008213D0?OpenDocument&Highlight=sa1584nm;
(iii) For Models PA-16 and PA-16S airplanes: STC SA1590NM, which
can be found on the Internet at https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/B28C4162E30D941F85256CC1008213F6?OpenDocument&Highlight=sa1590nm;
(iv) For Models PA-18, PA-18S, PA-18 ``105'' (Special), PA-18S
``105'' (Special), PA-18A, PA-18 ``125'' (Army L-21A), PA-18S
``125'', PA-18AS ``125'', PA-18 ``135'' (Army L-21B), PA-18A
``135'', PA-18S ``135'', PA-18AS ``135'', PA-18 ``150'', PA-18A
``150'', PA-18S ``150'', PA-18AS ``150'', PA-18A (Restricted), PA-
18A ``135'' (Restricted), and PA-18A ``150'' (Restricted) airplanes:
STC SA1585NM, which can be found on the Internet at https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/A2BE010FB1CA61A285256CC1008213D6?OpenDocument&Highlight=sa1585nm;
(v) For Models PA-20, PA-20S, PA-20 ``115'', PA-20S ``115'', PA-
20 ``135'', and PA-20S ``135'' airplanes: STC SA1586NM, which can be
found on the Internet at https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/873CC69D42C87CF585256CC1008213DC?OpenDocument&Highlight=sa1586nm;
and
(vi) For Model PA-22 airplanes: STC SA1587NM, which can be found
on the Internet at https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/B051D04CCC0BED7E85256CC1008213E0?OpenDocument&Highlight=sa1587nm.
(4) Install F. Atlee Dodge wing lift strut assemblies following
F. Atlee Dodge Installation Instructions No. 3233-I for Modified
Piper Wing Lift Struts (STC SA4635NM), dated February 1, 1991, which
can be found on the Internet at https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/E726AAA2831BD20085256CC2000E3DB7?OpenDocument&Highlight=sa4635nm.
This installation may have already been done in accordance paragraph
(j)(3) of this AD. Installing these wing lift strut assemblies
terminates the repetitive inspection requirements of this AD for the
wing lift strut fork only. Repetitively inspect the wing lift struts
as specified in paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2) of this AD, including all
subparagraphs.
(n) Install Placard
(1) Within 1 calendar month after February 8, 1999 (the
effective date retained from AD 99-01-05, Amendment 39-10972 (63 FR
72132, December 31, 1998)), or within 24 calendar months after the
last inspection required by AD 93-10-06, Amendment 39-8586 (58 FR
29965, May 25, 1993) (which was superseded by AD 99-01-05),
whichever occurs later, and before further flight after any
replacement of a wing lift strut assembly required by this AD, do
the actions in one of the following paragraphs (n)(1)(i) or
(n)(1)(ii) of this AD:
(i) Install ``NO STEP'' decal, Piper (P/N) 80944-02, on each
wing lift strut approximately 6 inches from the bottom of the wing
lift strut in a way that the letters can be read when entering and
exiting the airplane; or
(ii) Paint the words ``NO STEP'' approximately 6 inches from the
bottom of the wing lift strut in a way that the letters can be read
when entering and exiting the airplane. Use a minimum of 1-inch
letters using a color that contrasts with the color of the airplane.
(2) The ``NO STEP'' markings required by paragraph (n)(1)(i) or
(n)(1)(ii) of this AD must remain in place for the life of the
airplane.
(o) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)
(1) The Manager, Atlanta ACO, FAA, has the authority to approve
AMOCs for this AD related to Piper Aircraft, Inc. airplanes; the
Manager, Seattle ACO, FAA has the authority to approve AMOCs for
this AD related to FS 2000 Corp, FS 2001 Corp, FS 2002 Corporation,
and FS 2003 Corporation airplanes; and the Manager, Standards
Office, FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD related
to LAVIA ARGENTINA S.A. (LAVIASA) airplanes, if requested using the
procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. In
[[Page 74002]]
accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, send your request to your principal
inspector or local Flight Standards District Office, as appropriate.
If sending information directly to the manager of the ACO, send it
to the attention of the appropriate person identified in paragraph
(p) of this AD.
(2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager
of the local flight standards district office/certificate holding
district office.
(3) AMOCs approved for AD 93-10-06, Amendment 39-8586 (58 FR
29965, May 25, 1993) and AD 99-01-05, Amendment 39-10972 (63 FR
72132, December 31, 1998) are approved as AMOCs for this AD.
(p) Related Information
(1) For more information about this AD related to Piper
Aircraft, Inc. airplanes, contact: Gregory ``Keith'' Noles,
Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Atlanta ACO, 1701 Columbia Avenue, College
Park, Georgia 30337; phone: (404) 474-5551; fax: (404) 474-5606;
email: gregory.noles@faa.gov.
(2) For more information about this AD related to FS 2000 Corp,
FS 2001 Corp, FS 2002 Corporation, and FS 2003 Corporation
airplanes, contact: Jeff Morfitt, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Seattle
ACO, 1601 Lind Avenue SW, Renton, Washington 98057; phone: (425)
917-6405; fax: (245) 917-6590; email: jeff.morfitt@faa.gov.
(3) For more information about this AD related to LAVIA
ARGENTINA S.A. (LAVIASA) airplanes, contact: S.M. Nagarajan,
Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust,
Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4145;
fax: (816) 329-4090; email: sarjapur.nagarajan@faa.gov.
(q) Material Incorporated by Reference
(1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the
incorporation by reference (IBR) of the service information listed
in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
(2) You must use this service information as applicable to do
the actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
(3) The following service information was approved for IBR on
February 8, 1999 (63 FR 72132, December 31, 1998).
(i) Piper Aircraft Corporation Mandatory Service Bulletin No.
528D, dated October 19, 1990.
(ii) Piper Aircraft Corporation Mandatory Service Bulletin No.
910A, dated October 10, 1989.
(iii) F. Atlee Dodge Aircraft Services, Inc. Installation
Instructions No. 3233-I for Modified Piper Wing Lift Struts
Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SA4635NM, dated February 1,
1991.
(iv) Jensen Aircraft Installation Instructions for Modified Lift
Strut Fittings, which incorporates pages 1 and 5, Original Issue,
dated July 15, 1983; pages 2, 4, and 6, Revision No. 1, dated March
30, 1984; and pages a and 3, Revision No. 2, dated April 20, 1984.
(4) For Piper Aircraft, Inc. service information identified in
this AD, contact Piper Aircraft, Inc., Customer Services, 2926 Piper
Drive, Vero Beach, Florida 32960; telephone: (772) 567-4361;
Internet: www.piper.com. Copies of the instructions to the F. Atlee
Dodge STC and information about the Jensen Aircraft STCs may be
obtained from F. Atlee Dodge, Aircraft Services, LLC., 6672 Wes Way,
Anchorage, Alaska 99518-0409, Internet: www.fadodge.com.
(5) You may review copies of the referenced service information
at the FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City,
Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this material
at the FAA, call (816) 329-4148.
(6) You may view this service information that is incorporated
by reference at the National Archives and Records Administration
(NARA). For information on the availability of this material at
NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.
APPENDIX TO AD 99-01-05 R1
Procedures and Requirements for Ultrasonic Inspection of Piper Wing
Lift Struts
Equipment Requirements
1. A portable ultrasonic thickness gauge or flaw detector with
echo-to-echo digital thickness readout capable of reading to 0.001-
inch and an A-trace waveform display will be needed to do this
inspection.
2. An ultrasonic probe with the following specifications will be
needed to accomplish this inspection: 10 MHz (or higher), 0.283-inch
(or smaller) diameter dual element or delay line transducer designed
for thickness gauging. The transducer and ultrasonic system shall be
capable of accurately measuring the thickness of AISI 4340 steel
down to 0.020-inch. An accuracy of +/- 0.002-inch throughout a
0.020-inch to 0.050-inch thickness range while calibrating shall be
the criteria for acceptance.
3. Either a precision machined step wedge made of 4340 steel (or
similar steel with equivalent sound velocity) or at least three shim
samples of same material will be needed to accomplish this
inspection. One thickness of the step wedge or shim shall be less
than or equal to 0.020-inch, one shall be greater than or equal to
0.050-inch, and at least one other step or shim shall be between
these two values.
4. Glycerin, light oil, or similar non-water based ultrasonic
couplants are recommended in the setup and inspection procedures.
Water-based couplants, containing appropriate corrosion inhibitors,
may be utilized, provided they are removed from both the reference
standards and the test item after the inspection procedure is
completed and adequate corrosion prevention steps are then taken to
protect these items.
Note: Couplant is defined as ``a substance used between
the face of the transducer and test surface to improve transmission
of ultrasonic energy across the transducer/strut interface.''
Note: If surface roughness due to paint loss or
corrosion is present, the surface should be sanded or polished
smooth before testing to assure a consistent and smooth surface for
making contact with the transducer. Care shall be taken to remove a
minimal amount of structural material. Paint repairs may be
necessary after the inspection to prevent further corrosion damage
from occurring. Removal of surface irregularities will enhance the
accuracy of the inspection technique.
Instrument Setup
1. Set up the ultrasonic equipment for thickness measurements as
specified in the instrument's user's manual. Because of the variety
of equipment available to perform ultrasonic thickness measurements,
some modification to this general setup procedure may be necessary.
However, the tolerance requirement of step 13 and the record keeping
requirement of step 14, must be satisfied.
2. If battery power will be employed, check to see that the
battery has been properly charged. The testing will take
approximately two hours. Screen brightness and contrast should be
set to match environmental conditions.
3. Verify that the instrument is set for the type of transducer
being used, i.e. single or dual element, and that the frequency
setting is compatible with the transducer.
4. If a removable delay line is used, remove it and place a drop
of couplant between the transducer face and the delay line to assure
good transmission of ultrasonic energy. Reassemble the delay line
transducer and continue.
5. Program a velocity of 0.231-inch/microsecond into the
ultrasonic unit unless an alternative instrument calibration
procedure is used to set the sound velocity.
6. Obtain a step wedge or steel shims per item 3 of the
Equipment Requirements. Place the probe on the thickest sample using
couplant. Rotate the transducer slightly back and forth to ``ring''
the transducer to the sample. Adjust the delay and range settings to
arrive at an A-trace signal display with the first backwall echo
from the steel near the left side of the screen and the second
backwall echo near the right of the screen. Note that when a single
element transducer is used, the initial pulse and the delay line/
steel interface will be off of the screen to the left. Adjust the
gain to place the amplitude of the first backwall signal at
approximately 80% screen height on the A-trace.
7. ``Ring'' the transducer on the thinnest step or shim using
couplant. Select positive half-wave rectified, negative half-wave
rectified, or filtered signal display to obtain the cleanest signal.
Adjust the pulse voltage, pulse width, and damping to obtain the
best signal resolution. These settings can vary from one transducer
to another and are also user dependent.
8. Enable the thickness gate, and adjust the gate so that it
starts at the first backwall echo and ends at the second backwall
echo. (Measuring between the first and second backwall echoes will
produce a measurement of the steel thickness that is not affected by
the paint layer on the strut). If instability of the gate trigger
occurs, adjust the gain, gate level, and/or damping to stabilize the
thickness reading.
9. Check the digital display reading and if it does not agree
with the known thickness
[[Page 74003]]
of the thinnest thickness, follow your instrument's calibration
recommendations to produce the correct thickness reading. When a
single element transducer is used this will usually involve
adjusting the fine delay setting.
10. Place the transducer on the thickest step of shim using
couplant. Adjust the thickness gate width so that the gate is
triggered by the second backwall reflection of the thick section. If
the digital display does not agree with the thickest thickness,
follow your instruments calibration recommendations to produce the
correct thickness reading. A slight adjustment in the velocity may
be necessary to get both the thinnest and the thickest reading
correct. Document the changed velocity value.
11. Place couplant on an area of the lift strut which is thought
to be free of corrosion and ``ring'' the transducer to surface.
Minor adjustments to the signal and gate settings may be required to
account for coupling improvements resulting from the paint layer.
The thickness gate level should be set just high enough so as not to
be triggered by irrelevant signal noise. An area on the upper
surface of the lift strut above the inspection area would be a good
location to complete this step and should produce a thickness
reading between 0.034-inch and 0.041-inch.
12. Repeat steps 8, 9, 10, and 11 until both thick and thin shim
measurements are within tolerance and the lift strut measurement is
reasonable and steady.
13. Verify that the thickness value shown in the digital display
is within +/- 0.002-inch of the correct value for each of the three
or more steps of the setup wedge or shims. Make no further
adjustments to the instrument settings.
14. Record the ultrasonic versus actual thickness of all wedge
steps or steel shims available as a record of setup.
Inspection Procedure
1. Clean the lower 18 inches of the wing lift struts using a
cleaner that will remove all dirt and grease. Dirt and grease will
adversely affect the accuracy of the inspection technique. Light
sanding or polishing may also be required to reduce surface
roughness as noted in the Equipment Requirements section.
2. Using a flexible ruler, draw a \1/4\-inch grid on the surface
of the first 11 inches from the lower end of the strut as shown in
Piper MSB No. 528D, dated October 19, 1990, or Piper MSB No. 910A,
dated October 10, 1989, as applicable. This can be done using a soft
(2) pencil and should be done on both faces of the strut.
As an alternative to drawing a complete grid, make two rows of marks
spaced every \1/4\-inch across the width of the strut. One row of
marks should be about 11 inches from the lower end of the strut, and
the second row should be several inches away where the strut starts
to narrow. Lay the flexible ruler between respective tick marks of
the two rows and use tape or a rubber band to keep the ruler in
place. See Figure 1.
3. Apply a generous amount of couplant inside each of the square
areas or along the edge of the ruler. Re-application of couplant may
be necessary.
4. Place the transducer inside the first square area of the
drawn grid or at the first \1/4\-inch mark on the ruler and ``ring''
the transducer to the strut. When using a dual element transducer,
be very careful to record the thickness value with the axis of the
transducer elements perpendicular to any curvature in the strut. If
this is not done, loss of signal or inaccurate readings can result.
5. Take readings inside each square on the grid or at \1/4\-inch
increments along the ruler and record the results. When taking a
thickness reading, rotate the transducer slightly back and forth and
experiment with the angle of contact to produce the lowest thickness
reading possible. Pay close attention to the A-scan display to
assure that the thickness gate is triggering off of maximized
backwall echoes.
NOTE: A reading shall not exceed .041 inch. If a
reading exceeds .041-inch, repeat steps 13 and 14 of the Instrument
Setup section before proceeding further.
6. If the A-trace is unsteady or the thickness reading is
clearly wrong, adjust the signal gain and/or gate setting to obtain
reasonable and steady readings. If any instrument setting is
adjusted, repeat steps 13 and 14 of the Instrument Setup section
before proceeding further.
7. In areas where obstructions are present, take a data point as
close to the correct area as possible.
NOTE: The strut wall contains a fabrication bead at
approximately 40% of the strut chord. The bead may interfere with
accurate measurements in that specific location.
8. A measurement of 0.024-inch or less shall require replacement
of the strut prior to further flight.
9. If at any time during testing an area is encountered where a
valid thickness measurement cannot be obtained due to a loss of
signal strength or quality, the area shall be considered suspect.
These areas may have a remaining wall thickness of less than 0.020-
inch, which is below the range of this setup, or they may have small
areas of localized corrosion or pitting present. The latter case
will result in a reduction in signal strength due to the sound being
scattered from the rough surface and may result in a signal that
includes echoes from the pits as well as the backwall. The suspect
area(s) shall be tested with a Maule ``Fabric Tester'' as specified
in Piper MSB No. 528D, dated October 19, 1990, or Piper MSB No.
910A, dated October 10, 1989.
10. Record the lift strut inspection in the aircraft log book.
[[Page 74004]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR10DE13.377
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 22, 2013.
Earl Lawrence,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-29396 Filed 12-9-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
