21 January 2021
The long-awaited final Airworthiness Directive (AD) regarding the wing spar in certain Piper PA-28 and PA-32 aircraft has been published.
The AD is effective from 16 February 2021 and requires an inspection and an electrical eddy current test by a specialist contractor. It affects certain models when they have reached ‘factored service hours’, ie what the aircraft is used for such as flight instruction.
The FAA, which issued the AD, said, “This AD was prompted by a report of a wing separation caused by fatigue cracking in a visually inaccessible area of the main wing lower spar cap.
“The FAA is issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracks in the lower main wing spar cap bolt holes. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in the wing separating from the fuselage in flight.”
The full AD is here. (Downloads as a pdf)
