SAIB CE-02-27 —

1 SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION BULLETIN Aircraft Certification Service Washington, DC U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration No. CE-02-27 April 16, 2002 We post SAIBs on the internet at "av-info.faa.gov" This is information only. Recommendations are not mandatory. Introduction This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) advises you, owners/operators of SOCATA TBM 700 series airplanes, of issuance of SOCATA Service Bulletin (SB) 70-092. Background The Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued Airworthiness Directive (AD) 99-07-11 on April 16, 1999. This AD required the implementation of the provisions of SOCATA Aerospace Matra Service Bulletin SB 70-077 on SOCATA TBM 700 airplanes. The service difficulty involved cracking of the outboard horizontal stabilizer hinge fittings. SOCATA issued a Service Bulletin, SB 70-080 to supersede SB 70-077. This added some installation provisions but still required a repetitive inspection, without a terminating action. Recommendations We have decided to not supersede AD 99-07-11 until SOCATA issues a service bulletin requiring terminating action. However, SOCATA has now issued optional service bulletin SB 70-092. This service bulletin introduces a kit that allows that inspection period required by SB 70-077 and SB 70-080 to be increased to 300 hours. Accomplishment of service bulletin SB 70-092 is an acceptable alternative method of compliance to SB 70-077. Note that compliance with SB 70-080 must be accomplished before or during the incorporation of the provisions of SB 70-092. The Small Airplane Directorate issued a letter to docket 99-CE-08-AD that recognizes SB 70-092 as an approved alternate method of compliance (AMOC) for AD 99-07-11. You can either choose to utilize the provisions of SB 70-077, SB 70-080 or the combination of SB 70-080 with SB 70-092. We have attached a copy of the Alternative Method of Compliance (AMOC) letters to facilitate utilization. The Service Bulletins Can Be Obtained From SOCATA Aircraft, Groupe Aerospatiale, North Perry Airport, 7501 Pembroke Road, Pembroke Pines, FL 33023; phone: 954-893-1400, fax: 954-964-4141 For Further Information Contact: Karl M. Schletzbaum, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Project Support Branch (ACE-112), Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust Street, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4146; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: [email protected]

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