SAIB CE-04-84 —

1 SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION BULLETIN

Aircraft Certification Service Washington, DC

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration

CE-04-84 September 10, 2004 www.faa.gov/certification/aircraft This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin alerts you, registered owners and operators of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) MU-2B series aircraft, that MHI has issued the following Service Bulletins (SBs) to address inspection of wing attachment hardware.

Mitsubishi Airplane Series SB Number/Date Model/Serial Number Title 241/July 14, 2004 MU-2B-10/-15/-20/-25/-26 (S/N 101 through 347, except S/N 313, 321) and MU-2B-30/-35/-36 (S/N 501 through 696, except S/N 652, 661) Inspection of Wing Attachment Hardware 103/57-004/August 2, 2004 MU-2B-25/-26/-26A (S/N 313SA, 321SA, and 348SA through 394SA) and MU-2B-35/-36/-36A (S/N 652SA, 661SA, and 697SA through 730SA) Inspection of Wing Attachment Hardware

Background

MHI issued SBs 241 and 103/57-004 as a result of fractured wing attach barrel nuts discovered during routine maintenance in the field. Although no other fractured barrel nuts have been found, a follow-on field survey uncovered incorrect torque on the wing attachment bolt on a significant number of inspected aircraft. Over or under torque conditions can adversely affect joint capability.

The SBs provide instructions for a one-time inspection of the wing attach barrel nuts and bolts to verify that the torque is correct for each bolt and that no corrosion exists. In addition, MHI plans to revise the respective maintenance instructions to address follow-on requirements.

Recommendation

The SBs identified in this document are not considered appropriate for AD action at this time. However, we highly recommend that you review your compliance with the referenced SBs.

2 The Service Bulletins Can Be Obtained From

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc., Aircraft Product Support Division, 4951 Airport Parkway, Ste. 800, Addison, Texas 75001; phone (972) 934-5480; fax: (972) 934-5488.

For Further Information, Contact

Andrew McAnaul, Aerospace Engineer, FAA SAT-MIDO-43, 10100 Reunion Place, Ste. 650, San Antonio, TX 78216; phone: (210) 308-3365; fax: (210) 308-3370; email: [email protected]