Landing Gear - Piper PA-28 and PA-32 Main Landing Gear Torque Link Inspection Interval

1

FAA Aviation Safety SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION BULLETIN SAIB: CE-10-17 SUBJ: Landing Gear - Piper PA-28 and PA-32 Main Landing Gear Torque Link Inspection Interval Date: February 23, 2010 This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) alerts you, owners and operators of certain The New Piper Aircraft, Inc. models and serial numbers listed below, of our recommendation to incorporate Piper Service Bulletin (SB) 1199.

At this time, this airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition that would warrant AD action under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR) part 39.

Background

AD 72-08-06 mandates periodic inspections of certain configurations of the four main landing gear (MLG) torque link assemblies to detect cracks adjacent to the 2.5-inch diameter machined boss.

Model Number Serial Number PA-28-140 28-20000 and up PA-28-150/-160/-180 28-01 and up PA-28-235 28-10000 and up PA-32-260 32-01 and up PA-32-300 32-40000 and up

Note: Serial Numbers prefixed by model year, such as 28-7120000, are included in the effectivity of AD 72-08-06.

This information is presented in response to an incident involving a Piper PA-28-140 aircraft used for flight training. After a failed landing attempt, it was discovered that the left landing gear torque link P/N 65691-00 had broken and allowed the strut/wheel assembly to depart the aircraft. Upon landing, the aircraft received damage to the left flap and upper gear. There were no injuries. A review of the incident aircraft’s logbook revealed that 500-hour repetitive inspections required by AD 72-08-06 were complied with 203.8 hours earlier.

Recommendations

The FAA recommends that owners and operators, who operate in conditions resulting in a high number of landings per flight hour or that experience hard landings, incorporate the more frequent inspections and new replacement time specified in Piper Service Bulletin 1199. Owners and operators must continue to comply with AD 72-08-06 as this SAIB does not affect the mandatory inspections of the AD.

Piper SB 1199 and SAIB CE-05-29R1 contain further information relevant to this issue.

2 For Further Information Contact

Gregory K. (“Keith”) Noles, Aerospace Engineer, Atlanta ACO, 1701 Columbia Ave., College Park, GA 30337; phone: (404) 474-5551; fax: (404) 474-5606; email: [email protected]

For Related Service Information Contact

Piper Aircraft Inc., 2926 Piper Drive, Vero Beach, Florida, 32960; website: http://www.piper.com/