Windshield/Door Rain/Ice Removal

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FAA Aviation Safety SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION BULLETIN SAIB: CE-13-10 SUBJ: Windshield/Door Rain/Ice Removal Date: December 21, 2012 This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) alerts you, owners and operators of M7 Aerospace LLC SA26, SA226, and SA227 series airplanes of certain windshields with heating elements that could exhibit overheating under certain failure conditions.

At this time, this airworthiness concern has not been determined to be an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) action under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 39.

Background

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been notified that certain windshields were modified during repairs, and that the replacement heating element could cause windshield damage in the event of a failed windshield temperature control. The FAA has received test data to show that when the windshield’s heating elements continuously operate at the high heat setting for a prolonged period of time due to temperature controller failure, the outer glass pane of the windshield could reach a temperature as high as 590 degrees Fahrenheit. If this occurs, the interlayer around the windshield’s heating elements may bubble and the outer glass pane may fracture, causing the pilot’s visibility to be reduced. The inner glass pane may also reach temperatures as high as 260 degrees Fahrenheit, which could cause a burn should the flight crew come into contact with the inner glass pane near the heating element.

M7 Aerospace LLC has developed a windshield overheat monitoring kit that will alert the flight crew via two red warning lights, one per crew member, when the inner glass pane reaches nominal 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This will alert the crew to pull the circuit breaker that provides power to the affected windshield heating system.

Recommendations

We recommend owners and operators of M7 Aerospace LLC SA26, SA226, and SA227 series airplanes incorporate Airplane Flight Manual Supplement R1984, Revision IR, approved October 5, 2012, into your airplane flight manual and modify the airplane following the service bulletins (SB) listed below:

• SB 26-30-001, issued September 28, 2012  SA26-T airplanes, serial numbers (S/N) T26-2 thru T26-99  SA26-AT airplanes, S/N AT26-100 thru AT26-180E • SB 226-30-019, issued September 28, 2012  All SA226-T/-T(B)/-AT/-TC airplanes • SB 227-30-013, issued September 28, 2012  All SA227-TT/-AT/-AC/-BC airplanes

2 • SB CC7-30-005, issued September 28, 2012  All SA227-CC/-DC airplanes

For Further Information Contact

Michael A. Heusser, Program Manager, FAA, Fort Worth Aircraft Certification Office, 2601 Meacham Blvd., Forth Worth, Texas 76137, phone: (817) 222-5960; fax: (817) 222-5960; email: [email protected]

For Related Service Information Contact

M7 Aerospace, LP, 10823 N.E. Entrance, San Antonio, Texas, 78216; phone: (210) 824-9421; fax: (210) 820-8609.