Flight Controls; Control System Interference with Access Panel Fasteners

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FAA Aviation Safety SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION BULLETIN SUBJ: Flight Controls; Control System Interference with Access Panel Fasteners SAIB: CE-15-12 Date: April 15, 2015 This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin is being issued to alert owners and operators of B-N Group Ltd. Models BN-2, BN-2A-21, BN-2A, BN-2A-26, BN-2A-6, BN-2A-27, BN-2A-8, BN-2B- 20, BN-2A-2, BN-2B-21, BN-2A-9, BN-2B-26, BN-2A-3, BN-2B-27, BN-2A-20, BN-2T, BN-2T- 4R, BN2A MK. III, BN2A MK. III-2, and BN2A MK. III-3 airplanes of a situation where fasteners utilized to attach access panels are too long and have caused interference with and damage to control systems installed behind the inspection panels.

At this time, the airworthiness concern is not 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 European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the authority of the State of Design (the United Kingdom), has not issued an AD concerning this situation since it is not a design issue. The manufacturer however, did issue Mandatory Service Bulletin: SB 291 -- Inspection of Access Panel Bolts (Issue 1, May 1, 2003), which applies to the aileron control system and access panels and concerns this issue as well as others.

The FAA has now received reports of similar incidents that have affected the elevator system. This situation was discovered during an investigation of a situation of limited control movement and extremely high control forces.

Recommendations

The FAA recommends that maintainers of the mentioned airplane models accomplish the provisions of the service bulletin. In addition, the FAA also recommends that the fasteners that attach access panels that are in the vicinity of control systems, especially the elevator system, be inspected for the same situation, and that if any interferences, control system damage or occurrences of overly long fasteners are found these situations be corrected before further flight.

For Further Information Contact

Taylor Martin, Aerospace Engineer, Federal Aviation Administration, Small Airplane Directorate, ACE-112, 901 Locust Street, Room 301, Kansas City, MO; phone: (816) 329-4138; fax: (816) 329- 4090; e-mail: [email protected].

For Related Service Information Contact

B-N Group Limited. BEMBRIDGE, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom P035 5PR; phone: +44 (0)20 3371 4200, Fax: +44 (0)20 3371 4201, Email: www.britten-norman.com, [email protected].