The FAA has proposed an airworthiness directive that would expand an existing AD’s scope by adding about 200 aircraft, mostly Piper J-3 and J-4s, to the list of aircraft required to undergo repetitive inspections of wing lift struts for corrosion and have any corroded or cracked wing lift struts or wing lift strut forks replaced. Members may submit comments on the proposed AD by Feb. 17.
The AD to be superseded, AD 99-01-05 R1, was issued "to correct corrosion and cracking on the front and rear wing lift struts and forks, which could cause the wing lift strut to fail. This failure could result in the wing separating from the airplane," according to the FAA’s notice published Dec. 31, 2014, in the Federal Register.
The FAA determined that the unsafe condition "is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design," it noted, explaining the proposed expansion of applicability to five J-3 and J-4 variants identified by serial number and date of manufacture.
The new AD would retain all the requirements of the AD to be superseded, and would affect a total of approximately 22,200 aircraft. The FAA estimated the cost of any necessary replacements at $780 per wing lift strut, but said there was no way to determine the number of aircraft that might need the replacements.
Members may submit comments on the proposed AD by Feb. 17 online or by mail to U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M–30, West Building Ground Floor, Room, W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Please refer to Docket No. FAA–2014–1083 and Directorate Identifier 2014–CE–036–AD at the beginning of your comments.
