Just thought I'd toss out a FYI post. I'm in process of buying a Piper and they completed the eddy current inspection on the wing spar. I wanted to be there to look at the test equipment and talk to the NDI rep. It passed with no issues. So out of 50 planes he has completed this test on they have found 2 that had cracks. I think he said one plane was to become a paperweight while they parted it out and the other was getting replacement spars. It isn't a large percentage of the fleet but was interesting. The 2 oldest planes had just over 24,000 hours and around 15,000 hours. Neither of the older planes failed.
a local arrow with about 14k hours (previously owned by UND) passed the inspection too. in next 6-12 months or so we should more data on this AD
Would be interesting to see what the lives of the 2 that had cracks were like.. and how long they were flying around with the cracks.. Would also be interesting to take them, rig them up remote pilot, and fly them over the desert with g meters into progressively steeper spirals and see when and where the actual failure occurs 2 out of 50 is not terrible, but it's too high when we're talking about this sort of thing.. if I had a 2/50 change of dying every time I left my apartment I'm not sure I'd take those odds.. for instance.
I have flown a few PA28 with lives previously at UND.. both seemed very well taken care of.. actually they may have been the "best" rental PA28s I'd flown
yeah, UND have very strict mx policy. i haven't personally flown one, but locally other who have are of similar opinions
I’d agree. There’s a lot of people who like to say ‘don’t buy a former flight school aircraft’ but I ask them...why? Chances are that ex-flight school airplane was maintained better than a lot of privately owned aircraft. Not always of course, but you can just about guarantee it was maintained well.
Exactly.. I went and looked at a few planes with a friend who was in the market and I'd take a flight school plane over something that was owned by Methuzelah and flown 3 times a year for a total of 20 hours in the last 5 years, with "annuals" completed by his hanger neighbor 3 doors down in exchange for a case of beer
True. They are an investment and a key asset of the business. You'd think they would take care of them. Regardless of the additional requirements put on them by the FAA.
when i was shopping, found a local archer, 1980 i think, paint job, interior and panel - all same from day 1, engine was overhauled exactly 22 years ago, since OH it was flown some 400 hours. i ran away as soon as i could
2 out of 50, so 4% of the sample. Not sure how many Cherokees still fly, by 4% of 1,000 would be 40 potential accidents waiting to happen.
Maybe I am wrong but was told the PA-28-161 Warrior II was not part of the inspection but the 160 is ....anyone confirm I have an 1982 161 not a 160...and could not find 161 in the AD.
That's correct, the 161 was not included in the AD. PA-28-140, PA-28-150, PA-28-160, PA-28-180, PA-28-235, PA-32-260, and PA-32-300 https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...iness-directives-piper-aircraft-inc-airplanes
This is the Eddy Current AD that’s being discussed and the -161 is included. https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_...69cdce7d8625865e005b20fe/$FILE/2020-26-16.pdf That is not the AD being discussed here. Refer above.
Just to be clear, the AD referenced in the link, is for wing spar corrosion, NOT the bolt hole cracking that requires the eddy current inspection. Believe the PA28-161 (as are most if not all, of the taper wing Cherokees) IS included in the AD for checking the bolt hole cracking.
Bolt hole cracking AD looks like a “within a 100 hrs after 5000” if so I have 2500 to go...guess I need to figure out prior to next annual. Did not know about the second AD.
It is a bit confusing. The hershey bar Cherokees were originally on the list (including my PA28-140) for inspecting the bolt hole cracking issue. In the final rule, they were excluded. Not really sure why, there was a somewhat vague reference to some wing loading calculations done by Piper that was the basis for excluding the hershey bar wing, but it's not clear to me why.
The corrosion issue has been around for a while, goes back to the Piper Service Bulletin 1006. I've never done SB 1006, so...goes into the shop on Monday to complete the AD and change out the fuel and vent lines.
