Proposed Piper AD

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Stache

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Proposed Piper AD Would Affect Nearly 42,000 Airplanes
On October 30, 2009, FAA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to propose adopting an Airworthiness Directive (AD) to detect and correct an issue with control wheel shafts on certain Piper airplanes (PA-28, PA-32, PA-34, and PA-44 series). The AD stems from two field reports of control wheel shafts that were assembled incorrectly at Piper— one of which led to a separation of the control wheel from the shaft. Piper issued Service Bulletin 1197A on September 1, 2009, which provides instructions on the inspection and replacement procedure.

Just information only.
 
Stache said:
Proposed Piper AD Would Affect Nearly 42,000 Airplanes
On October 30, 2009, FAA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to propose adopting an Airworthiness Directive (AD) to detect and correct an issue with control wheel shafts on certain Piper airplanes (PA-28, PA-32, PA-34, and PA-44 series). The AD stems from two field reports of control wheel shafts that were assembled incorrectly at Piper— one of which led to a separation of the control wheel from the shaft. Piper issued Service Bulletin 1197A on September 1, 2009, which provides instructions on the inspection and replacement procedure.

Just information only.
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Awesome. A failure in less than 0.005% of the fleet and they think it requires an AD
 
EdFred said:
Awesome. A failure in less than 0.005% of the fleet and they think it requires an AD
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OK, so if one of the control wheels fails, there's still one left, correct? Doesn't seem to make sense to require this within 100 hours or 60 days.


Trapper John
 
Trapper John said:
OK, so if one of the control wheels fails, there's still one left, correct? Doesn't seem to make sense to require this within 100 hours or 60 days.


Trapper John
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Kinda depends when the wheel falls off.

Sorta like the Cessna sliding seat -- no big deal until it happens on takeoff...
 
Yeah, my forty-year-old Piper was manufactured incorrectly. Thank you FAA.
 
On my PA34 there are no witness holes. My mech started pounding and pounding to get the fittings out and they wouldn't budge. He decided that he'd leave well enough alone.

So now do I have to drill a witness hole and make it weaker? An abomination.
 
I've never liked the way the PA28 yoke worked. I don't like the way it kinda bends when fully back. It's not a straight tube, just slightly curved IIRC. Never liked it.

That being said, God Bless the FAA. Somebody has to compete with the TSA for incompetence.
 
I have one with the witness hole and one without. Like you Dr. Bruce I tried to remove the tapered pin. I tried tapping and I tried a C clamp, after 37 years it wasn't budging. What I did notice was the sprocket shaft on the non witness hole U-joint was flush with the sprocket. The sprocket shaft with the witness hole U-joint extended beyond the the spocket. The sprocket shaft completly covered the witness hole so the installation was correct per the SB. As far as I can tell there have been no changes in the length of the U-joint or the sprocket shaft. If this is correct then it would seem to me that if the sprocket shaft is flush with the sprocket then the shaft is installed in the U-joint correctly. Need to talk to Piper.
Ron
 
L10MAN said:
I have one with the witness hole and one without. Like you Dr. Bruce I tried to remove the tapered pin. I tried tapping and I tried a C clamp, after 37 years it wasn't budging. What I did notice was the sprocket shaft on the non witness hole U-joint was flush with the sprocket. The sprocket shaft with the witness hole U-joint extended beyond the the spocket. The sprocket shaft completly covered the witness hole so the installation was correct per the SB. As far as I can tell there have been no changes in the length of the U-joint or the sprocket shaft. If this is correct then it would seem to me that if the sprocket shaft is flush with the sprocket then the shaft is installed in the U-joint correctly. Need to talk to Piper.
Ron
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Ron, you have IA credentials and need to make a comment. Thank you stache for access to the docket.

How is drilling this assembly going to make it safer? 42000 aircraft a 20 median years each means 2 failures in 840,000 aircraft-years, somebody has their heads up their derrieres.....
 
No Dr. Bruce, I'm just an A&P, never got my IA. But I will talk to Piper, see what they have to say.
Ron
 
Just checked a friends 1966 PA32-260. By the looks of it both U-joints are original and both sprocket shafts are flush with the sprocket. Unless the shafts were incorrectly manufactured kind of hard to see how the sprocket shaft is not fully engaged in the U-joint. Will call Piper monday.
Ron
 
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