FAA AD for Piper PA-46 Models
Posted by Clinton McJenkin on Jan 3rd 2024
FAA issues an Urgent Airworthiness Directive For Piper Aircraft Variants
Recently, the FAA issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) to counter a safety issue observed in specific Piper aircraft variants. The AD came to life as a prudent response to a recently reported incident involving control column bearings that fell out of a control column mount when an aircraft was being handled. The incident raised the eyebrows of several industry experts due to the potential catastrophe that could happen in case the bearing fell off mid-flight. The AD officially took effect on Dec 19, 2023.
The dislodged control column bearing incident occurred during its pre-installation on a Piper PA-46-600TP aircraft and was filed to the FAA on Nov 15. The investigations extended to other Piper aircraft, including the PA-460-350-P, PA-46-500TP, and the PA-46-600TP, which investigators believe have a quality escape condition on their control column mounts.
Link to FAA AD Final Rule - 2023-25-02
Safety Implications and Immediate Action
Investigations revealed that the lack of a retaining ring to hold the control column bearing in place results in severe risks that, if not addressed immediately, would significantly fail the aileron quadrant assembly and shaft, causing them to migrate aft from their required positions. Dysfunctioning aileron quadrant assembly mid-flight translates to weak aileron cables and binding on the elevator control system. The two conditions would affect pilot controls, rendering the plane uncontrollable due to loss of pitch and roll controls.
The FAA issued the AD to follow up on the safety concerns, justifying immediate actions on all the subject aircraft operators and owners without comment procedures and traditional notices. The AD dictates that all owners of the PA-460-350-P, PA-46-500TP, and the PA-46-600TP should comply with specifications highlighted in the Piper Service Bulletin No. 1409A released on Nov 21. The service bulletin highlights specific procedures for inspecting the aircraft's control columns to determine the presence of a retaining ring and to inspect the bearing for the presence of a retaining compound. The bulletin also dispels the installation process of the retaining ring and the retaining compound.
The aircraft manufacturer will ensure that newly developed aircraft will be distributed to owners and operators worldwide with the retaining ring and retaining compound pre-installed. For aircraft that are already in service for more than 25 hours, the operators will require a special one-time flight permit to arrive at the nearest maintenance facility for execution of the required maintenance procedures updated by Piper on the control column bearing assembly in order to comply with the new regulations.
For the special flight permit to be issued, the operator should ensure that the aircraft's two control columns are in good condition. The columns should appear strong when subjected to manual inputs by the pilots on the ground or in the air. The control column should not face increased control force requirements or have reduced control authority.
Conclusion
The Piper PA series has long been considered a reliable general aviation aircraft. However, there is still room for improvement. The issued AD prompted by an issue with control column bearing assemblies of PA-460-350-P, PA-46-500TP, and the PA046-600TP dictates that the aircraft operators comply with the Piper Service Bulletin No. 1409A issued to address the emerging issue. Complying with the AD and the service bulletin will involve the installation of a retaining ring on both control columns as a retaining compound for the control column bearings. Additionally, all subject Piper variants must visit qualified maintenance facilities to execute the safety protocols and avoid catastrophes of loss of aircraft control.
Clinton McJenkin
Sales & Marketing Director
BAS Part Sales