Has anyone performed the mandatory 1000 hour wing strut attach fitting removal, replacement ? If so how did it go? I’m very close on my 2005 American Champion GCAA and would appreciate any comments on your experience. It entails dye penetrant inspections of the parts before return to service or replacement with new parts.
1000 hour metal wing wing strut attach fitting remove and replace
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Bob Turner
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We just did one. All I did was provide the wing support and look at the fittings. They were literally delaminating - ugly!
Hi Boe
How old was this citabria? We look in the wing every annual and while they seem fine, they are coming out for inspection.
Can you tell me how many new holes were cut in the wings?
Thanks Joe
Bob Turner
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Decathlon with metal spar wings within the last 20 years. They got them out without cutting any holes. Young kids, doing a great job as mechanics. I will try to ask how they did it. I think one drag wire had to be loosened.
No need to pull them out for inspection - you can see the deterioration. Take your fingernail and scrape - if pieces of rotten metal fall off, you need new ones. Had to be a bad batch of metal.
No need to pull them out for inspection - you can see the deterioration. Take your fingernail and scrape - if pieces of rotten metal fall off, you need new ones. Had to be a bad batch of metal.
Please ask , any help before starting this is much appreciated.
The Service Letter says to remove and dye penetrate to see if they are ok to return to service. Not too much information from anyone in the field who has done this so far. I did talk to ACA and they said they do it there by cutting one new hole per wing. They said it is not legal to fly without doing the inspection according to the SL . The SL applies to 1996 and earlier. I have a 2005. In my case it’s stated in the service manual as a mandatory action for the type certificate
I don’t want to give the insurance company and excuse not to cover me if I need them.
Thanks for the offer to ask those bright young mechanics. Experienced knowledge is helpful.
Bob Turner
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There was an AD a while back. Didn't apply to me, but perhaps that is what the factory is referring to. The factory has no authority to make an airworthiness directive, and cannot create an "after the fact" unairworthy condition. Service bulletins do not do that. The factory has to ask the FAA for an AD.
Bob Turner
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The only AD I find is 90-15-15R1, which deals with cracks, not corrosion. These were the welded wood spar fittings, and probably all have been replaced by now.
Service bulletins are not mandatory. You can do them all if you want, but not doing them does not affect your airworthiness or your insurance, unless you are operating under some other certificate, like part 135 or something.
Service bulletins are not mandatory. You can do them all if you want, but not doing them does not affect your airworthiness or your insurance, unless you are operating under some other certificate, like part 135 or something.
Bob Turner
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Checked. They did it all through standard factory inspection plate openings. I brought one of the fittings home; photo later. They threw away the corroded parts - sorry. They were striking!
Bob Turner
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Bob, I’m totally at a loss. I called the ACA factory and they said I’m not airworthy in my 2005 GCAA after 1000 hours until I do as stated in service letter 415 which appears to be part of an AD. A page from my service manual that came with my airplane is below. Then there is this link for 1996 and older planes. SL 415 is the one that says my part numbers need inspection. I agree that the SL doesn’t apply because it’s for 1996 or older models. I think because this Airworthiness Limitation Section was added to the Service manual prior to the production of my 2005 GCAA it is mandatory.
https://airresearch.com/demo/files/961802.RTF
https://airresearch.com/demo/files/961802.RTF
Thanks for checking on this and the photos
Bob Turner
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Well, I guess you are correct. Airworthiness limitations can be imposed - but not after the fact. If that document was delivered with the aircraft you are stuck with it. You have to do it. That is vastly different from a service bulletin.
I had no idea. I will check with Francisco - he has one of these and it is surely getting close to a thousand hours - flies several hours a day!
Sell it, and get a pre-1996 with Milman spars! Who knows what other time bombs they put in there.
On the other hand, those fittings we pulled out of the metal spar wings were frightening! Bad metal!
I had no idea. I will check with Francisco - he has one of these and it is surely getting close to a thousand hours - flies several hours a day!
Sell it, and get a pre-1996 with Milman spars! Who knows what other time bombs they put in there.
On the other hand, those fittings we pulled out of the metal spar wings were frightening! Bad metal!
It’s been a good ship. I’ll keep her. This is the only time bomb listed.
I wonder how long it took you to have yours replaced?
By the way here is an article I just found on the subject airworthiness limitations sections, ALS from AOPA.
https://blog.aopa.org/aopa/tag/airworthiness-limitations/
From the article:
Under FAR 21.31(c), an ALS is part of an aircraft’s type design.
The only version of an ALS that is mandatory is the version that was included in the particular aircraft’s type design at the time it was manufactured.
I wonder how long it took you to have yours replaced?
By the way here is an article I just found on the subject airworthiness limitations sections, ALS from AOPA.
https://blog.aopa.org/aopa/tag/airworthiness-limitations/
From the article:
Under FAR 21.31(c), an ALS is part of an aircraft’s type design.
The only version of an ALS that is mandatory is the version that was included in the particular aircraft’s type design at the time it was manufactured.
Bob Turner
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Yes, thanks. The first part of that is well worth reading.
They have tried to do that with STCs too - my Cub was covered using the 1969 Stitts STC, and until they issue an AD, I can continue to use dope or automotive enamel as a top coat. Not so if you use today's restrictive covering STCs.
The Administrative Procedures Act is the key -
They have tried to do that with STCs too - my Cub was covered using the 1969 Stitts STC, and until they issue an AD, I can continue to use dope or automotive enamel as a top coat. Not so if you use today's restrictive covering STCs.
The Administrative Procedures Act is the key -
Bob Turner
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The aircraft is back in the shop. There are four ugly inspection plates in the area near those fittings. I will try to get photos tomorrow.
So this is kind of shocking - can you figure out which dates or serial numbers rolled out of the factory with such Airworthiness Limitations? And if indeed there is an AD on these fittings?
So this is kind of shocking - can you figure out which dates or serial numbers rolled out of the factory with such Airworthiness Limitations? And if indeed there is an AD on these fittings?
Hi Bob,
I called ACA last week the morning after I posted a question about it here and asked about this,. They told me for my 2005 I can’t fly it after 1000 hours without doing the inspection. Since the ALS says “as per SL415 “ I asked them for a copy of it, I haven’t received it from them yet. Perhaps they follow this site because Sully picked up my question on the matter and posted the whole series of missing Service letters in a thread. I suspect every ACA manufactured 1997 on has this ALS in their service manual. So if a person has a 1997 or newer you might have comply with the appropriate SL number 408 -415. Check your manual and call ACA to be sure. Those are the missing ones on ACA site.
Like I mentioned earlier, your airworthiness may not be valid if you don’t comply. If so what’s the use of having insurance among other things?
https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_...42886ce596aa86256a49005c5485/$FILE/961802.pdf
Joe
I called ACA last week the morning after I posted a question about it here and asked about this,. They told me for my 2005 I can’t fly it after 1000 hours without doing the inspection. Since the ALS says “as per SL415 “ I asked them for a copy of it, I haven’t received it from them yet. Perhaps they follow this site because Sully picked up my question on the matter and posted the whole series of missing Service letters in a thread. I suspect every ACA manufactured 1997 on has this ALS in their service manual. So if a person has a 1997 or newer you might have comply with the appropriate SL number 408 -415. Check your manual and call ACA to be sure. Those are the missing ones on ACA site.
Like I mentioned earlier, your airworthiness may not be valid if you don’t comply. If so what’s the use of having insurance among other things?
https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_...42886ce596aa86256a49005c5485/$FILE/961802.pdf
Joe
Bob Turner
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You are correct - if an aircraft was delivered with these restrictions you must comply, or your insurance is not in effect. That is true with Avemco as well, even though they are looser on flight review and medical currency.
This is an extremely important thing to understand. I urge everybody to look at your link above. Here it is again:
https://blog.aopa.org/aopa/tag/airworthiness-limitations/
Here is the thing: the lift strut fittings are a problem - but you are not legally required to inspect per the SL unless that Airworthiness Limitation was part of your aircraft certification. The question is not whether the 1996 parts are a serious problem (they apparently are) but what serial number was first to roll out of the factory with these requirements?
That this is not common knowledge among good mechanics - or not easy to ascertain - is appalling. I am seeing my PMI tomorrow about an unrelated field approval - I will ask if the feds are aware of this.
This is an extremely important thing to understand. I urge everybody to look at your link above. Here it is again:
https://blog.aopa.org/aopa/tag/airworthiness-limitations/
Here is the thing: the lift strut fittings are a problem - but you are not legally required to inspect per the SL unless that Airworthiness Limitation was part of your aircraft certification. The question is not whether the 1996 parts are a serious problem (they apparently are) but what serial number was first to roll out of the factory with these requirements?
That this is not common knowledge among good mechanics - or not easy to ascertain - is appalling. I am seeing my PMI tomorrow about an unrelated field approval - I will ask if the feds are aware of this.
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Bob Turner
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I agree Bob, unless of course the AD was never complied with. The two pieces of important information are AD 96-18-02 and the service manual. It does appear that models without the limitation in their service manual are not affected by the the 1000 hour remove , inspect situation.
This comment from the ACA website page on metal wings may help.
https://www.americanchampionaircraft.com/metal-spar-wing-faq-list.html
Are there any AD's on the wings? Are they complied with?
All AD's are required to be complied with before they can leave the facility. This is a FAR requirement. There are no AD's on the current production wings. There was an AD on the strut attach fitting in 1996, requiring replacement of the fitting with a new design. This was, of course, resolved immediately, and all wings since came with the new design.
https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_...066242886CE596AA86256A49005C5485?OpenDocument
Thanks for the photos Bob. I’ll let you know how it goes.
This comment from the ACA website page on metal wings may help.
https://www.americanchampionaircraft.com/metal-spar-wing-faq-list.html
Are there any AD's on the wings? Are they complied with?
All AD's are required to be complied with before they can leave the facility. This is a FAR requirement. There are no AD's on the current production wings. There was an AD on the strut attach fitting in 1996, requiring replacement of the fitting with a new design. This was, of course, resolved immediately, and all wings since came with the new design.
https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_...066242886CE596AA86256A49005C5485?OpenDocument
Thanks for the photos Bob. I’ll let you know how it goes.
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