AD 63-26-03

Airworthiness directive · Tail Area Inspection · Piper PA-23 and PA-23-160

Effective
July 13, 1971
Published
July 7, 1971
Issued
June 28, 1971
Models
PA-23, PA-23-160
Data sheet
TCDS1A10
Registered aircraft
343 matched by model
Product
Aircraft · Small airplane
Amendment
39-1240

Unofficial copy of the text in the FAA’s Dynamic Regulatory System. The FAA’s own copy is the authoritative one. DRS record last changed November 21, 2025.

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The airworthiness directive

63-26-03 PIPER: Amdt. 663 Part 507 Federal Register December 24, 1963 as amended by Amendment 39-1240. Applies to Piper Models PA-23 and PA-23-160 Aircraft, Serial Numbers 23-1 through 23-1267, inclusive.

Compliance required as indicated:

(a) Within the next 50 hours in service after the effective date of this AD, unless already accomplished within the last 50 hours in service, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 100 hours in service from the last inspection, visually inspect for cracks each of the castings listed herein. When any casting is replaced by the respective forging listed herein, the repetitive inspections of this paragraph and paragraph (b) are no longer required for that forging.

NAME CASTING PART NO.

FORGING Elevator Torque Tube Bracket 17033-00 and 17033-01 19407-00 Front Stabilizer Attachment 17049-00 and 19253-00 19409-02 Rudder Torque Tube Horn 17060-00 19405-00 Elevator Torque Tube Horn 17066-00 19404-00 RudderTorque Tube Bracket 17062-00 19408-00 Fin Attachment Bracket 17072-00 19406-00 or 19406-02

(b) For airplanes having 1,000 or more hours in service, remove the subject castings from the aircraft, clean thoroughly removing all paint, and perform a dye penetrant inspection for cracks, within the next 100 hours in service after the effective date of this AD, unless already accomplished within the last 400 hours in service, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 500 hours in service from the last inspection. Prior to reinstallation of castings without cracks, clean thoroughly, and apply zinc chromate primer.

(c) Replace cracked castings before further flight with a replacement forged or cast part.

(d) Inspection and reassembly shall be accomplished in accordance with Piper Service Bulletin No. 155B, dated October 28, 1963, or FAA-approved equivalent.

NOTE: For paragraph (a), it is necessary to remove the tail cone, covers, and fairings to gain access to most of the parts to be inspected. However, parts need not be disassembled and/or removed from the aircraft to accomplish this inspection. All of the forged parts listed herein have integral raised digit forging numbers. Therefore, the absence of raised digits will serve to identify the part as a casting.

AD 63-26-03 Amendment 663 supersedes AD 57-13-09.

Amendment 663 was effective December 24, 1963.

Revised on April 26, 1966 and December 16, 1966.

This Amendment 39-1240 is effective July 13, 1971.

Affected TCDS · 1

The type certificate data sheets for the models this AD names, matched by model and maker.

Registered aircraft · 343

Registered aircraft whose airframe or engine model this AD names. Matched by model only, so check each against the AD’s applicability.

By aircraft maker
  • Piper343 aircraft
By year built
19541963
Registered aircraft by year built: 266 aircraft
19549
195534
195634
195745
195850
195960
196015
196114
19624
19631

77 with no year recorded

By model

Aircraft

See all 343 aircraft