# AD 71-20-04: Lower Fuselage Longeron

- Type: Airworthiness directive
- Status: Current
- Products: American Champion 7ECA, 7GCAA, 7GCBC and 7KCAB
- Effective: September 30, 1971
- Superseded by: Nothing supersedes this AD
- Product type: Aircraft, Small airplane
- Amendment: 39-1299
- Registered aircraft: 2,401 may be affected, by airframe or engine model (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/9D4C65B82445E29486256A3800586DC1.0001
- DRS record last changed: May 30, 2024
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ad/71-20-04

## The airworthiness directive

71-20-04 CHAMPION: Amendment 39-1299. Applies to Model 7ECA (Serial Numbers 145, 151, 182, 190, 194, 199, 207, 211, 212, 226, 228, 229, 233, 242, 250, 253, 269, 270, 276, 281 thru 284, 287, 289, 292, 296, 298 thru 303, 306, 308, 316, 317, 321, 325, 328, 335, 344, 353, 354 thru 357, 365, 381, 387, 388, 403, 411, 416, 417, 421, 423, 439, 442, 447, 448, 450, 452, 463, 464, 470, 497, 501, 504, 515, 518, 531, 532, 543, 546, 552, 557, 560, 564, 569), Model 7GCAA (Serial Numbers 6, 8, 15, 44, 88, 91, 104, 106, 111, 112, 114, 125, 128, 141 thru 144, 150, 152, 154, 156 thru 167, 169, 172), Model 7GCBC (Serial Numbers 4, 7, 10, 14, 15, 16, 36, 45, 79, 83, 84, 86 thru 90, 92 thru 95), and Model 7KCAB (Serial Numbers 3, 16 thru 22, 24 thru 37, 39 thru 45, 47, 48, 50, 51, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 61, 62 and 64) airplanes.

Compliance: Required as indicated, unless already accomplished.

To prevent structural failure of the lower longerons, accomplish the following:

A) Within the next50 hours' time in service after the effective date of this AD, visually inspect the lower fuselage longerons in accordance with Champion Service Letter No. 96, dated August 1, 1969, to determine its method of fabrication.

B) If the lower fuselage longerons, inspected in accordance with Paragraph A, do not meet the radius criteria specified in Champion Service Letter No. 96, dated August 1, 1969, prior to return to service, install Champion Service Kit 233, or any equivalent modification approved by the Chief, Engineering & Manufacturing Branch, FAA, Central Region.

NOTE: Champion Aircraft Corporation is now Bellanca Aircraft Corporation.

This amendment becomes effective September 30, 1971.

## Affected data sheets (1) (OpenAirDocs)

The type certificate data sheets whose models the AD names.

- [TCDS A-759](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A-759): American Champion Aircraft Corp.; names 4 of 22 models: 7KCAB, 7GCAA, 7GCBC, 7ECA

## Registered aircraft it may apply to (OpenAirDocs)

Matched by airframe and engine model; the AD's applicability may narrow it by serial number, part number or equipment.

- Aircraft: 2,401 (2,401 by airframe model, 0 by engine model)
- Makers: Bellanca 1,182, Champion 829, American Champion 389, Aeronca 1

Models with the most aircraft:

- [Bellanca 7GCBC](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-7gcbc): 487 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Champion 7ECA](https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7eca): 419 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Bellanca 7ECA](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-7eca): 347 aircraft (airframe model)
- [American Champion 7GCBC](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-champion-7gcbc): 232 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Bellanca 7KCAB](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-7kcab): 230 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Champion 7KCAB](https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7kcab): 151 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Champion 7GCBC](https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7gcbc): 144 aircraft (airframe model)
- [American Champion 7GCAA](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-champion-7gcaa): 119 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Bellanca 7GCAA](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-7gcaa): 118 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Champion 7GCAA](https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7gcaa): 114 aircraft (airframe model)
- [American Champion 7ECA](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-champion-7eca): 38 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Aeronca 7GCBC](https://openairdocs.org/model/aeronca-7gcbc): 1 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Champion 7GCAA (CONV)](https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7gcaa-conv): 1 aircraft (airframe model)

All 13 models: https://openairdocs.org/ad/71-20-04/models.md
Every aircraft: https://openairdocs.org/ad/71-20-04/aircraft.md

Its text cites no advisory circulars or STCs.

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