# AD 81-11-02 R1: Oil Drain Valves - Type: Airworthiness directive - Status: Current - Products: Piper PA-28R-200, PA-28R-201 and PA-28RT-201 - Effective: October 2, 1981 - Published: October 1, 1981 - Issued: September 16, 1981 - Superseded by: Nothing supersedes this AD - Product type: Aircraft, Small airplane - Amendment: 39-4222 - Registered aircraft: 1,753 may be affected, by airframe or engine model (OpenAirDocs) - FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/649419E772ABE86F862569A6005CDE8F.0001 - DRS record last changed: November 21, 2025 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ad/81-11-02-R1 ## The airworthiness directive 81-11-02 R1 PIPER AIRCRAFT CORPORATION: Amendment 39-4111 as amended by amendment 39-4222. Applies to Model PA-28R-200, Serial Numbers 28R35001 through 28R-7635545; Model PA-28R-201, Serial numbers 28R-7737001 through 28R-7837317; and Model PA-28RT-201, Serial Numbers 28R-7918001 through 28R-8118047, airplanes certificated in all categories. Compliance is required within the next 50 hours time in service or at the next oil change, whichever comes first, after the effective date of this AD unless already accomplished. To prevent possible loss of oil due to installation of an incorrect engine oil quick drain valve, accomplish the following: (a) Install two warning placards, one on each side, on the lower engine mount beneath the intake and exhaust tubes, in accordance with Figure 1. Use Piper Part No. 87369-26V which reads: "CAUTION Unapproved Oil Drain Valves Can Cause Inadvertent Draining When the Gear is Retracted - Use Only Piper Approved Part" (b)For those airplanes equipped with an engine oil quick drain valve, perform the following: (1) Inspect the oil quick drain valve and insure that Piper Part No. 492-172V is installed and correctly safety wired. The correct valve can be identified by comparison with Figure 2. Also, the Number 1H50-1 may be visible on the hex. (2) If an incorrect valve is installed, replace with Piper Part No. 492-172V, and safety wire, using .032 safety wire. (c) Make an appropriate maintenance record entry. NOTE: Piper Service Letter No. 910, dated December 29, 1980, pertains to this subject. An equivalent method of compliance may be approved by the Chief, Engineering and Manufacturing Branch, Federal Aviation Administration, Southern Region. Amendment 39-4111 became effective May 18, 1981. This amendment 39-4222 becomes effective October 2, 1981. FIGURE 1 AD 81-11-02 FIGURE 2 AD 81-11-02 ## Affected data sheets (1) (OpenAirDocs) The type certificate data sheets whose models the AD names. - [TCDS 2A13](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/2A13): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 3 of 18 models: PA-28R-201, PA-28R-200, PA-28RT-201 ## 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: 1,753 (1,753 by airframe model, 0 by engine model) - Makers: Piper 1,753 Models with the most aircraft: - [Piper PA-28R-200](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-200): 1,223 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-28R-201](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-201): 352 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-28RT-201](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28rt-201): 178 aircraft (airframe model) All 4 models: https://openairdocs.org/ad/81-11-02-R1/models.md Every aircraft: https://openairdocs.org/ad/81-11-02-R1/aircraft.md Its text cites no advisory circulars or STCs. ## NTSB investigations that cite this AD (4) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CEN19LA132](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA132), Apr 3, 2019: Piper PA28R (N41AT), Prairieville, LA, minor damage. Probable cause: Installation of an incorrect engine oil drain valve, which resulted in damage to the valve during landing gear retraction and subsequent engine failure due to oil starvation. Contributing to the… - [NTSB LAX06CA191](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06CA191), Jun 4, 2006: Piper PA-28R-200 (N4438T), Alpine, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: a loss of engine power due to the aviation maintenance technician's failure to install the correct oil sump quick drain, which resulted in the inadvertent draining of engine oil during flight. - [NTSB FTW97LA113](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA113), Mar 4, 1997: Piper PA-28R-200 (N2654T), Thibodaux, LA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of maintenance personnel to comply with an airworthiness directive which specified the correct type of oil quick drain valve for this airplane, the installation of an incorrect oil quick… - [NTSB CHI89DEC02](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI89DEC02), Jan 21, 1989: Piper PA-28R-201 (N3536M), Brighton, MI, destroyed. Probable cause: INSTALLATION OF AN IMPROPER OIL DRAIN VALVE BY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND THEIR FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE APPLICABLE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE (AD 81-11-02/R1), RESULTING IN SUBSEQUENT INTERFERENCE… --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.