# AD 85-08-04: Wing Spars

- Type: Airworthiness directive
- Status: Historical
- Products: Vulcanair P 68, P 68 Observer, P 68B, P 68C, P 68C-TC, P68 Observer 2 and P68TC Observer
- Effective: May 17, 1985
- Superseded by: [AD 2009-24-03](https://openairdocs.org/ad/2009-24-03)
- Product type: Aircraft, Small airplane
- Amendment: 39-5037
- Registered aircraft: 51 may be affected, by airframe or engine model (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/B909E0316D95F5B886256A4D0044E4A4.0001
- DRS record last changed: August 7, 2025
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ad/85-08-04

## The airworthiness directive

85-08-04 PARTENAVIA COSTRUZIONI AERONAUTICHE S.p.A.: Amendment 39- 5037. Applies to all Models P 68, P 68B, P 68C, P 68C-TC and P 68 OBSERVER (Serial Numbers 001 thru 328) airplanes certificated in any category.

Compliance: Required as indicated after the effective date of this AD, unless already accomplished.

To preclude the failure of the wing spar, within 100 hours time-in-service after the effective date of this AD or upon accumulating 2,100 hours time-in-service, whichever occurs later, and thereafter at intervals not exceeding 500 hours time-in-service since the last inspection, accomplish the following:

  (a) Visually inspect the front and rear wing spars for cracks as described in Part A of PARTENAVIA S/B No. 65, Revision 1, dated September 27, 1984.

  (b) If cracks are found as a result of any inspection required by Paragraph (a) of this AD, prior to further flight, accomplish the modification described in Part B of PARTENAVIA S/B No. 65, Revision 1, dated September 27, 1984.

  (c) The repetitive inspections required by Paragraph (a) of this AD may be discontinued when the modification in Paragraph (b) of this AD is accomplished.

  (d) Airplanes may be flown in accordance with FAR 21.197 to a location where this AD may be accomplished.

  (e) An equivalent method of compliance with this AD, if used, must be approved by the Manager, Aircraft Certification Staff, AEU-100, Europe, Africa and Middle East Office, FAA, c/o American Embassy, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.

This amendment becomes effective on May 17, 1985.

## Affected data sheets (1) (OpenAirDocs)

The type certificate data sheets whose models the AD names.

- [TCDS A31EU](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A31EU): Vulcanair S.p.A.; names 7 of 10 models: P.68C-TC, P.68 Observer 2, P.68B, P.68 Observer, P.68TC Observer, P.68, P.68C

## 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: 51 (51 by airframe model, 0 by engine model)
- Makers: Partenavia 40, Vulcanair 11

Models with the most aircraft:

- [Partenavia P.68C](https://openairdocs.org/model/partenavia-p-68c): 20 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Partenavia P 68 OBSERVER](https://openairdocs.org/model/partenavia-p-68-observer): 5 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Partenavia P68B](https://openairdocs.org/model/partenavia-p68b): 5 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Partenavia P 68 C/TC](https://openairdocs.org/model/partenavia-p-68-c-tc): 5 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Vulcanair P68C](https://openairdocs.org/model/vulcanair-p68c): 5 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Vulcanair P68 OBSERVER 2](https://openairdocs.org/model/vulcanair-p68-observer-2): 4 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Partenavia P.68 OBSERVER 2](https://openairdocs.org/model/partenavia-p-68-observer-2): 3 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Vulcanair P68 TC OBSERVER](https://openairdocs.org/model/vulcanair-p68-tc-observer): 2 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Partenavia P68](https://openairdocs.org/model/partenavia-p68): 1 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Partenavia P68-TC OBSERVER](https://openairdocs.org/model/partenavia-p68-tc-observer): 1 aircraft (airframe model)

All 11 models: https://openairdocs.org/ad/85-08-04/models.md
Every aircraft: https://openairdocs.org/ad/85-08-04/aircraft.md

## Related documents

- [AD 2009-24-03](https://openairdocs.org/ad/2009-24-03): Wing spar · Vulcanair P 68, P 68 Observer, P 68B and 2 more. Effective Jan 4, 2010. Supersedes this AD

Its text cites no advisory circulars or STCs.

---
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.