Summary
This document withdraws a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that proposed a new airworthiness directive (AD) that would have applied to The New Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Piper) Models PA-31, PA-31- 325, PA-31-350, PA-31P, PA-31T1, and PA-31T airplanes. That NPRM would have superseded AD 80-26-05 with a new AD that would have retained the requirement of repetitively inspecting the main landing gear (MLG) inboard door hinges and attachment angles for cracks, and replacing any cracked MLG inboard door hinge or attachment angle; and would have required incorporating MLG inboard door hinge and attachment angle assembly, part number (P/N) 47529-32, as terminating action for the repetitive inspection requirement. Since the issuance of the NPRM, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has received reports of cracks in the P/N 47529-32 MLG inboard door hinge and attachment angle assembly, and has determined that more information and analysis is needed before hinge assembly replacements are mandated through an AD. The FAA will solicit service history and comments from affected airplane owners/ operators in a separate action through an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM). Based on the comments, the FAA may initiate further rulemaking in the future.