Summary
This document proposes to revise an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD) that would have required the following on Raytheon Aircraft Company (formerly Beech Aircraft Corporation) Model 58P and 58PA airplanes: inspecting for cracks and missing rivets in the cabin structure (longeron) adjacent to and aft of the second right-hand (RH) cabin window, and repairing any cracked structure and installing rivets, if missing. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has received several reports of airplanes with cracks in the cabin structure which are also missing rivets that should have been installed in the cabin structure to secure the frame, splice, and longeron together. The missing rivets could lead to cabin structure cracks, and therefore prompted the previously proposed AD action. Since publication of that proposal, the FAA has determined that the proposed action is still a valid safety issue, but that cracks have also been reported in the RH lower longeron and that this area should also be inspected for cracks, repaired if there are cracks and re- reinforced if no cracks are found. This proposed new action revises the previous proposal by incorporating this change. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent structural cracking to the cabin caused by missing rivets, which if not corrected, could cause decompression injuries to passengers, structural damage to the fuselage, and loss of the airplane. Since the comment period for the original proposal has closed and the change described above goes beyond the scope of what was originally proposed, the FAA is allowing additional time for the public to comment.