# SAIB ACE-96-16: 

- Type: Special airworthiness information bulletin (advisory, not mandatory)
- Status: Current
- Revision: 0
- Issued: December 24, 1996
- Products: Piper Aircraft, Inc., The New PA-31, PA-31P and PA-31T
- Product type: Aircraft, Small Airplane
- PDF: https://openairdocs.org/files/sha256/fb/a0/fba0f3a3279afc439c9f4aadd5eb050809951f11d5e42bbb8d8ebac3b0fab731
- FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/6504AD857937818C8625721F0052EC45.0001
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/saib/ACE-96-16

## Text

**SPECIAL**

**AIRWORTHINESS**

**INFORMATION**

**BULLETIN**

**AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION SERVICE 800 INDEPENDENCE AVENUE, S.W.**

**WASHINGTON, DC 20591**

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration

No. ACE-96-16 December 24, 1996

Published by: FAA, AFS-610, P.O. Box 26460, Oklahoma City, OK 73125 This is issued for informational purposes only and any recommendation for corrective action is not mandatory.

INTRODUCTION:

The purpose of this Special Airworthiness Informa tion Bulletin is to advise Piper PA-31, PA-31P, and PA-31T series aircraft owners/operators of the need to review the Service Bulletins (SB’s) listed below to encourage compliance.

BACKGROUND:

As part of the Commuter Aging Aircraft Program, an aging aircraft review conducted by the FAA, the manufacturer, and operators of PA-31 series ai rcraft identified actions (SB’s) that should be accomplished to ensure continued airworthiness of the aircraft.

The following two SB's, identified in the review, address inspection/repair of the elevator butt rib:

1. SB 864 dated October 14, 1987, specifies a one-time inspection within the next 100-hours time-in-service (TIS) on Models PA-31, PA-31-300, and PA-31-325 (serial numbers (S/N) 31-2 through 31-7612039) and Model PA-31-350 (S/N 31-5001 through 31-7652070) aircraft.

2. SB 897A dated January 3, 1990, specifies inspection within the next 100-hours TIS and thereafter at 500-hour TIS intervals with the option for terminating action upon the installation of Piper Kit 766-219, elevator butt rib refinement. SB 897A is applicable to Model PA-31P, PA-31T, PA-31T1, and PA-31T2 aircraft (all S/N).

Although SB 864 specifies a one-time inspection and SB 897A identifies a terminating action modification, ongoing inspections of the elevator butt rib should be accomplished during routine inspections of the aircraft.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

The SB’s listed above were not considered appropr iate for airworthiness directive action; however, the FAA strongly encourages that owner/operato r review the aircraft’s records to ensure compliance.

**2 ACE-96-16**

A copy of the service publications listed above may be obtained from:

The New Piper Aircraft, Inc.

2926 Piper Drive Vero Beach, Florida 32960

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Christina Marsh, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Atla nta Aircraft Certification Office, Campus Building, 1701 Columbia Avenue, Suite 2-160, College Park, Georgia 30337-2748; telephone (404) 305-7362; facsimile (404) 305-7348.

## Registered aircraft it may concern (OpenAirDocs)

Registry models matched by make and model, the same way as ADs, most registered aircraft first.

- [Piper PA-31T](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31t): 87 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Piper PA-31P](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31p): 40 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Piper PA-31](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31): 26 registered aircraft (airframe model)

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