SAIB CE-06-66

SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS

INFORMATION BULLETIN

Aircraft Certification Service Washington, DC

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration

CE-06-66 August 28, 2006 http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/alerts/SAIB This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin alerts you of an airworthiness concern on Scottish Aviation (British Aerospace, Jetstream Aircraft Ltd now maintained by de Havilland Support Ltd) Bulldog Series 100 and Series 120 airplanes (all serial numbers).

Background The United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) issued British Airworthiness Directive (AD) No: 003-12-96, which established a mandatory fatigue life limitation for the Bulldog airplanes. Although these airplanes are not type-certificated in the United States, De Havilland Support Ltd believes some are being flown with an experimental airworthiness certificate or others means without reference to fatigue life limitations.

Bulldog Service Bulletin BDG/100/170 incorporates a service life limitation of 5,000 airframe hours before incorporation of modification BH193 on the main-spar joint.

This service bulletin was issued in December 1996 and was mandated by the UK CAA in AD 003-12-96. At the time of issuance there were no Bulldog airplanes in the United States.

De Havilland Support Ltd believes some of the airplanes currently in the United States were formerly operated by the Royal Air Force and have achieved well in excess of the 5,000 flying hours limitation on the modification;

however, these airplanes were operated using a different life assessment method (use of a fatigue meter). De Havilland Support Ltd possesses the data available to translate between Fatigue Index and flying hours on any individual airplane.

Per Bulldog Service Bulletin BDG/100/170, the life limitation for the airplane is dependant on modification of the main-spar joint. The maximum life limitation for the airplane is normally based on the total flying hours of the airplane. However, if an airplane is fitted with a fatigue meter, an individual assessment of fatigue life consumed may be applied to the airplane. For this assessment operators should APPLY IN ADVANCE to de Havilland Support Limited. Accurate and up to date records are necessary for this assessment.

The UK CAA requires, for airplanes registered in the United Kingdom, incorporation of Bulldog Service Bulletin No. BDG/100/170 as follows:

• Investigate airplane records and, if applicable, the fatigue meter records

• Determine the total flying hours flown by the airplane, or obtain the fatigue indication for the airplane

• Take action as required by Bulldog Service Bulletin BDG/100/170

• Amend airplane records

2 Recommendation

Since the Bulldog is not type-certificated in the United States, the FAA cannot mandate compliance with Bulldog Service Bulletin BDG/100/170 by an Airworthiness Directive on this subject. However, if you are operating these airplanes in the United States with an experimental airworthiness certificate or other means, we highly recommend that you do the actions in Bulldog Service Bulletin BDG/100/170.

For Further Information Contact:

Albert J. Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA Small Airplane Directorate, ACE-112, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, MO 64106;

phone: (816) 329-4119; fax: (816) 329-4090;

email: albert.mercado@faa.gov

To obtain service information referenced in this SAIB, contact de Havilland Support Limited, Building 213, Duxford Airfield, Cambridgeshire, CB2 4QR, England;

phone: +44 (0) 1223 830090;

fax: +44 (0) 1223 830085;

email: info@dhsupport.com