SAIB CE-14-26

FAA Aviation Safety

SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS

INFORMATION BULLETIN SUBJ: Fuselage, Wing Attach Fittings; Moth Aircraft Corporation Models 60GM, 60GMW, 60X; lateral tie rods SAIB: CE-14-26 Date: September 4, 2014 This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin is being issued to alert operators and owners of Moth Aircraft Corporation (Moth) Models 60GM, 60 GMW, and 60X airplanes of an airworthiness concern, specifically a situation involving certain replacement parts fabricated in Australia.

These airplanes are type certificated in the United States; the Moth Models 60GM and GMW airplanes are approved under type certificate 197, and the Moth Model 60X airplanes are approved by Group 2 approval 2-150. These airplane models are based on, or may be duplicates of, the de Havilland Model DH 60 series airplanes.

At this time, the airworthiness concern is not considered an unsafe condition on the Moth Models 60GM, 60GMW, and 60X airplanes that would warrant an FAA airworthiness directive (AD) under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 39.

The FAA has issued AD 2014-17-09 with respect to the same situation on de Havilland Models DH82A and DH83 airplanes that are type certificated. This AD may be found at http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/0/75990708B7AAA3FE86257D4800 4F20B9?OpenDocument.

Background

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Commonwealth of Australia has issued the following proposed airworthiness directive (PAD):

• PAD/DH 60/9, which applies to all variants of the DH60M (Moth) airplanes.

These actions require the inspection of the tie rods and removal of those made by J&R Aerospace of Australia and any of unknown origin.

Recommendations

As the type design of the de Havilland DH 60 series and the Moth 60 series airplanes may be similar (or identical) enough for the tie rods (as replacement parts) to have been utilized on the U.S. type certificated airplanes, the FAA recommends that owners and operators of the above named model airplanes comply with the provisions of the applicable Australian airworthiness information.

The Australian PADs may be found at:

http://www.casa.gov.au

2 For Further Information Contact

Karl Schletzbaum, Aerospace Engineer, 901 Locust Street, Room 301, Kansas city, MO, 64106;

phone: (816) 329-4123; fax: (813) 329-4090; e-mail: karl.schletzbaum@faa.gov