SAIB CE-20-08

FAA Aviation Safety

SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS

INFORMATION BULLETIN SUBJ: ATA 53 Fuselage – Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG P3 models -Fuselage to Horizontal Tail Fittings – Identification, Repetitive Inspections SAIB: CE-20-08 Date: April 21, 2020 This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin is to alert owners, operators, maintenance technicians, and inspectors of an airworthiness concern on Pilatus Flugzeugwerke Models P3-03 and P3-05 airplanes, all serial numbers (S/N). Specifically, the concern is the possibility of stress corrosion cracking on the fuselage to horizontal tail fittings that may have been caused by damage of these fittings during maintenance work by using a center punch tool and a combination of the relatively high fleet age and other aging effects. If this condition is left uncorrected, the structural integrity of the airplane could be affected.

Note: Some of the airplanes listed in the FAA aircraft registry referenced S/Ns with A-8xx are wrong.

The A-8xx references are the old military aircraft registrations and not the S/Ns of the airframes.

These airplanes are not type certificated in the United States and, therefore, the condition is not addressed by FAA Airworthiness Directive (AD) action. However, these airplanes could be operating in the United States with an experimental airworthiness certificate or other means.

Background

The Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) has issue FOCA Airworthiness Directive (AD) HB-2020-001 dated January 8, 2020 on Pilatus Flugzeugwerke Models P3-03 and P3-05 airplanes, all serial numbers (S/N), to require the following in Switzerland:

• A check of the fuselage to horizontal tail fittings for signs of damage caused by the use of a center punch tool.

• If damaged fuselage to horizontal tail fittings are found, initial and repetitive eddy current inspections of the fuselage to horizontal tail fittings for signs of damage.

The actions and compliance times for the FOCA AD are as follows:

Within the next 100 Flight Hours (FH) or at the next annual inspection, whichever occurs first after January 22, 2020 (the effective date of the FOCA AD), remove the horizontal stabilizer from the fuselage in accordance with Technisches Reglement der Fliegertruppe 56.199d for Pilatus P3-03/05 aircraft, Band 10, chapter 13.12, section 5:

(1) Perform a visual inspection for damage caused by using a center punch tool. No signs of damage caused by using a center punch tool are permitted.

(2) If during the inspection required by paragraph (1) of the FOCA AD any fuselage to horizontal tail fittings with no signs of damage caused by using a center punch tool are found, no further action is necessary.

(3) If during the inspection required by paragraph (1) of the FOCA AD any fuselage to horizontal tail fittings with signs of damage caused by using a center punch tool are found,

before next flight, perform an eddy current inspection of the fuselage to horizontal tail fittings for cracks.

(4) If during the eddy current inspection required by paragraph (3) of the FOCA AD any fuselage to horizontal tail fittings with cracks are found, replace the fitting in accordance with an approved repair solution.

(5) If during the eddy current inspection required by paragraph (3) of the FOCA AD any fuselage to horizontal tail fittings with no cracks are found, within the next 200 FH repeat the eddy current inspection for signs of cracks.

Recommendations

For Pilatus Flugzeugwerke Models P3-03 and P3-05 airplanes, we recommend adherence to the inspections and corrections per the FOCA AD HB-2020-001 and the corresponding service information Technisches Reglement der Fliegertruppe 56.199d for Pilatus P3-03/05 aircraft, Band 10, chapter 13.12, section 5. A copy of the service information along with a copy of the FOCA AD and better pictures of the area of concern are available on the FOCA website at:

https://www.bazl.admin.ch/bazl/en/home/specialists/aircraft/airworthiness-directives--ad-/ltaschweizer-produkte/p3.html

For Further Information Contact

Doug Rudolph, Aerospace Engineer Federal Aviation Administration, Small Airplane Standard Branch, AIR-692, 901 Locust Street, Room 301, Kansas City, MO; phone: (816) 329-4059; fax:

(816) 329-4090; e-mail: doug.rudolph@faa.gov.

For Related Service Information Contact

For further information on the FOCA AD contact:

FEDERAL OFFICE OF CIVIL AVIATION (FOCA) Design and Production (STEH) CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland E-mail: airdir@bazl.admin.ch ;

Appendix 1 Fuselage to horizontal tail fitting: original manufactured by Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG

:

Fuselage to horizontal tail fitting: damage caused by using a centre punch tool during maintenance

Fuselage to horizontal tail fitting

Appendix 1 (continued)