Service difficulty report · Structure · Piper PA44180

Difficulty date
July 9, 2010
Submitted
July 23, 2010
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N881FT
Make and model
Piper PA44180
Aircraft serial
4496235
Engine
Lyc O360A1H
Part
Structure
Condition
Torn
Location
Lt Wing Tip
Part time
1,587 hours
Stage of operation
IN
How discovered
9
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
K

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING FLIGHT, NOTICED THAT WING TIP OF LT WING WAS NOT LEVEL WITH WING. ACFT WAS LANDED AT CLOSEST AIRPORT. INSP REVEALED THAT LOWER WING TIP HAD SHEARED AWAY FROM ATTACHMENT SCREWS ON THE LOWER SECTION OF FIBERGLASS WING TIP, IN MY VIEW THIS FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE FACT THE ATTACH POINT SURFACE HAS (1) LAYER OF GLASS STRANDS AND THEY ARE IN A 90 DEGREE LAYOUT INSTEAD OF A 45 DEGREE LAYOUT. AS A RESULT, ONLY HALF THE GLASS STRANDS ARE STRUCTURAL.

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