Service difficulty report · Strut · Bbavia 7ECA

Difficulty date
July 14, 2011
Submitted
July 22, 2011
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N9MK
Make and model
Bbavia 7ECA
Aircraft serial
434
Part
Strut
Part number
5442
Condition
Cracked
Location
Wing
Stage of operation
IN
How discovered
V
Nature of condition
W
Precautionary procedure
K

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

What was found

NEW REPLACEMENT REAR WING STRUT RECEIVED FROM MFG. WHEN RECEIVED THERE WERE 2 LONGITUDINAL CRACKS IN THE STRUT IN THE ELECTRICALLY WELDED SEAM OF THE SEAMLESS WELDED STRUT TUBING. LOCATION OF THE CRACKS ARE 1 FT FROM THE UPPER WING STRUT FITTING IN A VIRGIN TUBE AREA UNAFFECTED BY END FITTING WELDMENTS. THE DEFECT IS OBVIOUSLY DUE TO THE TUBING MFG PROCESS AND NOT BY SECONDARY OPERATIONS AND WELDMENTS. IT IS LIKELY THE ENTIRE BATCH OF THE RAW TUBING HAS MULTIPLE DEFECTS AND SHOULD BE LOCATED AND INSPECTED. IT IS ALSO LIKELY THIS BATCH OF TUBING WAS DISSEMINATED TO MULTIPLE CUSTOMERS IN ADDITION TO MFG.