Aviation View April 2023

11 AVIATION VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 SPAR INSPECTION RESULTS RAISE FAA CONCERN The final AD, published February 13 and effective March 20, was proposed in May 2021 following the in-flight breakup of a Cessna 210M in Australia in 2019. An FAA-estimated 3,421 U.S.-registered aircraft were to be subject to visual and eddy current inspections of the lower wing spar carrythrough cap. The final AD cites the same number of aircraft, and continues to require one-time visual and eddy current inspection of the same wing spar components. The FAA estimates that required inspections will cost $3,108 per aircraft, up to $3,788 if oxygen and air conditioning must be removed for inspection access. On-condition costs, including additional eddy current inspection and, in the worst case, wing spar replacement, are far higher: up to $40,200 to replace the spar of a Cessna 177, though that is a theoretical number since the parts are out of production. Comments on the proposed AD noted that no Cessna 177 wing has failed in flight, and that service difficulty reports did not support the inclusion of that model in the AD. The FAA disagreed, citing the failure rate of Cessna 177 wing spar inspections to date: “Out of the 211 Model 177-series reports received by the FAA as of January 13, 2023, 120 have reported corrosion,” the agency wrote in the final AD. “Of those, at least 14 were removed from service due to corrosion or damage.” The 14 Cessna 177 spars taken out of service following inspections to date have not likely been replaced with new parts. The FAA noted that Textron Aviation is still working to develop a replacement spar for those aircraft, long out of production. OPENING L INES