Boeing B-17G Superfortress "Shoo Shoo Baby" at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The bomber has since been moved to the museum's restoration area where it will remain in storage until it is transferred to the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]
Key Takeaways:
The FAA has issued an interim Airworthiness Directive (AD) for Boeing B-17E, F, and G models to address critical issues with wing spars.
The AD mandates specific inspections of the wing terminal-to-spar chord joints after a report of complete separation and cracking was discovered, posing a risk to structural integrity.
This directive impacts the remaining fleet of airworthy B-17s, including those carrying passengers, with owners having already grounded their aircraft as a precaution.
The FAA considers this an interim step to gather information from inspections and develop a long-term solution to ensure the safety and longevity of these 80-year-old warbirds.
The much-anticipated airworthiness directive for Boeing B-17s has been released by the FAA. The AD addresses issues with the wing spars.
The warbird community has been aware of the potential issue for several weeks. The owners of the remaining airworthy B-17s had grounded their aircraft as a precaution.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
