Wing Spar Fatigue Crack Prompts Piper PA-46 Bulletin

Stephen Pope

Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 08:29 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) for certain Piper PA-46 models (PA-46-310P, -350P, -350T, -500TP) after a fatigue crack was discovered in the wing main spar lower cap of a Malibu Mirage.
A 1.5-inch crack was found in a PA-46-350P with 5,273 hours, well below its type-certificated life limit, with no single cause identified but noted factors including non-compliance with a Service Bulletin, non-conforming fasteners, and severe operational environments.
The FAA recommends owners ensure compliance with existing wing spar Service Bulletins (SB 796B, 1204, 1271) and repair or replace any damaged components, reporting findings to the FAA.

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The FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) for owners of certain Piper PA-46 models after the recent discovery of fatigue cracking in the wing main spar lower cap in a Malibu Mirage.

According to the FAA, during routine inspection of the PA-46-350P, an inch-and-a-half-long crack was discovered in the main spar lower cap, later confirmed to be a fatigue crack. The FAA noted that the airplane has accumulated 5,273 hours time-in-service. Its type certificated life limit is 15,580 hours.