Corroded, Cracked

During inspection, the forward upper l/h wing attach point was found to have corrosion on the wing attach fitting (p/n 08113507). After removing the upper wing-fuselage fairing, inspection revealed intergranular corrosion on the fitting, and severe rust on the mounting bolt heads. The fitting was replaced due to the severity of the corrosion. Probable cause of this corrosion is the fuselage-wing fairing not being sealed properly in the area above the fitting.

Key Takeaways:

• Various aircraft models experienced structural issues, including a cracked elevator pulley support (Cessna 208B), corroded wing attach fittings due to improper sealing (Cessna 335), and cracked nacelle angles suspected due to fatigue (Piper PA-44-180).
• A Continental TSIO-520C engine suffered catastrophic failure just 35 hours after overhaul, showing signs of extremely high temperatures but with an undetermined cause.
• Newly installed ECI cylinders on a Continental GTSIO-520-H engine experienced multiple valve guide failures after only 384 hours, leading to metal contamination, with the only initial symptom being excessive engine oil blowing.

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