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 specific Piper PA-46 models following the discovery of fatigue cracking in a wing main spar lower cap.
A 1.5-inch fatigue crack was found in a PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage at 5,273 hours time-in-service, significantly below its 15,580-hour life limit.
Though no single cause was identified, potential contributing factors included non-compliance with existing service bulletins (e.g., SB 796B), non-conforming fasteners, and operation in "severe" environments.
The FAA recommends owners of affected airplanes ensure compliance with multiple existing wing spar Service Bulletins (SB 796B, SB 1204, SB 1271) and report any damaged components.

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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.