The FAA has issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) for owners and operators of de Havilland Canada DHC–3 Otters in response to multiple recent reports of cracks in the left-hand elevator auxiliary spar.
The emergency AD affects turbine de Havilland DHC-3 Otters. (Not the accident aircraft.) [Courtesy: Julie Boatman]
Key Takeaways:
The FAA has issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) for de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otters due to multiple reports of cracks in the left-hand elevator auxiliary spar.
The AD mandates repetitive detailed visual inspections of the elevator auxiliary spar for cracks, corrosion, or previous repairs, requiring its replacement if issues are found, to prevent potential elevator failure and loss of aircraft control.
This emergency action is considered an interim measure and follows a fatal DHC-3 Turbine Otter crash in Washington one month prior, which killed 10 people.
The FAA has issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) for owners and operators of de Havilland Canada DHC–3 Otters in response to multiple recent reports of cracks in the left-hand elevator auxiliary spar.
According to the AD, the FAA analysis of the reports indicates immediate AD action is warranted.
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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.
