AD NUMBER: PL2005-05-52
MANUFACTURER: Cessna
SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive PL2005-05-52
SUMMARY: Emergency AD 2005-05-51 was considered an interim action to immediately require visual inspection of the forward, aft, and auxiliary wing spars for cracks. The intent was to detect immediate and existing cracking before it grew to wing failure. The FAA has also received a report of a third crack found at WS 112 on a Model 402C airplane. Cessna has developed new inspection techniques (eddy current) for the forward spar that are more effective at detecting cracks before the structural integrity of the wing is compromised. These inspection techniques will allow for longer intervals between repetitive inspections than in emergency AD 2005-05-51. Recent fatigue analysis that Cessna did and the FAA reviewed reveals that eddy current inspections of the forward wing spars combined with visual inspections of the aft and auxiliary spars will address the unsafe condition of these airplanes until long-term continued operational safety is assured through the Cessna-developed and FAA-approved spar strap modifications.

 Specifically, the eddy current inspection will replace the visual inspection of the forward spar that emergency AD 2005-05-51 currently requires; and the visual inspections of the aft and auxiliary spars will be maintained from emergency AD 2005-05-51, but will only be required repetitively every 100 hours TIS instead of every 15 hours TIS. Cessna has issued the following service information to include procedures to eddy current inspect the Models 402C and 414A airplanes: Cessna Service Bulletin MEB99-3, Revision 2, dated February 28, 2005 (Model 402C); or Cessna Service Bulletin MEB00-7, Revision 2, dated February 28, 2005 (Model 414A).

FMI: www.avantext.com/DailyADIndex.ASP?AD=PL20050552