Airworthiness Directive · Amendment 39-14683 · Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Models PC-6, PC-6-H1, PC-6-H2, PC-6/350, PC-6/350-H1, PC-6/350-H2, PC-6/A, PC-6/A-H1, PC-6/A-H2, PC-6/B-H2, PC-6/B1-H2, PC-6/B2-H2, PC-6/B2-H4, PC-6/C-H2, and PC-6/C1-H2 Airplanes
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Models PC-6, PC-6-H1, PC-6-H2, PC-6/350, PC-6/350-H1, PC-6/350-H2, PC-6/A, PC-6/A-H1, PC-6/A-H2, PC-6/B-H2, PC-6/B1-H2, PC-6/B2-H2, PC-6/B2-H4, PC-6/C-H2, and PC-6/C1-H2 Airplanes
This AD affects the following Models PC-6, PC-6-H1, PC-6-H2, PC-6/350, PC-6/350-H1, PC-6/350-H2, PC-6/A, PC-6/A-H1, PC-6/A-H2, PC-6/B-H2, PC-6/B1-H2, PC-6/B2-H2, PC-6/B2-H4, PC-6/C-H2, and PC-6/C1-H2 airplanes that are equipped with turbo-prop engines and are certificated in any category:
(1) Group 1 (maintains the actions from AD 2003-13-04): All manufacturer serial numbers (MSN) up to and including 939.
(2) Group 2: MSN 2001 through 2092.
Note: These airplanes are also identified as Fairchild Republic Company PC-6 airplanes, Fairchild Industries PC-6 airplanes, Fairchild Heli Porter PC-6 airplanes, or Fairchild-Hiller Corporation PC-6 airplanes.
We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) that supersedes AD 2003-13-04, which applies to certain Pilatus Aircraft Ltd (Pilatus) Model PC-6 airplanes. AD 2003-13-04 currently requires you to inspect the integral fuel tank wing ribs for cracks and the top and bottom wing skins for distortion, repair any cracks or distortion before further flight, and do a fuel tank ventilating system installation. Since we issued AD 2003-13-04, the FAA determined the action should also apply to all the models of the PC-6 airplanes listed in the type certificate data sheet of Type Certificate (TC) No. 7A15 that were produced in the United States through a licensing agreement between Pilatus and Fairchild Republic Company (also identified as Fairchild Industries, Fairchild Heli Porter, or Fairchild-Hiller Corporation). In addition, the intent of the applicability of AD 2003- 13-04 was to apply to all the affected serial numbers of the airplane models listed in TC No. 7A15. This AD retains all the actions of AD 2003-13-04, adds those Fairchild Republic Company airplanes to the applicability of this AD, and lists the individual specific airplane models. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracks in the ribs of the inboard integral fuel tanks in the left and right wings, which could lead to wing failure during flight with consequent loss of control of the airplane.
To address this problem, you must do the following:
| Actions | Compliance | Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Inspect: | ||
| (i) The ribs in the inboard integral fuel tanks and related structure in the left and right wings for crack damage; | (A) For Group 1 Airplanes: Within the next 100 hours time-in-service (TIS) after August 15, 2003 (the effective date of AD 2003-13-04), unless already done | Follow Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. PC-6 Service Bulletin No. 57-002, dated November 27, 2002. |
| (ii) The upper and lower wing skins for damage; and (iii) The inboard fuel tank area to determine if the inboard fuel tank ventilating system is installed | (B) For Group 2 Airplanes: Within the next 90 days or 100 hours TIS, whichever occurs first, after August 23, 2006 (the effective date of this AD), unless already done | |
| (2) If any crack damage is found: | ||
| (i) Correct the crack damage designated as repairable in the service bulletin (ii) For other crack damage, obtain a repair scheme from the manufacturer through FAA at the address specified in paragraph (f) of this AD and incorporate this repair scheme | Before further flight after the inspections required in paragraph (e)(1) of this AD | Follow Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. PC-6 Service Bulletin No. 57-002, dated November 27, 2002. |
| (3) If wing distortion is found, obtain a repair scheme from the manufacturer through FAA at the address specified in paragraph (f) of this AD and incorporate this repair scheme. | Before further flight after the inspections required in paragraph (e)(1) of this AD | Follow Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. PC-6 Service Bulletin No. 57-002, dated November 27, 2002. |
| (4) If the inboard fuel tank ventilating system is not installed, install the inboard fuel tank ventilating system | Before further flight after the inspections required in paragraph (e)(1) of this AD | Follow Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. PC-6 Service Bulletin No. 118, dated December 1972. |
The aircraft, engines and makers this AD names, by the model designations in its text. A model listed here may still be outside the AD's serial ranges.
