Airworthiness Directive · Amendment 39-15540 · Air Tractor, Inc. AT-200, AT-300, AT-400, AT-500, AT-600, and AT-800 Series Airplanes
Air Tractor, Inc. AT-200, AT-300, AT-400, AT-500, AT-600, and AT-800 Series Airplanes
Superseded. A later AD replaced this one: AD 2008-26-01. Comply with the one in force.
This AD applies to the following airplane models and serial numbers that are certificated in any category:
| Models | Serial Nos. |
|---|---|
| AT-250, AT-300, AT-301, AT-302, AT-400, AT-400A, AT-401, AT-401A, AT-402, AT-402A, and AT-402B | -0001 through -1196. |
| AT-501, AT-502, AT-502A, and AT-502B | -0001 through -2620. |
| AT-602 | -0337 through -1153. |
| AT-802A | -0003 through -0282. |
We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) to supersede AD 2002-25-09, which applies to certain Air Tractor, Inc. (Air Tractor) AT-250, AT-300, AT-400, and AT-500 series airplanes. AD 2002-25-09 currently requires you to install an overturn skid plate in the cockpit area. Since we issued AD 2002-25-09, we received a report of the bolts attaching the forward end of the original design overturn skid plate to the airframe breaking in an overturn accident. This allowed the skid plate to rotate around the rear attach point and the forward end of the plate to enter the cockpit area. Consequently, this AD would require the installation of a modified skid plate kit or modification to skid plate kits that are already installed, including those already installed on AT-402B, AT-502B, AT-602, and AT-802A series airplanes during production. We are issuing this AD to prevent the front and rear connections of the overturn skid plate to the airplane from breaking, which could allow foreign debris to enter the cockpit during an airplane overturn. This condition, if not corrected, could lead to pilot injury.
To address this problem, you must do the following, unless already done:
| Actions | Compliance | Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| (1) If overturn skid plate kit part number (P/N) 11411-1-500 or an FAA-approved equivalent P/N is already installed, then install P/N 11411-1-501 modification kit | Within the next 180 days after July 7, 2008 (the effective date of this AD) | Follow Snow Engineering Co. Service Letter #97, revised November 7, 2007. |
| (2) If there is no overturn skid plate installed, then install overturn skid plate kit P/N 11411-1-502 or an FAA-approved equivalent part number | Within the next 180 days July 7, 2008 (the effective date of this AD) | Follow Snow Engineering Co. Service Letter #97, revised November 7, 2007. |
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.
