AD/PZL/5 Amdt 4 Centre Wing to Outboard Wing Attachment Joints (Cth)

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

On the commencement date specified below, and for the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below repeals Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/PZL/5 Amdt 3 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.001 (1) of CASR and subsection 33 (3) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct an unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.

Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze M18 (Dromader) Series Aeroplane

AD/PZL/5 Amdt 4 Centre Wing to Outboard Wing
Attachment Joints 4/2019

Applicability: 

All Models of Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze (PZL) M18, M18A, and M18B aircraft.

Requirement:

1.    Inspect the wing attachment joints, including the fore and aft faces of each lug, in accordance with Section 5.4.3 Verifying inspection, verifying inspection scope item 1 of the PZL Mielec Airplane Description and Service Manual (pages 5-14), dated 20 September 2013, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD.

(i)    For Section 5.4.3 Verifying inspection, verifying inspection of the PZL Mielec Airplane Description and Service Manual (pages 5-14), the non-destructive inspection method used must be the magnetic particle inspection method detailed in Section 4.27 of the PZL Mielec Airplane Description and Service Manual or an alternative magnetic particle inspection approved by CASA in writing.

(ii)   Perform the following after each inspection:

a.    Repair any corrosion damage found to the extent allowed in the PZL Service Bulletin E/02.170/2000 dated 3 August 2000, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD, and apply anticorrosion protection whether or not corrosion damage is found;

b.    Replace the wing attachment joints if found cracked or if the corrosion damage is more than is specified in PZL Service Bulletin No. E/02.170/2000 dated 3 August 2000, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD;

c.    Eliminate any ovalisation of the wing attachment joint main holes using the procedure specified in PZL Service Bulletin No. E/02.170/2000 dated 3 August 2000, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD.

2.    Inspect, using magnetic particle method detailed in Section 4.27 of PZL Mielec Airplane Description and Service Manual dated 20 September 2013, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD, or an alternative magnetic particle inspection approved by CASA in writing, the centre wing to outboard wing attachment joints for cracks in the lugs, corrosion in the main holes, faces and surfaces, and ovalisation of the main holes in accordance with PZL Service Bulletin No. E/02.170/2000 dated 3 August 2000, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD, and perform the following after each inspection:

(i)    Repair any corrosion damage found to the extent allowed for a repair in the PZL Service Bulletin E/02.170/2000 dated 3 August 2000, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD, and apply anti-corrosion protection;

(ii)   Replace the wing attachment joints if found cracked or if the corrosion damage is more than is specified in PZL Service Bulletin No. E/02.170/2000 dated 3 August 2000, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD;

(iii)  Eliminate any ovalisation of the wing attachment joint main holes using the procedure specified in PZL Service Bulletin No. E/02.170/2000 dated 3 August 2000, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD.

Note 1:  FAA AD 2000-18-12 Amdt 39-11897 refers.

Note 2:  Aviation NDT Services Pty Ltd procedure titled Eddy Current Testing Procedure for Dromader M18 Centre Section Attachment Joints, Procedure No. QP.00.36(E), Issue 2, dated 8 September 2000, and Australian Aviation NDT Service Pty Ltd procedure titled Eddy Current Testing of M18 Dromader (All Models), Procedure No. QP.00.36(EC) or other revision, have not been approved as an alternative inspection procedure to use in lieu of the non-destructive magnetic particle inspection procedure required by this airworthiness directive.

Compliance:

For Requirement 1 - At or before accumulation of 2500 corrected total flight hours and every 2500 corrected flight hours thereafter.

For Requirement 2 - After completion of the first 2500 corrected total flight hours inspection of requirement 1, at intervals of 500 corrected flight hours or 12 calendar months, whichever occurs first.

Note 3:  Corrected flight hours is the total of the flight time that is calculated from each flight’s flying time multiplied by the appropriate factor that relates to the aircraft maximum take-off weight for that flight. (Refer to PZL M 18 “Dromader” Aircraft Repair Manual Model: M18, M18A, M18AS, M18B, Edition 3, dated May 1981, Section 7 as in force at the date of this AD or other approved maintenance data applicable to the aircraft.)

Previously approved Alternate Means of Compliance and Exclusions for AD/PZL/5 Amdt 2 can be used with this airworthiness directive.

This AD commences on 22 February 2019.

Background:

The original issue of this directive was issued because of local reports of cracking of the bore in the joint and the issue of an Airworthiness Directive by the FAA following 2 instances of in-flight wing separations, where severe corrosion and pitting led to high stress concentrations on the wing attachment joints. The FAA AD and PZL Service Bulletin call for the initial inspection at 3000 hours’ time in service (TIS). However, cracks were found in an Australian registered M-18A at only 2776 hours TIS.

Amendment 1 was issued on 15 November 2013 as a review of Aviation NDT Services QP.00.36(E), Issue 2, dated 8 September 2000, found it was not approved, and Australian Aviation NDT Service Pty Ltd procedure titled Eddy Current Testing of M18 Dromader (All Models), Procedure No. QP.00.36(EC) or other revision, was also not approved, as alternative inspection procedures to use in lieu of the non-destructive magnetic particle inspection procedure required by this airworthiness directive. It also included reference to the manufacturer’s required 100 hourly periodic inspection and to require removal of the centre wing and outboard wings to allow better access for inspection of the wing attachment joints every 2500 hours. The repetitive inspection of the attachment joints every 500 hours remained but the wings did not need to be removed from the fuselage.

Amendment 2 was issued to reduce the complexity of the airworthiness directive by setting a threshold inspection point for all fittings in service, correcting or updating matters in Amendment 1, namely correcting an incorrect reference to the maintenance manual for the magnetic particle inspection which should have been Section 4.27 not Section 2.7, removing reference to 1.e, to make the reference more generic and amending Note 3 to include reference to other approved maintenance data and allowing an alternative magnetic particle inspection, approved by CASA, to that specified by the manufacturer.

Amendment 3 was issued to clarify the repetitive inspection compliance times of the airworthiness directive.

Amendment 4 is issued to allow the use of Alternate Means of Compliance and Exclusions issued for Amendment 2 of this AD to be approved for use with this Amendment as there have been no changes made to the magnetic particle non-destructive inspection aspects of this AD that would cause them to be rendered invalid.

Pieter van Dijk
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority

11 February 2019