AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE
For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below revokes Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/CAP 10/4 Amdt 2 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.1 (1) of CASR 1998. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the 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.
Avions Mudry Cap Series Aeroplanes
AD/CAP 10/4
Amdt 3
Flight Limitations 12/2003 DM
Applicability: CAP 10B aircraft with serial numbers 01, 02, 03, 04, and 1 through 282, which are not fitted with a replacement wood/carbon wing following application of major change 000302.
Requirement: 1. Check that No. 1 wing rib has been modified in accordance with Service Bulletin CAP10B No.16 (CAP10B-57-004).
If so, the limitations of Requirements 2 and 3 apply. Also, perform the actions described in Requirement 4.
If not, the aircraft is not to be operated. Contact the Type Certificate holder (APEX Aircraft, 1 route de Troyes, 21121 DAROIS, FRANCE, Fax +33 3 80 35
65 15, Email: airworthiness@apex-aircraft.com)
2. Load factors
The flight envelope is limited as follows:
- For solo flights, from -3.5 to + 5;
- With 2 persons on board, from –3.5 to + 4.3
- Flick manoeuvres speed limitation
The airspeed for positive and negative flick manoeuvres must never exceed 160 km/hr (86 kts).
Install a temporary placard in full view of the pilot specifying the two limitations defined in Requirements 2 and 3.
No aircraft can be operated if the limitations defined in Requirements 2 and 3 are exceeded. In that case contact APEX Aircraft.
4. Perform the following repetitive inspections in accordance with the appropriate maintenance manual:
- Perform inspections of the upper and lower spar flanges.
- Inspect the landing gear attachment blocks.
Avions Mudry Cap Series Aeroplanes
AD/CAP 10/4 Amdt 3 (continued)
Note: DGAC Emergency AD U2003-375(A) refers.
Compliance: For Requirements 1, 2, and 3: Before further flight after 1 October 2003.
For Requirement 4.a.:
- At each Intermediate inspection (at intervals not to exceed 55 flying hours).
b. After a hard or overweight landing.
c. After exceeding the airframe limitations. For Requirement 4.b.: At each annual inspection.
This Amendment becomes effective on 1 October 2003.
Background: The DGAC received a further report of a wing in-flight structural failure. Spar inspections in accordance with Avion Mudry Service Bulletin (SB) No. 15 Revision 1, and the wing covering inspection in accordance with Cap Aviation SB 990501 (mandated by the original issue of this AD) do not appear to have been effective in detecting defects in the wing structure. A single exceedence of the wing limit load factor can result in compression failures inside the wing main spar. These failures can then spread under loads within the aircraft’s flight envelope. In extreme cases this can lead to in-flight wing failure within the aircraft’s approved flight envelope.
Hence, aircraft may already contain defects which will remain undetected by SB15 inspection methods. Amendment 2 introduced a new inspection process that replaces the inspection previously required by SB No. 15.
Amendment 3 is issued in response to a new DGAC AD which was prompted by a new in-flight fracture of a CAP 10B wing in June 2003. Initial investigation indicates a possible incorrect application of SB No. 16.
David Villiers
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 25 September 2003
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 1 October 2003.