Wed, Jul 06, 2005
Proposed Guideline Would Cover More Than Just Part 23
Aircraft
The AOPA wants the FAA to revise a
proposed advisory circular (AC) to clarify that it can be applied
to all older general aviation aircraft.
The new AC would set guidelines for allowing aircraft to
continue flying with known structural cracks. The AC would
publicize a long-existing FAA policy that deems an aircraft is
still airworthy if the crack is not in the primary structure and
the airframe can still withstand the ultimate design load.
"The FAA left out the majority of older GA aircraft from this
guidance document," said Luis Gutierrez, AOPA director of
regulatory and certification policy. "As drafted, it only applies
to Part 23-certificated aircraft. But most aircraft flying today
were certificated under the old CAR 3 standards.
"It's important that the policy be applied uniformly and
predictably to all aircraft in order to keep them flying safely and
affordably," Gutierrez said.
AOPA also expressed concern that the proposed AC excludes
previously acceptable methods used to substantiate an airplane's
ability to sustain ultimate load with cracks in non-critical
structure. "The removal of those options from the AC would
eliminate viable alternative testing methods with demonstrated
success in determining the continued safety of the airframe," said
Gutierrez.
Most older aircraft have developed cracks in some structures
because of the natural aging process. Although certification
authorities in some other countries will ground aircraft with any
cracks, the United States has taken the more reasonable position of
determining if the crack poses any threat to safety
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