One Airplane Damaged When Part Of The Landing Gear Came Off The Aircraft

The FAA has issues a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) for the Piper Aircraft models and serial numbers listed below.  The bulletin recommends the incorporation of Piper Service Bulletin (SB) 1199. For the time being, the FAA says this airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition that would warrant an AD.

AD 72-08-06 mandates periodic inspections of certain configurations of the four main landing gear (MLG) torque link assemblies to detect cracks adjacent to the 2.5-inch diameter machined boss.

The bulletin was issued in response to an incident involving a Piper PA-28-140 aircraft used for flight training. After a failed landing attempt, it was discovered that the left landing gear torque link P/N 65691-00 had broken and allowed the strut/wheel assembly to depart the aircraft. Upon  landing, the aircraft received damage to the left flap and upper gear. There were no injuries. A review of the incident aircraft’s logbook revealed that 500-hour repetitive inspections required by AD 72-08-06 were complied with 203.8 hours earlier.

The FAA recommends that owners and operators, who operate in conditions resulting in a high number of landings per flight hour or that experience hard landings, incorporate the more frequent inspections and new replacement time specified in Piper Service Bulletin 1199. Owners and operators must continue to comply with AD 72-08-06 as this SAIB does not affect the mandatory inspections of the AD.

The affected airplanes are:

FMI: www.faa.gov