The NTSB is urging the FAA to back off on its one-size-fits-all approach to potential wing spar cracking in 20,000 Piper singles, saying the cure may be more dangerous than the condition in some cases. According to the Piper Owners Society, the board says many of the aircraft swept up in the AD are likely at low risk for developing cracks and the pulling everything apart to look at the spars on those aircraft may actually increase the risk of failure. It says the heavier and higher performance planes that use the spar design, including the PA-28-235 (Cherokee 235) model,all PA-28R (retractable gear) series airplanes and the PA-32-260 and PA-32-300 (Cherokee Six) model airplanes, are mostly at risk.
“The NTSB notes that the data showed that the risk of fatigue cracking on allaffected PA-28 series airplanes other than the PA-28-235 is significantly lower over their assumeduseful life,” the board said in a letter to the FAA. “We are concerned that the risks associated with disturbing the joint to complete theinspection may outweigh the risk of fatigue cracking in all affected PA-28 series airplanes otherthan the PA-28-235 and urge the FAA to reexamine the applicability of the proposed AD.” EAA and AOPA have also weighed in, saying there are less invasive and expensive ways to address the potential problems than a blanket inspection AD. The AD was prompted by the failure of a spar in an Embry-Riddle Arrow in 2018 that killed a commercial pilot candidate on his checkride and the FAA examiner doing the test.
