AD/PA-31/37 Amdt 11 - Airframe Retirement Lives (Cth)

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE On the effective date specified below, and for the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below revokes Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/PA-31/37 Amdt 10 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.001(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.

Piper PA-31 Series Aeroplanes AD/PA-31/37 Amdt 11 Airframe Retirement Lives 3/2012

Applicability: All Models. Requirement: 1. a. Retire the wing main spar lower cap and the pressure cabin (where applicable) before exceeding the times in service shown in the Retirement Schedule below; or

b. Adopt a CASA approved inspection program to allow operation beyond the retirement life specified in the Retirement Schedule below. Refer to Note 2 and Note 5 for guidance on developing an inspection program.

2. a. Retire the remainder of the airframe after the expiration of two wing main spar lower cap lifetimes, Note 2 refers; or

b. Adopt a CASA approved inspection program to allow operation beyond the retirement limit of requirement 2.a. Refer to Note 2 and Note 5 for guidance on developing an inspection program.

RETIREMENT SCHEDULE Model Wing Main Spar Pressure Cabin (pressurised flights) Lower Cap (hours) *PA-31 11000 N/A *PA-31-300 15500 N/A *PA-31-325 11000 N/A *PA-31-350 13000 N/A PA-31P 14000 10000 PA-31P-350 28000 10000 PA-31P-350 with 3368kg MTOW (STC 72-6) 23900 10000