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Spar Web Questionnaire

June 22, 2004

The Federal Aviation Administration is reviewing existing Airworthiness Directives dealing with inspection and repair as necessary of cracks in wing carry-through spar webs of H35 and later V-tails, Model 95 Travel Airs and Model 55 Barons, along with most Model 33, 36 and 58 airplanes. See past NEWS items at www.bonanza.org for more details and affected serial numbers.

ABS needs hard data to help us and our contracted aeronautical engineers evaluate the wing carry-through spar web crack issues pertaining to ADs 90-08-14 and 95-04-03, and the June 2, 2004 revisions to Raytheon Mandatory Service Bulletins 53-2269 and 53-2360. WE NEED YOUR HELP. Please answer the applicable questions by e-mail at bonanza8@bonanza.org or fax at 316-945-1710. Personal and identifying information will be kept confidential.

IF YOUR AIRPLANE FALLS IN THE AFFECTED SERIAL NUMBERS AND IT HAS NOT HAD ANY SPAR WEB CRACKS:

What is the model and serial number of your airframe?
What is your airplane's total airframe time?
Has the airplane ever been used for:
- Commercial or organizational (university, flying club, military, airline ab initio, etc.) instruction?
- Part 135 passenger charter or air freight?
- Rough field operations on any regular basis?
- Use exceeding 250 flight hours per year?
- Other very high frequency/unusual operation? (specify):

IF YOUR AIRPLANE HAS HAD ANY SPAR WEB CRACK(S) IDENTIFIED:

What model and serial number airplane was affected?
What was the total airframe time since new at the time the crack was first discovered?
Were cracks found:
- In areas identified in the Service Bulletins and existing AD?
- In the radius of the flange?
- Running under/through a huck bolt?
- Running between and/or beyond two huck bolts?
- Growing upward past the huckbolt line?
How long was the crack?
Was the crack stop drilled?
- If so, did it crack further?
Were cracks found in the flange itself, i.e., where it rivets to the fuselage skin?
Was there any cracking or wrinkling of the fuselage skin or attach rivets?
When first discovered did the crack require repair? If yes, skip to next major bullet. If no, answer the following:
- To date how many times has the required repetitive inspection been performed?
- How much total airframe time has elapsed since the first discovery of the crack?
- Has the crack grown any since first discovery?
- Did you elect to install the repair kit even though the crack did not meet the mandated criteria?
- Were there multiple cracks at the time of first discovery?
- Did additional cracks develop after the first crack was discovered?
- Did any crack grow to the point that the repair was required under the existing AD?
- If so, how much airframe time elapsed between the last inspection when the crack was not required and the time when the repair was required?
- Has any crack grown beyond the edges of the repair kit patch?
- If so, how much airframe time elapsed between installation of the kit and the time when the crack extended beyond the limits of the patch?
If you had the spar web crack repair kit installed, please answer the following:
- How long did you have to wait for the kit from Raytheon/Beechcraft?
- How much did the kit cost?
- Where did you have the installation performed?
- How long (shop hours) did it take the shop to install the kit?
- Did the shop have any problems installing the kit?
- Did any other kit-related problems occur during installation? (specify):
PLEASE SEND US PHOTOS OF WEB CRACKS if possible.

THANK YOU for helping investigate this issue with ABS and your fellow Beech pilots.

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The American Bonanza Society

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