The FAA this morning published AD 2019-21-08, requiring inspection and replacement as necessary of the right aileron control cable turnbuckle assemblies in certain Beech Bonanzas. The AD is attached below.
A few comments:
• The AD is a Final Rule effective November 22, 2019.
• Owners of affected airplanes have until December 22, 2019 to comply with the AD.
• The AD requires one-time inspection of the right aileron control cable by reference to our recommended inspection technique.
• The AD provides credit for previous inspections done in accordance with any of our recommendations for this inspection. Our recommendations changed, narrowing the scope of the inspection, as we learned more from member reports.
• The AD adds the K35, M35, N35 and P35 to our list of affected airplanes. I am attempting to find out why FAA added these models, and whether it was a mistake that can be rectified by removing those models from the AD.
Thank you to the ABS Technical Advisors for identifying this problem and providing solutions, and to all the ABS members who provided reports of their inspections, both positive and negative reports, that provided the data needed to address this issue properly. Thanks also to the FAA and especially the engineers and management of the Wichita Aircraft Certification Office for working cooperatively with ABS Air Safety Foundation to achieve a speedy yet measured response to this serious airworthiness condition. This is an example of airworthiness and regulation done right—we find a problem, we limit the focus to the actual data that emerge, and FAA acts on our recommendations.
