Aircraft
Certification Service Washington, DC U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration
NE-09-51 R1
October 29, 2009
This is information only. Recommendations
aren’t mandatory.
Introduction
This Revised Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) alerts
you, owners, operators, and certificated repair facilities of Avia
Propeller Ltd. V410, V500A, V503, V503A, V503AP, V503P, V506, and V520
propellers, that Avia Propeller Ltd. has issued Service Bulletin (SB)
Number 6, Issue F, copy attached. This SB specifies inspection of the
blades of these propellers for fatigue cracks that may be initiated by
an impact on the blade surface.
This revision provides information about the related U.S. type
certificates and current installations of these propellers. All other
information remains the same. These propellers are known to be
installed on, but not limited to, Zlin Z-42M, Z-42MU, Z-142, Z-43,
Z-50M, Let Kunovice Ae 45, Ae-145, Z-37, Z-37A, L-200A, L-200D, and
Orličan L-40 aircraft. At this time, the airworthiness concern is not
an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD)
action under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part
39.
At this time, V500A and V503AP propellers are the only Avia propellers
with a U.S. type certificate. All current installations of the above
propellers are on experimental aircraft, with the exception of a V503AP
propeller installed on a Cessna 172, for which the owner has confirmed
compliance with the Avia service bulletins. Future installations of
these propellers are not subject to the Avia inspection requirements,
since they would be required to be new or newly overhauled propellers.
Background
A V500A propeller blade, while operating on an aircraft on the ground,
failed due to a fatigue crack initiated by a blade impact by an unknown
object. In response to this event, the European Aviation Safety Agency
issued AD 2009-0059, copy attached. That AD mandates a visual
inspection before further flight for cracks of Avia Propeller Ltd.
V410, V500A, V503, V503A, V503AP, V503P, V506, and V520 propeller
blades, using Avia SB Number 6. That AD also mandates repetitive visual
inspections of the propeller blades for cracks until the propeller is
overhauled.
Recommendations
Due to the potential consequences, we strongly recommend that you:
Initially inspect before
further flight all Avia Propeller Ltd. V410, V500A, V503, V503A,
V503AP, V503P, V506, and V520 propeller blades, using Avia Propeller
Ltd. SB Number 6, Issue F, unless already done within the last 10
flight hours.
Repetitively inspect Avia
Propeller Ltd. V410, V500A, V503, V503A, V503AP, V503P, V506, and V520
propeller blades within every additional 10 flight hours or 6 months
from the last inspection, whichever occurs first, using Avia Propeller
Ltd. SB Number 6, Issue F, until the propeller is overhauled.
Replace any propeller blade found cracked, before further flight.
For Further Information Contact
Terry Fahr, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Boston Aircraft Certification
Office, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; telephone:
781-238-7155; fax: 781-238-7170; e-mail: terry.fahr@faa.gov.