Archive for the ‘Insurance’ Category

FAA AD 2009-CE-039 Proposed for Piper Aircraft will affect 42,000 Aircraft

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

The FAA is proposing an AD related to the miss drilling of holes in the control wheels of several models of Piper Aircraft (PA-28 AD, PA-34 AD, PA-44 AD, PA-32 AD SEE BELOW) affecting nearly 42,000 aircraft.  Oops!

According to the FAA it is a mistake in manufacturing that has now been corrected.  FAA estimates $40 to inspect the problem, however their estimate to fix the problem for repair/replacement cost to involve 16 hours of labor at a total cost of about $1430 per airplane and oh yeah $150 for the part.

This AD  is not a rule yet and the FAA is accepting comments until 12/29/09 so if you own one I would comment! Go here to find out where to send your comments and more text of the AD.

Read more on FAA Site

Below is a list of affected aircraft

This AD applies to the following airplane models and serial numbers that are certificated in any category:

Models Serial Nos.
PA–28–140 28–20001 through 28–26946 and 28–7125001 through 28–7725290.
PA–28–150 28–03; 28–1 through 28–4377; and 28–1760A.
PA–28–160 28–03; 28–1 through 28–4377; and 28–1760A.
PA–28–180 28–03; 28–671 through 28–5859; and 28–7105001 through 28–7205318.
PA–28S–160 28–1 through 28–1760 and 28–1760A.
PA–28S–180 28–671 through 28–5859 and 28–7105001 through 28–7105234.
PA–28–235 28–10001 through 28–11378; 28–7110001 through 28–7210023; 28E–11 and 28–7310001 through 28–7710089.
PA–28–236 28–7911001 through 28–8611008 and 2811001 through 2811050.
PA–28–151 28–7415001 through 28–7715314.
PA–28–161 2841001 through 2841365; 28–7716001 through 28–8216300; 28–8316001 through 28–8616057; 2816001 through 2816109; 2816110 through 2816119; and 2842001 through 2842305.
PA–28–180 28–E13 and 28–7305001 through 28–7505260.
PA–28–181 28–7690001 through 28–8690056; 28–8690061; 28–8690062; 2890001 through 2890205; 2890206 through 2890231; and 2843001 through 2843672.
PA–28–201T 28–7921001 through 28–7921095.
PA–28R–180 28R–30002 through 28R–31270 and 28R–7130001 through 28R–7130013.
PA–28R–200 28R–35001 through 28R–35820; 28R–7135001 through 28R–7135229; and 28R–7235001 through 28R–7635545.
PA–28R–201 28R–7737002 through 28R–7837317; 2837001 through 2837061; and 2844001 through 2844138.
PA–28R–201T 28R–7703001 through 28R–7803374 and 2803001 through 2803012.
PA–28RT–201 28R–7918001 through 28R–7918267 and 28R–8018001 through 28R–8218026.
PA–28RT–201T 28R–7931001 through 28R–8631005 and 2831001 through 2831038.
PA–32–260 32–03; 32–04; 32–1 through 32–1297; and 32–7100001 through 32–7800008.
PA–32–300 32–15; 32–21; 32–40000 through 32–40974; and 32–7140001 through 32–7940290.
PA–32S–300 32S–15; 32S–40000 through 32S–40974; and 32S–7140001 through 32S–7240137.
PA–32R–300 32R–7680001 through 32R–7880068.
PA–32RT–300 32R–7885002 through 32R–7985106.
PA–32RT–300T 32R–7787001 and 32R–7887002 through 32R–7987126.
PA–32R–301 (SP) 32R–8013001 through 32R–8613006; 3213001 through 3213028; and 3213030 through 3213041.
PA–32R–301 (HP) 3213029; 3213042 through 3213103; 3246001 through 3246217; 3246219; 3246223; 3246218; 3246220 through 3246222; and 3246224 through 3246244.
PA–32R–301T 32R–8029001 through 32R–8629008 and 3229001 through 3229003.
PA–32–301 32–8006002 through 32–8606023; 3206001 through 3206019; 3206042 through 3206044; 3206047; 3206050 through
3206055; and 3206060.
PA–32–301T 32–8024001 through 32–8424002.
PA–32R–301T 3257001 through 3257483.
PA–32–301FT 3232001 through 3232074.
PA–32–301XTC 3255001 through 3255014; 3255026, 3255015 through 3255025; 3255027; and 3255051.
PA–34–200 34–E4 and 34–7250001 through 34–7450220.
PA–34–200T 34–7570001 through 34–8170092.
PA–34–220T 34–8133001 through 34–8633031; 3433001 through 3433172; 3448001 through 3448037; 3448038 through 3448079; 3447001 through 3447029; and 3449001 through 3449377.
PA–44–180 44–7995001 through 44–8195026; 4495001 through 4495013; and 4496001 through 4496251.
PA–44–180T 44–8107001 through 44–8207020.

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Posted in Aircraft, Airworthiness Directives AD's, FAA & Government, Flight Training, Insurance, Maintenance, Manufacturers, News & Stories, Ownership, Pilots | Comments Off

Adam A500 – what’s an owner to do?

Monday, August 25th, 2008

What do you do when the company that built your plane goes bankrupt and no one really seems to care?  Well the 5 owners of Adam A500 airplanes are finding out.  Although bankruptcy of aircraft manufacturers is not new the approach due to liability issues and the way they are handled is not always very “owner friendly”. 

Here is my post in response to a Denver Post Article.

“Regardless of the past owner/operator shady or not one would think the new owner would care about Public Relations. I mean I understand not wanting liability, but they did by the right to manufacture the A500 although they may not be choosing to persue it right now, because they apparently would have to spend some money to “recertify it”.

The opportunity to build some relationships with people who have spent and have the ability to spend $1 million dollars for a plane is something. I mean who do they think the market would be for the jet possibly the same people?

It is not like bankruptcy and failures are new to the aviaition industry, just look at all the various models out there that have been in and out of business several times or existed as a result of loyal owners reference Mooney, Aerostar and Commander to name a few.

There has to be some solution to at least make the specs and parts available to these owners. There have to be some partially built planes that could be used and a way to help these guys out. I mean I am sure they would bear the expense if they could just fly their “million dollar display piece”.

FAA come on lets work for a solution to let the guys fly vs be forced with a “De Lorean of the air” at least people found a way to make parts for those!”

 

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Airplanes & Lawsuits

Monday, April 14th, 2008

Not words that I like in the same sentence…Lawsuits and Airplanes.

I found an article this week written about a very unfortunate plane crash (all crashes are) involving a Piper Malibu.  It claimed the life of 4 people on April 11, 2008 in Alberta, Canada.  The article went on to describe the fact that a father and son had both died in plane crashes within 5 months of one another in different kinds of planes, one weather related and one yet to be determined.

The crash and the cause are not the most disturbing part, unfortunately!   The fact that the article was on a ‘legal site’ that had a place to sign up for lawyers wanting to sue in airplane crash cases is what really disturbs me.   The article goes on to mention Piper Aircraft’s 1991 bankruptcy filing and infer that that the Malibu and any crashes by that type of plane over the years could be related. 

If there are points to consider for safety of flying Malibu’s I would like to hear those to consider and make judgement (usually done by FAA and NTSB) a couple of government agency’s that have done a pretty good job erring on the side of safety for users of aviation products, but to make inferences and suggestions and then offer advertising for attorney’s who want to sue or find clients from aircraft crash cases really adds a biased slant.

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Older, Not bolder make good pilots

Sunday, March 16th, 2008

Well the saying goes, there are old pilots and bold pilots, but no old bold pilots.  Well older pilots may be better though not all the current FAA data supports that or at least they should be.  Please reference earlier post regarding higher retirement age for pilots. 

Definitely we here at what-to-fly.com we think the gray doesn’t necessarily mean your flying days are over and until recent years of the dot com boom and the not so recent past of mortgage and real estate boom most of the people who could coordinate the time + money equation were usually older.  They had built their businesses, raised they’re family’s and now had the time and money to enjoy it.

Such results possibly in the past or even now could put an unfair light on accident data according to age.  I mean potentially an older pilot may not have much time overall or in the type of plane he or she just built or bought, so that could tend to skew the numbers. 

Article Citing Pilot Health Issues doesn’t even touch the subject

Article by Pittsburg Tribune studying the same results in their area

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