FAA Rescinds Proposed MU-2 AD
AOPA is claiming that, heeding its recommendation, the FAA has officially rescinded an onerous proposed airworthiness directive (AD) on Mitsubishi MU-2 airplanes. The proposed AD, based upon one report of improper maintenance, would have mandated replacement of a part to prevent flap system failure.”This would have cost more than $20,000 per airplane,” said AOPA Associate Director Andy Werking. “AOPA and the MU-2 Owners and Pilots Association (MOPA) successfully opposed the AD, pointing out that a 1988 AD already requires repetitive inspections of the part. In 15 years there has been only one report of a failure, which was determined to be the result of improper maintenance.”
Special Conditions For Raytheon
The FAA has issued special conditions for Raytheon Aircraft Company’s Model HS.125 Series 700A and BE300 airplanes. The FAA claims these modified airplanes have a novel and unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. Specifically, the Series 700A aircraft modification incorporates the installation of an Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) for display of critical flight parameters (altitude, airspeed, and attitude) to the crew. The FAA says that applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for the protection of these systems from the effects of high-intensity-radiated fields (HIRF). In the case of the B300, features include the installation of a ProLine 21 avionics system, which includes an electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) display for which the applicable regulations also do not contain adequate or appropriate airworthiness standards for the protection of these systems from the effects of high intensity radiated fields (HIRF). The FAA claims that these special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that provided by the existing airworthiness standards.For more information, read the full text of the Series 700A and B300/C notices here.
