Piper PA-38 Tomahawk — Maintenance Manual

This document is an Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia, specifically for the Piper PA-38 Tomahawk series aircraft. The directive addresses safety concerns related to wing fatigue and outlines mandatory actions that must be taken to ensure the airworthiness of the aircraft. It includes requirements for wing retirement or modification through the installation of a spar strap, as well as inspection protocols to monitor the condition of the wing structure. The AD is crucial for maintaining safety standards and compliance for all PA-38-112 aircraft.

• All PA-38-112 aircraft are subject to this Airworthiness Directive.
• Operators must retire the wing or install a spar strap per FAA STC SA01130SE.
• Compliance is required within 200 hours TIS after February 26, 1998, or at 11,000 hours TIS.
• New retirement life can be calculated using the formula: New retirement life = 21,950 hrs - (0.3 x hrs accumulated prior to modification).
• Initial inspection after spar strap installation is required at 100 flight hours, then every 100 flight hours.