AD 75-02-03 ACTIVE

75-02-03 PIPER AIRCRAFT CORPORATION: Amendment 39-2066. Applies to Piper Models PA-28-140, PA-28-150, PA-28-160, PA-28-180, PA-28-235, PA-32-260 and PA-32-300 airplanes, modified by installing a large nose wheel fork (Tibbetts-Herre Airmotive P/N PA-32-1) and an 8.00-6 nose wheel tire in accordance with Supplemental Type Certificate SA281AL, certificated in all categories.

Compliance is required prior to the accumulation of 25 landings after the effective date of this AD, unless already accomplished.

To prevent possible failure of the nose wheel fork assembly, accomplish the following:

(a) Visually inspect the nose wheel fork for bends in the legs which are not part of the STC design.

(b) Straighten any bends found in the inspection required by paragraph (a) of this AD, prior to the inspection required by paragraph (c) of this AD.

(c) Inspect those nose wheel forks that have at any time been straightened in the past for cracks in the vicinity of the nosewheel axle holes, using a standard dye or fluorescent penetrant inspection procedure. To determine whether a nose wheel fork has been straightened in the past -

(1) Check the aircraft maintenance records; and

(2) Visually inspect the fork for any evidence of it having been straightened.

(d) If no cracks are found in the inspection required by paragraph (c) of this AD, or the nose wheel fork is a fork excepted from the inspection required by paragraph (c) of this AD, chamfer and heat treat the nose wheel fork before further flight in accordance with paragraphs (f) and (g) of this AD.

(e) If cracks are found in the inspection required by paragraph (c) of this AD, before further flight, replace the nose wheel fork with a serviceable nose wheel fork of the same part number which has been chamfered and heat treated in accordance with paragraphs (f) and (g) of this AD.

(f) Chamfer the outside edge of each nose wheel fork axle hole at 45 degrees to a minimum depthof 1/32-inch prior to heat treating.

(g) Heat treat the nose wheel fork to Ftu of 180,000 PSI in accordance with MIL-H- 6875 or an FAA approved equivalent.

(h) Permanently stamp the letter "H" on each nose wheel fork heat treated in accordance with paragraph (g) of this AD, adjacent to the serial and part number stamps.

(i) Replace each Piper P/N 20825-00 cap assembly with a Tibbetts-Herre P/N PA- 32-5 cap assembly or an equivalent approved by the Chief, Engineering and Manufacturing Field Office, FAA, Alaskan Region.

(j) Replace the Tibbetts-Herre P/N PA-32-4 axle rod with a Tibbetts-Herre P/N PA- 32-6 axle rod or equivalent approved by the Chief, Engineering and Manufacturing Field Office, FAA, Alaskan Region, using AN365-624 nuts and AN960-616 washers.

Note: For the purpose of complying with this AD, subject to acceptance by the assigned FAA Maintenance Inspector, the number of landings may be determined by dividing each airplane's hours' time in service bythe operator's fleet average time from takeoff to landing for the airplane type.

This amendment is effective upon publication in the Federal Register as to all persons except those persons to whom it was made effective upon receipt of the airmail letter dated November 26, 1974, that contained this amendment.