TC seeks Harvard AD results

By Adam Hunt
As mentioned in the August issue of COPA Flight, on June 8, 2005 the US FAA issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD # 2005-12-51 on all Harvard-type aircraft, including all SNJs and AT-6s. In response to the FAA AD on June 10, 2005, Transport Canada, issued Emergency Airworthiness Directive CF-2005-19 for Canadian built aircraft.
The two ADs require the same inspections to be done on virtually all Harvard-type aircraft manufactured in either country.
The ADs ground all the affected aircraft and require a fluorescent penetrant inspection of the wing attachment angles for cracks. Any cracked angles are to be replaced prior to further flight. At present the fluorescent penetrant inspection is required to be repeated every 200 hours of flight time.
One of the key aspects to this Emergency AD is that the results, whether any cracks are found or not, must be reported to TC via the web-based Transport Canada
Web Service Difficulty Reporting System (WSDRS).
The information gained from these reports is critical to the follow-up action by both COPA and TC since it will determine the next steps in the life of this AD.
Even though most of the aircraft in Canada have probably been inspected by now, TC has only received three reports on the results of inspections. The rest of the reports are needed right away.
Without these reports, good news or bad, there is no chance of influencing the future of this AD and possibly lengthening the inspection periods for these aircraft.
While the AMOs inspecting the aircraft may submit the reports via the SDR website, ultimately it is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that results are reported.
Questions can be addressed to Bill Miller, TC Continuing Airworthiness, Ottawa, 613 952-4388, fax 613 996-9178 or millerw@tc.gc.ca or any Transport Canada Centre.
COPA is working with TC Continuing Airworthiness, the FAA and the aircraft type clubs involved with this AD as the data is analyzed and decisions are made on future requirements for ongoing testing.