Cessna Aircraft has issued its third mandatory service bulletin in less than a month, requiring a new round of inspections of 172R Skyhawks and 172S Skyhawk SP singles delivered during the past two years.
The latest bulletin requires the inspection of the aircraft's vertical stabiliser aft spar, and rivets used to attach the lower fitting. Operators are also required to check the clearance between the aft tailcone bulkhead, the tailcone side skins and the horizontal stabiliser forward spar. Cessna has outlined repairs that may require removing the stabiliser for modification.
The window for compliance with the order is 200h or six months, whichever occurs first. Cessna is covering the cost of the modifications under its new-aircraft warranty programme, as it has for all airworthiness directives and service bulletins in the past 18 months.
The manufacturer recently issued service bulletins ordering the inspection and alteration of electrical systems on all Skyhawks and 182S Skylanes delivered since January 1997 and an inspection for cracks in their firewalls.
Source: Flight International
