Airworthiness Directives; Baykar Piaggio Aerospace S.p.A. (Type Certificate Previously Held by Piaggio Aviation S.p.A.) Airplanes
Key claim: The FAA proposes requiring repeated inspections of certain Piaggio P-180 airplane wings for corrosion and cracks around fasteners, with repairs if problems are found.
Abstract
(Proposed Rule · Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration) The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Baykar Piaggio Aerospace S.p.A. (Piaggio) Model P-180 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of corrosion and cracks found around the head of attaching fasteners on main wing lower skin external reinforcement doublers. This proposed AD would require repetitive high frequency eddy current (HFEC) inspections of the lower skin reinforcement and, depending on findings, corrective action. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Why this matters
The proposed AD extends the FAA’s repetitive wing-inspection pattern to another legacy type certificate — this time a twin-turboprop whose TC has passed through multiple corporate holders — reinforcing how corrosion and fastener-hole cracking continue to drive the bulk of transport-category airworthiness action. For operators of the small Piaggio P-180 fleet, it means added recurring inspection burden until corrective modifications are developed.