Is AD 2020-26-16 a recurring Airworthiness Directive?

No — AD 2020-26-16 is a one-time directive. Verify it was complied with in the aircraft's records.

Which aircraft does AD 2020-26-16 apply to?

AD 2020-26-16 applies to Piper Aircraft, Inc.. Serial/part conditions may narrow it to specific aircraft.

Airworthiness Directive 2020-26-16

one-time

Official AD 2020-26-16 · FR doc 2021-00044 · 2021-01-15 · airframe

Airworthiness Directives; Piper Aircraft, Inc. Airplanes

What this AD requires

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Piper) Models PA-28-151, PA-28-161, PA- 28-181, PA-28-235, PA-28R-180, PA-28R-200, PA-28R-201, PA-28R-201T, PA- 28RT-201, PA-28RT-201T, PA-32-260, PA-32-300, PA-32R-300, PA-32RT-300, and PA-32RT-300T airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of a wing separation caused by fatigue cracking in a visually inaccessible area of the lower main wing spar cap. This AD requires calculating the factored service hours for each main wing spar to determine when an inspection is required, inspecting the lower main wing spar bolt holes for cracks, and replacing any cracked main wing spar. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

Which aircraft AD 2020-26-16 applies to

MakesPiper Aircraft, Inc.

Applies to Piper airplanes with a model and serial number shown in Table 1 to paragraph (c) (table/graphic not present in extracted text, so specific models/serials could not be extracted) that meet at least one of: accumulated 5,000+ hours time-in-service; main wing spar replaced with a serviceable (more than zero hours TIS) main wing spar; or missing/incomplete maintenance records.

Whether AD 2020-26-16 actually applies to your aircraft (by serial and installed parts) and whether it’s already complied with comes from that aircraft’s records.

How AD compliance is recorded

A valid compliance record (14 CFR 43.9) states:

Method of compliance — The specific action taken (inspected, replaced, modified) and to what revision.

Date — When the work was done.

Aircraft time — Total time in service / tach at compliance — how recurring next-due is computed.

Signature & certificate — The A&P/IA who returned it to service, with certificate number.

Is AD 2020-26-16 complied with on your aircraft?

Tailplate reads a tail number’s logbooks and matches every applicable AD — including this one — to its compliance evidence, with recurring next-due dates computed.

Look up a tail number →Read the full directive (Federal Register)

Applicability is derived from the FAA directive corpus and is advisory, not a legal airworthiness determination. Compliance is established only from an aircraft’s actual records.