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Airworthiness Directive 98-03-16

recurring
Official AD 98-03-16 · FR doc 98-2776 · 1998-02-11 · airframe

Airworthiness Directives; The New Piper Aircraft Corporation Model PA-38-112 Airplanes

What this AD requires

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to The New Piper Aircraft Corporation (Piper) Model PA-38-112 airplanes. This action requires repetitively replacing the upper rudder hinge bracket. Reports of fatigue cracks occurring on the upper rudder hinge bracket, and the manufacture of a new upper rudder hinge bracket with a life limited improved design prompted this action. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent cracks in the upper rudder hinge bracket, which could result in separation of the rudder from the airplane and loss of control of the airplane.

Repetitive inspection. Re-inspect every 5000 hours. The next-due date/hours depend on this aircraft’s time in service — a records report computes it from the logbooks.

Which aircraft AD 98-03-16 applies to

MakesPiper

Prevents cracks in the upper rudder hinge bracket; requires replacing bracket P/N 77610-02 (or FAA-approved equivalent) with new P/N 77610-03 at 5,000-hour TIS intervals per Piper Aircraft Corporation Service Bulletin No. 686, dated May 23, 1980. Text does not name the specific Piper model.

Whether AD 98-03-16 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 98-03-16 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.