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24 May 1989 |
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Mr. Richard B. Weeghman, Editor |
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Re: PA-23 Water Retention Problem, (cont.) |
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Dear Mr. Weeghman: |
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Thanks for your telephone call of a few days ago concerning the status of the above problem. Jerry Wells and I were in Boise for depositions on a Cessna 402A that burned a wing off shortly after take off from Pocatello, Idaho on 15 May 1985. It seems that the 300 and 400 series Cessnas do not meet the criteria for containment for fire in the engine compartment by the firewalls as required by CARs and FARs. But that is another problem…..I stray. |
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Jerry and I had already decided to determine what had been done since our last correspondence. |
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I called Bob Alpiser of the FAA in Kansas City to determine what had been done about the PA-23. I was informed that AD 88-21-07 was issued to become effective on 6 November 1988. It is a reprint of the NPRM published in the Federal Register/Vol 23 No 104/Tuesday May 31, 1988/Propsed Rules. It just says comply with Piper Service Bulletin No. 340 dated May 24, 1971……which is keep the cap seal tight, the filler compartment drain open, and inspect the fuel filler compartment access cover. |
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That will probably handle normal rain water and wash down water problems, but what about water which is pumped into the tanks by some faulty fuel truck of fuel farm? Or, what about the pilot who fuels from a cache of 55 gallon drums left out in the open in the far reaches of Alaska or Mexico, etc. ? This AD doe not even approach the problem of the after inboard corner of each tank being below the tank fuel outlet in the normal ground attitude. |
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However, it appears that the Atlanta Certification Office, ACE-115A, FAA, 1689 Phoenix Parkway, Suite 210C, Atlanta, Georgia 30349 is working with Piper in Vero Beach to solve that problem. There are three solutions being considered: |
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Increase the size of the gascolator to 12 or 16 ounces. |
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3. |
Shim up the after inboard corner of each tank so that there is a downhill slopefrom all portions of the tank to the fuel outlet. |
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Number one above does not seem reasonable in the situation since more than 24 ounces of water can hide in the main and aux tanks on one side….and there may not be room for such a large gascolator in each wheel well. |
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Number two above is the most reasonable solution. Some one in Wichita has been granted an STC to do just that. But, it is expensive. It requires new tanks. |
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Number three above is reasonable but it is also rather expensive since it requires removal of the tanks and perhaps replacement of the cells to fit the new shape of the fuel compartment. |
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Now, where do the interested parties stand ? |
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Good question. Both Piper and the FAA were told of this problem in June of 1985. Both denied that the problem existed. |
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The FAA and Piper proved to themselves that the problem was indeed real and present in January of 1988 some 2½ years after being shown the problem on TV tape. |
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Now here we are in mid 1989 and nothing has been done to solve the known failure to comply with the CAR and FAR requirements. |
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Who will really be responsible for the next PA-23 crash which occurs because of water in the fuel and compliance with AD 88-21-07 is proved ? |
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No hardware to fix the problem has come out of Piper. The FAA has not required a retrofit on the PA-23 to solve the problem. But, a solution is still under consideration by the FAA and Piper….according to Bob Alpiser…… Yet, an STC that solves the problem was approved by the FAA. |
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Strange World. |
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Where do we go from here ? |
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Sincerely, |
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