My interpretation is the same as yours. This will have a very serious impact on some operators – such as Cape Air, who operate some 70+ Cessna 402s, mostly in New England (NE USA).
Can we expect something similar to affect all other twin pistons, or was there something in particular about the Cessnas that made them more susceptible to icing? I can’t imagine the latter case, as so many different models, with different designs, are affected by the AD.
It’s all part of Cessnas plan to drive up new sales and not have to support old stuff. The SID’s and the AD’s. Hartzell is another company that force more SB’s into AD´s than any other to drive up sales. But I don’t think this will effect any other manufacturer. I know Aerostar is very supportive and offers a FIKI upgrade for any airframe that hasn’t got it. Commanders are another one where you can get either a TKS style system on an STC, or get the boots.
Sad part is it will end up being a regulatory problem that will affect pilots only. When known icing is forecast these pilots have to fly anyway. Doesn’t mean they’ll encounter ice, but they don’t have the choice of staying on the ground if they want to stay employed. Now, should anything happen in regards to ice, and they happen to be flying a Cessna that used to be certified for ice, guess who FAA/EASA will nail? The pilots. They will lose their licenses and their livelihood, not the employer.
Cessna does not issue ADs and cannot write law. I’ll grant you that Cessna may have any number of intentions but the reason that airworthiness regulation is entirely between owner and government, and done by a defined process, is to maintain the owners property rights.
One hopes that public comment period etc prevents too much nuttiness from being incorporated in ADs. It’d be interesting to look at the comments and responses for this one.
Are some cessna’s (I think older) are de iced, but others are cleared for Flight in known iceing, these have boots on inner wing, hot plate etc. So are these still ok?
The Ageing Fleet Supplementary Inspection appears to be identifying some recurring issues. Spar corrosion under bladder tanks, weaknesses in the tailplane, cabin structure, control cables.
While a good maintenance shop would catch some of these, other items do require taking big parts, eg wings, off.
Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be statistical information on how many of the aircraft subject to the SID have had it done, and what has been found across the fleet.
On FIKI the standards for certification may have been raised in the 1980’s ? And hence Cessna is arguing the old FIKI does not meet current standards?
So are these still ok?
It seems so. There is a list of the affected aircraft in one of the links. For example the 421C and the 303 are not on that list, so they should still be approved for flight into known icing conditions.
