Piper PA-28 and PA-32 Wing Spar Inspection (AD 2020-26-16)
An eddy current check of the lower main spar bolt holes, required once a spar reaches 5,000 factored service hours.
If you own a PA-28 or PA-32 on the AD's serial list, your logbooks decide whether you need this inspection now.
AD 2020-26-16took effect on February 16, 2021, after a 2018 fatal accident in which a PA-28R-201 lost a wing in flight. The FAA traced it to a fatigue crack in a part of the lower main spar cap that can't be seen during a visual inspection. The FAA estimates the AD covers about 5,440 U.S.-registered airplanes.
Here's what it requires and how to get it done.
What AD 2020-26-16 requires
- A logbook review to calculate factored service hours for each main spar. Time flown under 100-hour inspections, which is typical of rental and training airplanes, counts more heavily.
- An eddy current inspection of the lower outboard bolt holes on each main spar cap once a spar reaches 5,000 factored service hours.
- New bolts after the inspection.
- Replacement of any spar with a crack.
- A report of the results to the FAA and Piper.
Which airplanes it covers
Specific serial numbers of 15 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. Check your serial number against the AD's applicability section.
What it costs
The FAA's estimates, at $85 an hour:
- Logbook review: about 3 hours, $255
- Eddy current inspection: about $960 total ($190 for access, $600 for the inspection, $170 to close up)
- New spar, if one is needed: about $12,340 per spar
Who can do the eddy current inspection
An A&P certificate alone doesn't cover it. The inspection is done by an eddy current inspector certified to Level II or III under recognized NDT standards such as NAS 410. Most shops bring one in. We connect you with one who covers your airport.
Proposed changes to the Piper spar AD
In September 2024 the FAA proposed two changes:
- A new AD would add initial and recurring eddy current inspections for about 10,927 more U.S.-registered PA-28s and PA-32s, including Cherokee models such as the PA-28-140, -150, -160, and -180.
- A second would replace AD 2020-26-16 for about 10,665 airplanes with recurring inspections and a spar life limit. For the group that includes newer PA-28s, inspections would start at 3,000 calculated service hours, and the spar would be replaced or reinforced by 13,499 hours.
The FAA estimated about $14,383 per wing for a new spar, or about $20,150 per wing for a reinforcement kit that extends spar life to 25,000 hours.
These were proposals when this page was written, not final rules. Check the current status in the FAA's Dynamic Regulatory System.
Related inspections
This page summarizes AD 2020-26-16. Always work from the current AD text and your mechanic's judgment.
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