The FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) Number CE-17-22 on Aug. 22, 2017 of an airworthiness concern for owners and operators of Air Tractor, Inc. Models AT-802 and AT-802A airplanes. The SAIB covers serial numbers -0550 through -0600 and -4026 through -4029 manufactured under Type Certificate Data Sheet A19SW.  

The SAIB provides inspection procedures and on-condition maintenance actions for the aileron bell crank attach plates for affected airplanes. The FAA believes that this airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) action.

Air Tractor recently issued Snow Engineering Co. Service Letter (SL) #366 for the Air Tractor Models AT-802 and AT-802A airplanes. The SL was issued after in-flight failure of the aileron bell crank attach plates due to an incomplete weld on a Model AT-802 airplane. Failure of the welds mounting the attach plate to the bell crank support led to loss of control of the aileron. The SL provides instructions for inspecting welds attaching the right and left wing aileron bell crank attach plates and requires contacting the Air Tractor Customer Service Department using the contact information provided in the event suspect welds are found.

The FAA recommends that affected aircraft owners inspect their aileron bell crank attach plates to the bell crank support assembly using the procedures in SL #366 and report any suspect welds to the Air Tractor Service Department.