AOPA wants FAA to reevaluate Superior inspection interval

AOPA has formally requested that the FAA evaluate operational data regarding Superior Air Parts cylinder assemblies and consider extending the inspection interval in the proposed airworthiness directive (AD) to lessen the burden on pilots.

The AD would require initial and repetitive inspection and compression tests to detect cracks in certain cylinders with more than 750 flight hours. The inspections would need to occur within 25 flight hours after the AD’s effective date and need to be repeated every 50 flight hours.

AOPA has asked the FAA to consider if it would be appropriate to make the repetitive inspections due every 100 hours time in service or every annual, whichever comes first.