FAA imposes AD on Pacific Aerospace XTOL turboprop

The AD, which takes effect August 19, was prompted by action taken by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand and will “mandate the instructions in Pacific Aerospace Mandatory Service Bulletin (MSB) PACSB/XL/101 issue 1, dated 9 May 2018, or later approved revision, to improve the firewall sealing by installing new components (firewall penetration tubes, fire sleeve and hose clips).”

The FAA cited the New Zealand air agency’s determination that the design fails to meet fireproof requirements for firewalls, which said, “Ineffective sealant may fail to prevent fire propagation through the firewall, which could result in smoke or fire in the cockpit,” according to the FAA’s AD.

Twenty-two aircraft of U.S. registry are believed to be subject to the AD with an estimated cost of compliance calculated as $1,065 per aircraft. “According to the manufacturer, some of the costs of this AD may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on affected individuals,” the FAA said.

The FAA filed notice of its intention to implement the AD in 2019 and received no comments from the public before publishing its final order on July 30.