American Champion Citabria/Decathlon/Scout

Airworthiness Directives; American Champion Aircraft Corp.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) (AD) 2017-07- 10 for certain American Champion Aircraft Corp. (ACAC) Model 8KCAB airplanes. AD 2017-07-10 required fabrication and installation of a placard to prohibit aerobatic flight, inspection of the aileron hinge rib and support, and a reporting requirement of the inspection results to the FAA. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the aileron hinge support, installation of the aileron hinge support reinforcement kit, and incorporation of revised pages into the service manual. This AD was prompted by a report of a cracked hinge support and cracked hinge ribs, which resulted in partial loss of control with the aileron binding against the cove. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

Airworthiness Directives; American Champion Aircraft Corp.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain American Champion Aircraft Corp. Model 8KCAB airplanes. This AD requires fabrication and installation of a placard to prohibit aerobatic flight, inspection of the aileron hinge rib and support, and a reporting requirement of the inspection results to the FAA. This AD was prompted by a report of a cracked hinge support and cracked hinge ribs, which resulted in partial loss of control with the aileron binding against the cove. We are issuing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

Airworthiness Directives; American Champion Aircraft Corp. Models 7ECA, 7GCAA, 7GCBC, 7KCAB, 8KCAB, and 8GCBC Airplanes

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all American Champion Aircraft Corp. Models 7ECA, 7GCAA, 7GCBC, 7KCAB, 8KCAB, and 8GCBC airplanes, manufactured prior to 1989 and equipped with folding rear seat backs. This AD requires inspection of the rear seat back hinge areas for cracking and excessive elongation of the rear seat hinge bolt hole and, if cracking or excessive elongation is found, replacement of the rear seat frame. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracking of the rear seat back hinge area and excessive elongation of the rear seat hinge bolt hole, either of which could result in failure of the seat back. This failure could lead to a rear- seated pilot or passenger inadvertently interfering with the control stick while attempting to not roll to the rear of the airplane upon seat back failure. Consequently, this failure could result in loss of control.

Airworthiness Directives; American Champion Aircraft Corporation Models 7AC, 7ACA, S7AC, 7BCM, 7CCM, S7CCM, 7DC, S7DC, 7EC, S7EC, 7ECA, 7FC, 7GC, 7GCA, 7GCAA, 7GCB, 7GCBA, 7GCBC, 7HC, 7JC, 7KC, 7KCAB, 8KCAB, and 8GCBC Airplanes

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain American Champion Aircraft Corporation (ACAC) Models 7AC, 7ACA, S7AC, 7BCM, 7CCM, S7CCM, 7DC, S7DC, 7EC, S7EC, 7ECA, 7FC, 7GC, 7GCA, 7GCAA, 7GCB, 7GCBA, 7GCBC, 7HC, 7JC, 7KC, 7KCAB, 8KCAB, and 8GCBC airplanes. This AD requires you to make a temporary Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) limitation entry or install a temporary placard prohibiting aerobatic flight if you operate the airplane before the required inspection of this AD; inspect for incorrect swaging width of the cable Nicopress sleeves on the elevator, rudder, aileron, and flap control cables; replace cables that have incorrect sleeve swage width; remove POH limitation or placard prohibiting aerobatic flight after inspection and replacement of cables with incorrect sleeve swage width; and report any findings of incorrect sleeve swage width to FAA. This AD results from partial loss of aileron control because an incorrectly swaged cable sleeve allowed the cable to slip. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct incorrect swaging widths of the flight control cable Nicopress sleeves, which could result in failure of the elevator, rudder, aileron, and flap controls. This failure could lead to loss of control of the airplane.

Airworthiness Directives; American Champion Aircraft Corporation 7, 8, and 11 Series Airplanes

This amendment supersedes Airworthiness Directive (AD) 98-05- 04, which currently requires you to repetitively inspect the front and rear wood spars for damage (including installing any as-needed inspection holes) and repair or replace any damaged wood spar on certain American Champion Aircraft Corporation (ACAC) Model 8GCBC airplanes. Damage is defined as cracks, compression cracks, longitudinal cracks through the bolt holes or nail holes, or loose or missing nails. This AD retains the actions of AD 98-05-04 for the ACAC Model 8GCBC airplanes; extends the actions to all ACAC 7, 8, and 11 series airplanes (except the inspections are not repetitive for certain 7 and 11 series airplanes); incorporates alternative methods of accomplishing the actions; and requires reporting any damage found. This AD is the result of a review of the service history of the affected airplanes that incorporate wood wing spars where damage was found in this area and consideration of all public comments received. The actions specified by this AD are intended to detect and repair or replace damaged wood wing spars. Continued operation with such damage could progress to in-flight structural failure of the wing with consequent loss of control of the airplane.

Airworthiness Directives; American Champion Aircraft Corp. Model 8GCBC Airplanes

This amendment supersedes Airworthiness Directive (AD) 87-18- 09, which currently requires inspecting (one-time) the sides of the front and rear wood spars for compression cracks on certain American Champion Aircraft Corp. (ACAC) Model 8GCBC airplanes, and repairing or replacing any wood spar with compression cracks. This AD requires repetitively inspecting the front and rear wood spars for damage, including installing any necessary inspection holes; and repairing or replacing any damaged wood spar. Damage is defined as cracks; compression cracks; longitudinal cracks through the bolt holes or nail holes; or loose or missing nails. This AD results from in-flight wing structural failure on one of the affected airplanes that was in compliance with the one-time inspection requirement of AD 87-18-09, plus 4 other ACAC Model 8GCBC accidents and 11 service difficulty reports (SDR's) of compression cracked spars. The actions specified by this AD are intended to detect compression cracks and other damage in the wood spar wing, which, if not corrected, could eventually result in in-flight structural failure of the wing with consequent loss of the airplane.

Airworthiness Directives; American Champion Aircraft Corporation Models 8KCAB, 8GCBC, 7GCBC, 7ECA, 7GCAA, and 7KCAB Airplanes

This amendment supersedes Airworthiness Directive (AD) 96-03- 11, which currently requires the following on American Champion Aircraft Corporation (American Champion) Models 8KCAB, 8GCBC, 7GCBC, and 7ECA airplanes that are equipped with metal spar wings: inspecting (one-time) the wing front strut attach fittings for cracks, scratches, or surface deformities; replacing any wing front strut attach fitting with cracks, scratches, or surface deformities; and reporting the inspection results to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This action results from reports submitted as a requirement of the existing AD that reference 24 fittings with cracks, scratches, or surface deformities on 7 different airplanes, and the FAA's determination that improved wing front strut attach fittings (developed by American Champion) are not susceptible to cracks, scratches, or surface deformities. This action requires installing removable inspection hole covers for the wing front strut attach fittings, and replacing the wing front strut attach fittings with fittings of improved design. The action also provides the provision of repetitively inspecting the wing front strut attach fittings (provided no cracks, scratches, or surface deformities are found) if parts have been ordered but are not available. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent structural failure of a wing caused by cracked wing front strut attach fittings, which, if not detected and corrected, could result in loss of control of the airplane.

Airworthiness Directives; American Champion Aircraft Corporation Models 8KCAB, 8GCBC, 7GCBC, and 7ECA Airplanes

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to American Champion Aircraft Corporation (American Champion) Models 8KCAB, 8GCBC, 7GCBC, and 7ECA airplanes that are equipped with metal spar wings. This action requires inspecting (one time) the wing front strut fittings for cracks or scratches, replacing any wing front strut fittings found cracked or scratched, and reporting the inspection results to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Fatigue cracks found on the wing front strut fittings on two Model 8KCAB airplanes prompted this action. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent structural failure of a wing assembly caused by cracked or scratched wing front strut fittings, which, if not detected and corrected, could result in loss of control of the airplane.