Date: 05 June 2013

Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA)

FAA MCAI INFORMATION FORM

To: Federal Aviation Administration, USA

Aircraft Certification Service

Federal Aviation Administration

Aircraft Manufacturer/Model ECAA AD/Revision No./Date Service Bulletin/Revision No./Date

Pilatus / PC-6/B2-H4 EASA AD No.: 2013-0115-E N/A, Only Pilatus Approved Design Data

i.e. Repair Memos and Statement of Approved

Design Data (SADD) will be issued

1. Describe the unsafe condition, AND its root cause. Include description of how the problem could affect 

the safe operation of the airplane.

A report has been received that rivets with insufficient shear (about 50% shear allowable) were delivered 

from the supplier to Pilatus. Investigations revealed that the faulty rivets were already installed in various 

airframes and spare parts during the production process.

2. Provide the number and description of occurrences which prompted the AD.

A single Pilatus Quality Notification was received reporting that metric rivets received from the supplier 

FISHER-NIETEN AG in September 2010 were to soft and can only achieve about 50% of the shear 

allowable. The rivets were not used by the Pilatus Maintenance Organisation (MO), but the batch was 

spread within Pilatus, Eratipa and Kälin-Aircraft Structure.

3. What is the compliance time and consequences if extended? What would be considered an appropriate 

grace period for compliance?

The immediate requirement is that the affected aircraft (MSNs) are grounded with immediate effect, 

except to conduct a ferry flight under limited flight conditions to a repair station. The single ferry flight can 

be performed after the aircraft passed the inspection as defined in § 2.2 of the Pilatus PC-6 

TM-06-000004. The ferry flight conditions are detailed in § 2.3 of Pilatus PC-6 TM-06-000004.

4. Cost of parts and/or installation workhours for the owner/operator (data from the manufacturer and their 

supplier, if applicable)

Costs and work hours cannot be defined as it depends on how a particular MSN or spare part is affected.

Pilatus will define the required inspection(s) per affected MSN or spare part, together with the approved 

repair instructions.

5. If parts are required, are they available for all aircraft?

Yes

6. What category best describes the cause of the unsafe condition:

Design Problem Quality Control Problem Operational

Maintenance Unapproved Parts Other (Specify)

7. Should a ferry flight be permitted? If no, why not?

Yes No

8. Number of aircraft affected, by model designation and serial number (U.S. registered and worldwide)

Fifteen PC-6/B2-H4 aircraft (MSNs), 735, 863, 909, 923, 948, 956, 958, 977, 978, 979, 980, 981, 982, 

985 and 986 are affected worldwide requiring an inspection and if required a repair as defined in the 

Pilatus Approved Repair Design Data, whereof 0 aircraft is in the USA.

In support of the FAA’s actions to address your country’s 

mandatory continued airworthiness information (MCAI) in the 

United States, please provide the items highlighted below, if 

not contained in the referenced airworthiness directive (AD) 

or service information.
Date: 05 June 2013

Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA)

9. Is further action anticipated to be necessary to correct this unsafe condition? If so, please provide 

description and recommended compliance time.

N/A

10. Other: