Airworthiness Directives; The New Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Formerly Piper Aircraft Corporation) PA28 and PA32 Series Airplanes

This amendment supersedes Airworthiness Directive (AD) 76-25- 06, which currently requires replacing oil cooler hoses on The New Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Piper) Model PA28-140 airplanes, and inspecting for a minimum clearance between the oil cooler hose assemblies and the front exhaust stacks and adjusting if proper clearance is not obtained. This action maintains the clearance inspection and oil cooler hose replacements, requires this inspection and these replacements to be repetitive, and extends the applicability to include PA32 series and other PA28 series airplanes. It also provides the option of installing approved TSO-C53a, Type D oil cooler hose assemblies as terminating action for the repetitive inspection requirement. Numerous incidents/ accidents caused by oil cooler hose rupture or failure on the affected airplanes prompted this action. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent these oil cooler hoses from failing or rupturing, which could result in engine stoppage and subsequent loss of control of the airplane.