Airworthiness Directives; Short Brothers Model SD3-60 SHERPA Series Airplanes

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to all Short Brothers Model SD3-60 SHERPA series airplanes, that requires an initial cleaning and visual inspection of the distance piece and adjacent side plates of the fuselage wing strut pick-up of the left- and right-stub wings to detect corrosion; rework or replacement of damaged components; and, for certain conditions, follow- on repetitive cleaning and visual inspections of reworked components. This amendment is prompted by issuance of mandatory continuing airworthiness information by a foreign civil airworthiness authority. The actions specified by this AD are intended to detect and correct corrosion of the distance piece and adjacent side plates, which could result in reduced strength of the wing strut attachment to the stub wing on the fuselage, and consequent reduced structural integrity of the main wing.