Airworthiness Directives; Cessna Aircraft Company Models 401, 401A, 401B, 402, 402A, and 402B Airplanes

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Cessna Aircraft Company (Cessna) Models 401, 401A, 401B, 402, 402A, and 402B airplanes. This AD requires an inspection of the auxiliary wing spar near the location where the main landing gear trunnion is mounted for cracks; immediate replacement if cracks of 0.5 inch or more are found; repetitive inspections with replacement at a later time as long as cracks of less than 0.5 inch are found; and a report to the FAA and Cessna if any cracks are found. This AD results from several reports of fatigue cracking on the affected airplanes in the auxiliary wing spar. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct such cracks, which, if not corrected, could result in failure of the wing auxiliary spar web and cause landing gear collapse during normal landing. This could lead to loss of control and passenger injury.