Here at PFM we understand there is going to be a lot of questions arising in regards to this service bulletin and we are here to help. I have read through all the documents and made a quick summary on what you should expect for the future of your Piper aircraft. I encourage you to read this and also take a look at the original documents for yourself. As the FAA makes its final decision please feel free to email us if you would like any more information.

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The Piper service bulletin 1372, released April 3, 2024, addresses the continued service and airworthiness of wings spars in various PA-28 and PA-32 aircraft. The SB outlines the requirements for monitoring, modifying, and, replacement of these spars in accordance with timeframes set by Piper. The aircrafts affected by this SB are divided into 2 groups. Group 1 being most of the Warrior, Cadet Archer, Piper Pilot, 180/200 Arrows. Group 2 being the Cherokee 235, Arrow III 201, Turbo Arrow III, Arrow IV, and Turbo Arrow IV. The SB outlines the compliance times divided into 4 parts shown below.

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Part I - Records Review & Calculated Service Hours

              Determine what tier your aircrafts falls in for the inspections intervals by Calculating 100hrs and total TIS

Part II - Bolt Hole Inspection

              Perform an eddy current inspection and reinspect at intervals outlined in the AD

Part III - Bolt Hole Repair

              If "non-crack" damage is found, repair by oversizing the holes, re-inspecting and installing over sized bolts. Once this is complete, inspected and documented satisfactorily, resume inspection intervals outlined in Part II

Part IV - Spar Modification or Replacement

             If spars reach a certain CSH or fail inspection they must either be modified with a reinforcement kit or replaced. This Step must be completed either when unrepairable damage is discovered or prior to 17,500 Total CSH for Group 1 Unmodified Spars or Completely replaced by 25,000. Group 2 spars must be replaced prior to 12,000 Total CSH. Spars can not be modified and must be replaced for all Group 2 aircraft and PA-28R180 Arrow, PA-28R-200 Arrow/Arrow II.

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AD-2024-00033-A outlines the possible changes that could come for calculating the CSH and instead of requiring certain serial numbers be compliant to require all aircraft with similar construction comply with the SB. It also covers the estimate to perform the spar modification or replacement. The AD estimates $20,150 per spar including parts and man hours to modify the spar. While the other option is total spar replacement, estimated $14,383 per spar, the availability of the new spars is expected to be low and with long lead times. ​

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Service Bulletin 1423A released May 13th, 2025 provides instruction for inspecting wing aft spar-to-fuselage attachment hardware. The reason for this service bulletin is to prevent recurrent loosening of the aft spar attachment bolts. An off-torque check must be performed; if the off-torque test fails the bolt holes must be checked for being out-of-round. We intend to perform these check and make necessary repairs in conjunction with the main spar modification AD above.​