AD 95-04-03 requires a repetitive dye penetrant inspection of the wing front spar carry-through structure on affected Beechcraft Bonanza and Debonair 33, 35, and 36 Series airplanes. The inspection follows Beech Mandatory Service Bulletin No. 53-2360. The first one must be done before the airplane reaches 1,500 total flight hours (or at the next scheduled inspection if already past that mark), and then repeated every 500 flight hours. Miss the interval and the aircraft is not airworthy.1eCFR. 14 CFR 39.7 – What Is the Legal Effect of Failing to Comply With an Airworthiness Directive?
Which Airplanes Are Affected
The directive covers a broad slice of the Beech Aircraft Corporation (later Raytheon) piston single fleet.2Federal Register. Airworthiness Directives: Beech Aircraft Corporation 33, 35, and 36 Series Airplanes Check your airframe’s serial number against these ranges from the referenced service bulletin:
- Debonair/Bonanza 33 Series: Models 35-33, 35-A33, 35-B33, 35-C33, E33, F33, and G33 (Serials CD-1 through CD-1304); Models 35-C33A, E33A, and F33A (Serials CE-1 through CE-1192); Models E33C and F33C (Serials CJ-1 through CJ-179).
- Bonanza 35 Series: Models H35, J35, K35, M35, N35, P35, S35, V35, V35A, and V35B (Serials D-4866 through D-10403).
- Bonanza 36 Series: Models 36 and A36 (Serials E-1 through E-2397); Models A36TC and B36TC (Serials EA-1 through EA-471).
If your serial falls in one of those ranges, the AD applies regardless of how the airplane is used. Confirm against the full effectivity list in the AD itself through the FAA’s online Regulatory and Guidance Library at drs.faa.gov.3FAA. Where Can I Find Airworthiness Directives?
What the Inspection Involves
The FAA issued this AD because cracks were developing in the wing front spar carry-through frame, the structural member that ties the wings through the fuselage. An earlier one-time inspection under AD 92-08-07 did not catch the problem on aircraft where cracks kept recurring, so AD 95-04-03 replaced it with a repeating cycle.4FAA. Airworthiness Directives Final Rules: 95-04-03
The actual task is a dye penetrant inspection of the forward carry-through spar web. Following Service Bulletin 53-2360, a mechanic disconnects the battery, removes the pilot and copilot seats and the carry-through cover, cleans the forward and aft frame webs in the mapped areas, performs a visual check, then applies visible dye penetrant to reveal cracks the eye cannot see. The specific areas to inspect are identified in Figure 1 of the service bulletin.
This is not owner-performed preventive maintenance. An A&P mechanic or an appropriately rated repair station has to do the work.5eCFR. 14 CFR 43.3 – Persons Authorized to Perform Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Rebuilding, and Alterations
When the Inspection Is Due
The compliance schedule depends on where the airframe sits on the tach:
- Under 1,500 total flight hours: first inspection before reaching 1,500 hours.
- Already over 1,500 flight hours: inspection at the next scheduled inspection.
- After a clean inspection: repeat every 500 flight hours.
- After a doubler repair: no re-inspection of the repaired area until 1,500 hours after doubler installation, then every 500 hours.
The AD has been in force since April 7, 1995, so virtually every affected airplane cleared the 1,500-hour threshold long ago. In practice, what owners track today is the 500-hour repetitive interval. Let it lapse and the airplane cannot legally fly until the inspection is completed.1eCFR. 14 CFR 39.7 – What Is the Legal Effect of Failing to Comply With an Airworthiness Directive?
If Cracks Are Found
The corrective action depends on where the crack is and how long it is. The service bulletin sets separate deadlines for each scenario:
- Crack in the bend radius, up to 4.0 inches: stop-drill the crack ends and install the applicable P/N 36-4004 doubler kit within the next 100 flight hours, 12 calendar months, or the next scheduled inspection, whichever comes first.
- Crack in the bend radius, over 4.0 inches: install the doubler kit before further flight.
- Crack in the web face near huckbolt fasteners: install the doubler kit within 25 flight hours, 12 calendar months, or the next scheduled inspection, whichever comes first.
- Web face crack passing through two fasteners and extending more than 0.5 inch beyond on either end: repair before further flight.
- Cracks in both forward and aft frames on the same side, with any crack over 1.0 inch: repair before further flight.
In every case the fix is a doubler from the P/N 36-4004 kit, installed to reinforce the cracked spar web. Some scenarios allow limited continued flight to the shop; others ground the airplane on the spot. Accurate crack measurement is what separates the two.
What It Costs
The FAA’s original 1995 estimate for each repetitive inspection ran roughly $300 to $400.4FAA. Airworthiness Directives Final Rules: 95-04-03 Three decades of labor-rate inflation have pushed today’s shop bill higher, and the actual number depends on local rates and how much interior disassembly and reassembly your shop books for the job.
If the inspection turns up cracks, add the doubler kit. Parts suppliers have listed the P/N 36-4004 kit at around $1,765, though stock for a part this old can be inconsistent. Labor to install the doubler is on top of that. Budget for a possible repair at every inspection interval, because catching cracks at 500-hour checks is the entire point of the AD.
Maintenance Record Requirements
The owner or operator is responsible for keeping the airplane airworthy, and that includes current AD compliance records.6eCFR. 14 CFR 91.403 – General Each compliance entry needs the AD number (95-04-03), the method of compliance, and the AD’s revision date. Because this AD recurs, the entry also has to state the time and date when the next inspection is due.7eCFR. 14 CFR 91.417 – Maintenance Records
Missing or unclear entries cause real problems at annuals and pre-buy inspections. If the last 500-hour inspection is not clearly documented, the airplane will be treated as non-compliant until the inspection is repeated.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Flying an aircraft that does not meet an applicable AD violates 14 CFR 39.7.1eCFR. 14 CFR 39.7 – What Is the Legal Effect of Failing to Comply With an Airworthiness Directive? The FAA can pursue certificate action against a pilot who knowingly operates a non-compliant airplane, up to suspension or revocation. Civil penalties under federal law can reach up to $75,000 per violation for entities and up to $10,000 for individuals, depending on how the violation is classified.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 USC 46301 – Civil Penalties The safety case is the more important one: the AD exists because the FAA documented cracks in the structure that holds the wings on.
Requesting an Alternative Method of Compliance
If a different inspection technique or a different timeline would give an equivalent level of safety, you can propose an Alternative Method of Compliance.9eCFR. 14 CFR 39.19 – May I Address the Unsafe Condition in a Way Other Than That Set Out in the Airworthiness Directive? Send the proposal to your principal inspector, who forwards it with comments to the manager of the Aircraft Certification Office identified in the AD. If you do not have a principal inspector, send it directly to that manager. Do not use the alternative until the manager approves it in writing. An unapproved workaround counts as non-compliance.
Where to Find the Full AD and Service Bulletin
The complete AD text, including the full effectivity list, is available through the FAA’s online document system at drs.faa.gov. Search by AD number (95-04-03) or by make and model.3FAA. Where Can I Find Airworthiness Directives? You also need a current copy of Beech Service Bulletin No. 53-2360 for the inspection procedure, crack measurement criteria, and repair instructions. Owners who belong to type clubs such as the American Bonanza Society can usually pull the service bulletin from the club’s document library.