FAA Proposed Airworthiness Directive: Pitch Trim Actuator Inspections on Ontic/M7 Aerospace SA226/SA227 Series Airplanes

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a new Airworthiness Directive (AD) targeting specific turboprop aircraft models originally designed by Fairchild/Swearingen and whose type certificate is now held by Ontic Engineering and Manufacturing, Inc. (formerly M7 Aerospace LLC). The affected models include the SA226-T, SA226-AT, SA226-T(B), SA226-TC, SA227-AC (C-26A), SA227-AT, SA227-BC (C-26A), SA227-CC, SA227-DC (C-26B), and SA-227-TT (300) series. The directive was prompted by reported in-flight failures of the pitch trim actuator — a critical flight control component responsible for adjusting the aircraft's longitudinal trim. Failures in this system can compromise safe flight and landing, constituting an unsafe condition that the FAA is obligated to address. Under the proposed AD, operators would be required to repetitively inspect the pitch trim actuator for cracked, missing, or compromised sealant, and to replace and reseal the actuator if any such defects are found. Additionally, operators must repetitively measure pitch trim actuator travel time, and replace and reseal the actuator if travel time measurements fall outside acceptable parameters. The proposed rule also includes a prospective prohibition: installation of any pitch trim actuator that has not been properly sealed will be forbidden. This AD, once finalized, would be mandatory for all affected aircraft operators in the United States and those operating under FAA type certificates internationally.

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