This Continuing Airworthiness Notice (CAN) is issued to advise operators and maintainers that Aeroprakt Ltd has issued Service Bulletin A32-06, dated 2 December 2019 with instructions to inspect the windscreen fitted on A-32 and A-32L (Vixxen) aircraft for cracks. Aeroprakt considers compliance with the SB mandatory for flight safety reasons.
This Continuing Airworthiness Notice (CAN) is issued to advise operators and maintainers that Aeroprakt Ltd has issued Service Bulletin A32-06, dated 2 December 2019 with instructions to inspect the windscreen fitted on A-32 and A-32L (Vixxen) aircraft for cracks. Aeroprakt considers compliance with the SB mandatory for flight safety reasons.
This CAN is prompted by a report received by the CAA of a number of cracks found in an A-32 aircraft windscreen. Small cracks were found in the curvature of the windscreen on both the LH and RH sides, including cracks that protrude beyond the windscreen attachment strips. For further detail refer to the photos in this CAN.
Two incidents of catastrophic windscreen failure reported to the CAA, one affecting an A-32 aircraft and another affecting an A22LS aircraft, highlights the significant risk that a defective windscreen can present.
The CAA strongly recommends that operators and maintainers of A-32 (Vixxen) aircraft, inspect the windscreen at regular intervals for any indications of cracks.
Aeroprakt A-22 (Foxbat) aircraft have a similar shaped windscreen, so it would be prudent to inspect the windscreen on these aircraft at regular intervals as well.
If an indication of a crack is found, then replace the windscreen, before further flight and report findings to the CAA.
See photo 1 in the PDF: Windscreen LH side – Upper and lower cracks found in an A-32 windscreen. (The location of the two small cracks are between the dots and marked with black arrows).
Note: On this particular aircraft cracks were also found in the same area in the upper RH side of the windscreen, including under the RH side glass attachment strip, when the RH side strip was removed.
See photo 2 in the PDF: Windscreen LH side – Closeup of upper crack found in the A-32 windscreen. (The location of the small crack is between the dots and marked with a black arrow).
