Airworthiness Directives; Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A., Models EMB-110P1 and EMB-110P2 Airplanes

This amendment supersedes Airworthiness Directive (AD) 87-03- 10, which currently requires repetitively inspecting the fillet area of both the left and right main landing gear (MLG) wheel axle/piston tube support junction area for cracks on Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A. (EMBRAER) Models EMB-110P1 and EMB-110P2 airplanes, and requires replacing any MLG wheel axle/piston tube assembly where a crack is found. AD 87-03-10 also provided the option of reworking this area when no cracks were found as terminating action for the repetitive inspections. The Federal Aviation Administration's policy on aging commuter-class aircraft is to eliminate or, in certain instances, reduce the number of certain repetitive short-interval inspections when improved parts or modifications are available. This AD requires the following on EMBRAER Models EMB 110-P1 and EMB 110-P2 airplanes that do not have an ``R'' stamped on both the left and right MLG wheel axle/ piston tube assembly end-piece: inspecting (one-time) the fillet area of each MLG wheel axle/piston tube support junction area to assure that the area is free of cracks, replacing any MLG wheel axle/piston tube assembly if a crack is found, and reworking this area on both the left and right MLG's, as terminating action for the repetitive inspections that are currently required by AD 87-03-10. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent failure of the MLG wheel axle/piston tube assembly caused by fatigue cracking, which could result in loss of control of the airplane during landing operations.