In a situation reminiscent of the dilemma JetStar owners face, a substantial number of Cessna 441 Conquest II twin turboprops could be grounded come September unless modifications are made to the contents and administration of a Cessna program designed to deal with aging-aircraft issues. Cessna, independent service centers, engineering firms and aircraft owners are all examining ways to keep that from happening, but there are significant problems relating to the new Special Inspection Documents (SID) Cessna introduced last June (Revision 16 to the maintenance manual for the 441). The challenges operators encounter as they attempt to comply with the SID could portend what is to come as more OEMs develop aging-aircraft inspection programs (AAIPs).
The Conquest SID calls for all 441s to undergo a substantial and costly initial inspection by September 1, imposes additions to existing phase inspections and limits the aircraft’s useful life to 22,500 hours. At first glance, the mandatory grounding of non-complying 441s seems to apply only to Part 135 charter operators, but a significant number of those aircraft operating under Part 91 could also be affected, depending on their insurance and other requirements. Industry sources told AIN that number could be as high as 90 percent. Approximately 320 of the 362 Cessna 441 Conquest IIs built between 1977 and 1986 remain in service worldwide. The average airframe time of the 441 fleet is 8,000 hours and the typical aircraft flies 294 hours per year, but a few high-time operators in Australia have run up against the life limit and CASA has grounded those airplanes.
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