WASHINGTON – The U.S. government is seeking a $2.4 million fine against Textron Inc.’s Cessna unit after a 7-foot wing section tore off of a Corvalis, a high-performance propeller plane, during a test flight.
Cessna workers at a plant in Chihuahua, Mexico, used an unapproved method to build the plane’s carbon-fiber wings and untrained employees signed off on the work, according to a Federal Aviation Administration letter released last week.
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The investigation found that the wings and other carbon parts had been assembled in a humid environment, which weakened the glue that held the carbon fibers together. Although Cessna was aware that the plant had humidity problems one year before the accident, the probe found “no evidence” that workers had checked humidity levels to make sure they met FAA requirements.
“Quality control is a critical part of the aircraft manufacturing process and has to detect problems before planes leave the factory,” FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a statement. “Manufacturers have to ensure that all the details are followed all of the time.”
An FAA test pilot was flying a Corvalis TT, a new model of the four-seat plane, on Dec. 6, when a section of the carbon skin over the left wing peeled off, allowing fuel to stream out of the wing’s tank, the letter said.
The failure could have caused the wing to break apart in flight, according to a Dec. 17 FAA emergency safety directive, which was issued to ground the Corvalis and similar models.
The wings on 13 Corvalis planes and 82 other parts built at the plant didn’t meet FAA standards, the letter said. The company has since made improvements at its production facility, the FAA said in an e-mailed statement.
“We are committed to working closely with the FAA on this matter, which has been isolated to 13 aircraft,” said Doug Oliver, a Cessna spokesman. “We will continue working with the FAA until it is resolved.”
The company has 30 days to challenge the proposed fine.
Cessna touts the Corvalis as a high-performance private plane that can fly up to 1,400 miles at cruising speeds up to 270 miles per hour. It also can reach altitudes up to 25,000 feet with its oxygen system, according to Cessna’s website.
Cessna no longer produces the Corvalis TT, Oliver said.
