Waiex Tail Service Bulletin.. WTF!

[142YX]

FYI:

This Mandatory Service Notice details the addition of 3 aluminum structural components to the Waiex Tail/Fuselage attachment.
Download: WIX-SB-001_drawing.pdf

History:
Sonex Aircraft, LLC conducted a design review applying a different design load criteria than was originally defined and complied with in FAR part 23. As a result of this review the design team determined this Service Notice of Modification was necessary to enhance and ensure the continued safety of the Waiex fleet.

Warning:
All Waiex Aircraft flights done without complying with this Service Notice are AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Service Parts:
Sonex Aircraft, LLC is sending all Waiex Kit Customers the parts necessary to install this structural upgrade at no cost as soon as possible.

http://www.sonexaircraft.com/support/se ... etins.html
http://www.sonexaircraft.com/documents/ ... rawing.pdf



Whelp, at least Sonex will be sending us the parts at no cost.. still impressed by their customer service.

[MichaelFarley56]

Have you attached your tail yet? If not, it should be easy to add the needed parts. If the tail is on but the bottom not on yet it shouldn't be too bad. But yeah, it's a pain. We've been told that the stock tail is more than likely sufficient in terms of strength, but better safe than sorry.

[sonex892]

Here is the link to the preliminary investigation of the accident.

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief ... 1705&key=1

Steve
Sonex 892

[N111YX]

My hope is that I can find out why this mod is needed before I have the time to perform it.

[142YX]

Jesus.. i have not heard about that accident until now. It's going to be hard waiting for more details on this one.

[fastj22]

Make sure you have signed up for sonex service bullitens on their website. We got notified of this a few weeks ago via email.

[142YX]

I guess i need to stay more in touch with Sonex.. i check the website several times per week hoping to see more first flight photos and whatnot.. but they don't exactly broadcast stuff like this on their homepage. I am so infrequent about checking the yahoo groups that this completely passed me by. I went ahead and signed up for the technical update mailing list.. hopefully i wont miss the next one (hopefully there won't be a next one).

[Andy Walker]

Make sure you have signed up for sonex service bullitens on their website. We got notified of this a few weeks ago via email.

I'm signed up, they must have only sent this to Waiex builders/owners. Probably they are not anxious for this to become a big PR fiasco.

[Jonathan McGee]

I guess this explains why the tail kit I ordered in November (the day after that report was posted) missed its ship date. (Hi, I'm new here.)

I admit to having seen that report and waiting rather impatiently for the final conclusions.

[Andy Walker]

There are quite a few Waiex flying...I wonder why this issue took so long to come to light. Does anyone know what the most number of hours on a Waiex are? I think Kip has over 400; if this is a vibration/flex/fatigue issue, it might just now be manifesting in some planes.

I'm frankly surprised at how fast Sonex got a fix out there, that accident was only a month ago. I'm also surprised at how strongly worded the SB is...instead of the usual "we have great confidence in the design, but you should do this" it read more like "do this NOW or we wash our hands of the outcome." I'd have to guess they found something they *really* didn't like in the additional Waiex load testing they did following the accident. :(