Twin Commander Empennage Cracking Concern
The FAA received numerous reports of empennage fuselage station (FS) and vertical stabilizer skin cracking on numerous models of Twin Commander Aircraft. The FAA previously issued Airworthiness Directive (AD) 95-13-02 to require inspections of the empennage FS 409 frame and adjacent vertical stabilizer exterior skin to prevent failure of the vertical stabilizer due to cracks, which if not detected and corrected, could result in loss of control of the airplane. Twin Commander Aircraft Corporation Service Bulletin 218 provided terminating action to AD 95-13-02 through modifications to the airplane empennage FS 409 frame and adjacent vertical stabilizer exterior skin. The FAA