Do Piper airplane hoses have to be replaced at 20 years? Significant and important discussion on whether there’s a requirement.
Q I have 1999 Saratoga II TC and have been told by my AMO that all the hoses have a 20-year manufacturer’s life limit and the hoses need to be replaced now at a cost of $7,489! Apparently they are Teflon coated and cannot be made locally. I have 1,400 hours on the plane, which has always been hangared, and the hoses are in perfectly good condition. Am I being sold a story here? Does anyone have experience of this situation?
Tom Pegrume
A I’m sorry but all fluid hoses may not exceed 20-year total time in service no matter the condition. The hoses may look in good condition but may be damaged internally or dried out, which could cause a failure during operations. That is why all fluid hoses have to be changed every 20 years.
Andrew Corso, Piper Aircraft Technical Support Airframe/Powerplant
A If they are not listed on the type certificate as life limited, there is nothing on the type certificate that makes the manufacturer’s maintenance manual (or any other manual) compulsory (Chapter 5 items specifically), and there is no AD calling for replacement, then they are “on condition” per Part 43 Appendix D as long as you’re operating under Part 91.
I’d get a second opinion from a different local IA on the subject, but I’m confident that’s what you’ll find.
Where is the data the IA is citing that causes them to believe they are “life limited”? If not part of an AD or somehow traceable back to the TC, the limit is not compulsory.
Erich Rempert, A&P/IA Consultant
