Seat Tracks

Planesmen

Hey Gang!

I have a question about the seat tracks on a PA32-300 S/N:32-40934. There is an unused seat track attached to the spar cap. It is attached via screws and nuts to the top of the spar. I got a little nervous seeing holes in any spar cap. I can not find this track shown in the Parts, Maintenance, or Aircraft manual. 

-Is this track supposed to be here & if so what is the purpose of this seat track?

Thanks!

Planesmen

Here are a few additional photo's. These were taken looking up at the bottom of the spar top cap. This is how the seat track is attached.

empannin

Who drilled that hole in the last pic??? I believe the attachments you are looking at are for the 7th seat that fits between the middle seats.

The 7th seat is only available with forward facing middle seats and I think the alternative is also a small cooler (for forward facing and club seating)

I don't think the 7th seat was that popular - it is really a small child size seat.

planewrench

planesmen, do some good checking, , thats seems VERY non standard. I have never seen anything attached to the main spar caps.. Find mech or IA that has some moxy on research. Carl

Planesmen

Thanks for the reply's. After some deep searching, the seat track should NOT be there. No idea who did the installation or when it was done. Right now we are trying to figure out what to do with the aircraft. The spar cap has 10 1/4" holes in it that do not belong.

Right now I'm thinking our options are:

1-Have a structural DER run a report on it and see if it has been compromised & can be repaired.

2-Replace the spar. Know of any shops that have the capability to do such a repair?

I am open to any other option y'all might have.

planewrench

Wow, good phots thanks. As someone that does NDT as part of my work, i dont have any warm fuzzies on what you have there.. Consider yourself fortunate that the spar has not failed you at this point. From what i see in the phots, you are looking at a carry thru r and r. Ide like to be wrong but getting a DER to bless may be a issue.

Carl

empannin

Planesmen, sorry to hear the news. Agree with your conclusion and Carl's that this is not right.

Eric

planewrench

Also, if the one phot is accurate, looks like the upper wing spar cap strip was nicked with the drill too?? Not good. You may have a case for insurance job, especially if you can not find any fingers on who did this work. I feel for you, this is sad commentary on many levels of work. carl

Scott Sherer

Here's a comment from our A&P Erich Rempert:

This is a timely one!

That looks like a rail to attach quick release cargo hold downs to. Is there something similar in the back of the cabin?

If it’s mounted to the spar cap with non standard holes and fasteners I’d look through the paperwork for a log entry, 337, and possibly STC. If none of that exists and you are struggling with the approval basis and worried about the structural integrity, you may need to involve engineering.

Piper would be one way to go, they would probably take the longest, be the most costly, and likely be the most restrictive. Hiring a private DER to look at it and write up an analysis would be quicker, less expensive, and have a better chance of justifying the mod as is, or coming up with a reasonable repair.

(A DER’s report or engineering data from Piper would be the approved data you would cite for either approving the the mod or it’s repair on a 337.)

I just did a pre buy on a Navion and found some non-standard access panels that seriously compromised the structure of the wings… ANY time someone approaches an aircraft with a drill, grinder, or saw they should be absolutely sure what they’re about to do is necessary, appropriate, and legal. 

You can do very costly “permanent” damage in under a minute without thoughtful consideration before taking action. We’ve all heard the analogy of the guy who taps the ship’s engine to get it fixed and charges $50,000 for 10 minutes of his time… Paying for experience can be a bargain! Don’t be penny wise and dollar foolish with maintaining your airplane.

~Erich Rempert, IA Consultant

Unit74

FYI, Piper engineering is a non-starter. They are not supporting customer based engineering projects anymore. They published a notice to customers a few months ago.

planewrench

Scott and Eric, what he has there is beyond engineering help. That is NOT a stc install. Carl

Scott Sherer

Okay, thanks.

empannin

Hi,

I am not sure I would bother with the engineering work. It is going to be time consuming, frustrating, expensive, will always leave you wondering in rough air and cloud the future value of the plane at re-sale.

I found this video on center spar replacement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6_TEcdx_jI

Here is their website: I would suggest contacting them directly. I am sure you are not the first customer where someone prior did something dumb with the center spar/carry-thru. I think they could repair this by removing wings, removing center carry thru, replacing spar cap and the nicked part, and then re-installing. This would not be damage history either. Everything wrong was completely replaced with new. It might even add to value since they are fully inspecting a critical area.

https://www.airframecomponents.com/