53-21-01: Wing Rear Spar Attachment Bolt
FAA order 53-21-01 is an airworthiness directive. The FAA's subject line: Wing Rear Spar Attachment Bolt. It names Dehavilland DHC-2: about 255 aircraft on the U.S. register today, though an order usually covers particular versions or serial numbers rather than every one. System: airframe structure.
What it applies to as the FAA lists it
- Kind of product
- Aircraft
- Makes
- Viking Air Limited
- Models
- DHC-2 Mk.I, DHC-2 Mk.II, DHC-2 Mk.III
- On this site
- Dehavilland DHC-2 255 registered
Dates and paperwork
- Docket
- Unknown
- Status
- Current
- The FAA's document
- Read the order on the FAA's site
The order itself the regulatory text, as published
Show the full text (1,353 characters)
53-21-01 de HAVILLAND: Applies to All Model DHC-2 (Beaver) Aircraft.
Compliance required as indicated.
Several cases have been reported where mechanics in the field upon assembling DHC-2 wings to fuselage have installed extra washers, packing, etc., to the rear spar wing bolt in order to take out any end play. It should be pointed out that a clearance is purposely provided in this fitting as the rear wing attachment is not designed to take drag loads.
All Beaver aircraft should be inspected as soon as possible but not later than December 1, 1953, to see that no washers, bushings, etc., have been installed in this fitting and if found they should be removed immediately.
In assembling the wing to fuselage, the front spar must be attached and then the rear wing bolt should be installed. It is quite normal that the rear spar wing fitting should not touch either inboard side of the fuselage fitting, but in most cases the wing fitting is almost against the forward side. The gaps in the fittings front and rear should not be packed with washers or spacers.
The FAA concurs in this mandatory action by the Canadian Department of Transport.
(de Havilland Technical News Sheet, Series B, No. 67, dated August 31, 1953, available from de Havilland Aircraft of Canada, Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, covers this same subject.)
Related safety bulletins advice on the same designs, not orders
2018-11-21SW-18-31 · NAVIGATION, ATTITUDE, AND DIRECTION DATA SYSTEM
2005-11-18CE-06-10 ·
2003-05-14CE-03-36 ·
Source: FAA Dynamic Regulatory System, airworthiness directives. The FAA's document is the authority; the register counts are this site's, from the FAA register of November 6, 2026. Connections as data: /graph/directive/53-21-01.json · aircraft systems.
