Cessna 150 and 152 Elevator Attachments: Hardware and SAIB CE-17-12

Cessna 150/152 elevator-attachment research concerns the security, identity and condition of the hardware joining the elevator to its supporting structure. The retained safety-information record identifies worn, loose or incorrect hardware, with corrosion as a possible contributor. It references FAA SAIB CE-17-12 and SID 55-10-01, making this a more specific question than a general review of tail corrosion.

Close view of stripped metal skin at the tail of Cessna 150H N23103 — Tail-area skin on Cessna 150H N23103 at Elstree. The photograph documents a visible surface; it does not diagnose corrosion or structural condition. Photo: Alec Wilson from Hampton-in-Arden, United Kingdom · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized, WebP.

Hardware identity and hardware condition

A part can be the correct type and still be worn or loose. Conversely, hardware that appears tidy may not be the correct specified item. The local issue record keeps those concerns together because a useful inspection must connect what is fitted with the applicable parts and maintenance information. It also records a serious reported consequence involving elevator separation or reduced pitch control.

Known issues research records
Reference family	Issue ID	Category	Title	Failure Mode	Affected Scope	Applicability Class	Severity	Operational Consequence	Detection / Prebuy Clues	Maintenance / Mitigation	Legal / OEM Status	Primary Source Ref	Reference	Prebuy Priority	Confidence	Notes
Cessna 150	KI-002	Empennage / Controls	Elevator attach hardware wear, looseness or incorrect hardware	Elevator hinge/attach bolts and hardware may loosen, wear or be incorrect; corrosion may contribute.	Broad 150/152, A150/A152, Argentine and Reims serial ranges in FAA SAIB CE-17-12.	FLEET / MODEL	CRITICAL	In-flight elevator separation/reduced pitch controllability has been reported.	Inspect attach points/hardware for correct parts, security, wear and condition; inspect records for SID 55-10-01.	Follow SID 55-10-01 / SAIB recommendations and replace worn/incorrect hardware with approved parts.	FAA SAIB - informational/recommended	CE-17-12	[1]	CRITICAL	HIGH	SAIB is not an AD, but the failure consequence is high.
Cessna 152	KI-002	Empennage / Controls	Elevator attach hardware wear, looseness or incorrect hardware	Elevator hinge/attach bolts and hardware may loosen, wear or be incorrect; corrosion may contribute.	Broad 150/152, A150/A152, Argentine and Reims serial ranges in FAA SAIB CE-17-12.	FLEET / MODEL	CRITICAL	In-flight elevator separation/reduced pitch controllability has been reported.	Inspect attach points/hardware for correct parts, security, wear and condition; inspect records for SID 55-10-01.	Follow SID 55-10-01 / SAIB recommendations and replace worn/incorrect hardware with approved parts.	FAA SAIB - informational/recommended	CE-17-12	[1]	CRITICAL	HIGH	SAIB is not an AD, but the failure consequence is high.

Table sources:

[1] Supporting source for known issues

The broad affected scope includes Cessna, Aerobat, Argentine and Reims identities covered by the safety information. It should be read with the source's exact applicability rather than converted into a new serial list. The table is an index to the concern and its documentation, not a parts specification or a complete inspection checklist.

A SAIB is not an AD

The publication type identifies this as informational or recommended FAA safety material. That is different from an airworthiness directive. A high-consequence failure description does not change the publication into an AD, and the absence of an AD number does not make the physical condition irrelevant to a prebuy inspection.

For record review, keep the publication identity beside the work entry. A log may refer to the SAIB, to the SID, or to a specific maintenance task. Determine what work the entry actually describes instead of treating those references as interchangeable labels. The AD research hub explains the separate applicability and compliance questions for regulatory records.

Another view of Cessna 150D D-EBNY, showing the cabin-to-tail outline. This aircraft illustrates the D generation rather than all early models. Photo: Huhu Uet · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0. Resized, WebP.

Elevator attachment versus other tail concerns

The elevator is part of the pitch-control system. Vertical-fin fittings, rudder horn structure and stabilizer nutplates have separate locations and evidence trails. The tail-attachment guide collects those other concerns. Grouping everything under “tail inspected” can obscure which attachment points were actually addressed.

Use the flight-control architecture to orient the research, then the correct maintenance illustrations to identify the attachment detail. This is especially important when repair or replacement history has changed the components since the aircraft's original build.

Useful evidence for a buyer

Ask for entries identifying the relevant attachment inspection or hardware replacement and the instructions used. Compare those entries with any recorded elevator removal, repair or replacement. An old inspection entry documents work at that time; it does not establish the present condition after subsequent service or maintenance. Unclear hardware identification and unexplained gaps should remain explicit questions for the inspecting mechanic, rather than being resolved from a photograph or a general statement that the controls feel normal.

Cessna 152 II D-EVUW at Portimão Airport — Cessna 152 II D-EVUW at Portimão. Visible airframe features provide context for the 152 family. Photo: Robbie Klinkenberg · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized, WebP.

Bulletin identity and regulatory status

The EASA CE-17-12 record identifies a U.S. safety information bulletin dated 12 May 2017. It does not provide an AD effective date. Keep that source type visible when discussing elevator attachment concerns: a useful safety bulletin is not automatically an airworthiness directive.

For a prebuy discussion, identify the source, affected location and records needed to investigate the concern. Then distinguish any applicable directive from other maintenance or inspection information. This avoids turning a combined list of concerns into an unsupported assertion that every item imposes the same regulatory requirement on every Cessna or Reims variant.