{"id":"F2006B01837","name":"AD/A109/6 - Swashplate Bearing","slug":"ad-a109-6-swashplate-bearing","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":41035,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B01837-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/A109/6 - Swashplate Bearing","content":"COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 \\- 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY\n\nSCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES\n\n![](image.001.png)  \nAgusta A109 Series Helicopters\n\nAD/A109/6 Swashplate Bearing 9/86\n\nApplicability: All models A109A and A109AII.\n\nRequirement: Action in accordance with Agusta B.T. No. 109-56. Compliance: Part I of the Requirement Document:\n\nWithin 50 hours’ time in service after 30 September 1986 and thereafter at intervals not exceeding 50 hours’ time in service.\n\nPart II of the Requirement Document:\n\nFor aircraft with more than 600 hours total time in service as at 30 September 1986. Within 100 hours’ time in service after 30 September 1986 or before\n\n30 November 1986 whichever occurs first. Thereafter at intervals not exceeding 600 hours’ time in service or 2 years whichever occurs first.\n\nBackground: Investigation after roughness in operation of swashplate has revealed evidence of overheating, lack of grease and corrosion traces.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This Airworthiness Directive remains tightly focused on its original purpose: addressing a specific mechanical defect in a specific helicopter model series. The scope has not expanded beyond the swashplate bearing issue identified in the original safety investigation."},"complexity_factors":["Single mechanical component targeted (swashplate bearing)","Only two applicability categories based on flight hours (under 600 vs over 600 hours)","Simple time-based compliance schedule (hours in service or calendar dates)","No defined terms section, no cross-references to other legislation","Single background paragraph explaining the safety rationale","Total length: approximately 150 words"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive** — a mandatory safety order issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for specific helicopters.\n\n**What it does:**\nOrders owners and operators of **Agusta A109A and A109AII helicopters** to inspect and maintain the **swashplate bearing** — a critical component that helps control the helicopter's rotor blades.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nInvestigations found these bearings were failing due to overheating, lack of grease, and corrosion. If the swashplate bearing fails, the pilot could lose control of the helicopter.\n\n**Who must comply:**\nAnyone operating these specific helicopter models in Australia.\n\n**What must be done:**\n- **Part I:** Inspect the bearing every **50 hours of flight time** (starting from 30 September 1986)\n- **Part II (for older helicopters with 600+ flight hours):** Complete an initial inspection within **100 flight hours or by 30 November 1986** (whichever comes first), then inspect every **600 flight hours or 2 years** (whichever comes first)\n\n**In short:** This is a \"fix it or ground it\" safety rule to prevent helicopter crashes caused by a specific mechanical defect."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The AD consistently targets swashplate bearing maintenance for Agusta A109A and A109AII helicopters to address overheating, lack of grease and corrosion (Background; Applicability). It prescribes mandatory actions by reference to Agusta B.T. No. 109-56 and sets the initial and recurring compliance intervals (Requirement; Compliance). There is no indication within this document that the AD’s substantive scope or the population it covers was altered from its stated purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Separate compliance regimes (Part I and Part II) with different time thresholds and intervals.","Mandatory reference to an external technical document (Agusta B.T. No. 109-56) rather than containing all technical steps in the AD.","Fixed, short recurring interval in Part I (every 50 hours) that can increase operational scheduling complexity.","Different deadline mechanism in Part II (either within 100 hours or before a calendar date, whichever occurs first) adding a dual trigger for compliance.","Requirement applies only to specific helicopter models (A109A and A109AII), so fleet-specific tracking is necessary."],"plain_english_summary":"This AD mandates scheduled maintenance and inspections of the swashplate bearing on Agusta A109A and A109AII helicopters per Agusta B.T. No. 109-56, with firm initial and recurring time windows. Issued after evidence of overheating, lack of grease and corrosion, it affects owners/operators and maintenance providers, who must comply within the stated intervals and bear the associated costs, parts and downtime."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-a109-6-swashplate-bearing","history":"/api/acts/ad-a109-6-swashplate-bearing/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-a109-6-swashplate-bearing/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-a109-6-swashplate-bearing/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-a109-6-swashplate-bearing/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-a109-6-swashplate-bearing/documents"}}