{"id":"F2006B02305","name":"AD/AL 60/9 - Centre Elevator Hinge Bearing Assembly - Inspection","slug":"ad-al-60-9-centre-elevator-hinge-bearing-assembly-inspection","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":41535,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B02305-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/AL 60/9 - Centre Elevator Hinge Bearing Assembly - Inspection","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-description: CASA Airworthiness Directive\nmeta-generator: Aspose.Words for .NET 22.10.0\nmeta-keywords: Issue 3/1965,Aircraft below 5700 kg,Aermacchi - Lockheed AL 60 Series Aeroplanes,Centre Elevator Hinge Bearing Assembly - Inspection,9\ntitle: Airworthiness Directive - AD/AL 60/9 - Centre Elevator Hinge Bearing Assembly - Inspection\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\nCOMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY\n\nSCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES\n\n \n\n![](image.001.png)  Aermacchi - Lockheed AL 60 Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\nAD/AL 60/9 Centre Elevator Hinge Bearing Assembly - Inspection\n\nApplicability: Models AL 60 and AL 60B with Serial Nos. prior to 60/6240. Document:  Aermacchi Lockheed 60 SB No. 11.\n\nCompliance: At intervals not exceeding 25 hours’ time in service after 1 September 1971.\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n\n3/65\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based on the text provided, the directive's scope is narrowly defined and limited to AL 60 and AL 60B aircraft with serial numbers prior to 60/6240 and to a single required action (inspection of the centre elevator hinge bearing assembly at intervals not exceeding 25 hours TIS). The instrument refers operators to a specific service bulletin for procedural detail. There is no indication in the provided text that the applicability, inspection interval, or required procedure has been broadened or narrowed from an earlier or original intent within this document."},"complexity_factors":["Single, narrow technical requirement (inspection of one component).","Clear, fixed compliance interval (≤25 hours TIS) and effective date (1 September 1971).","Precise applicability limited to two models and serial numbers prior to 60/6240.","Procedure delegated to a single referenced service bulletin (Aermacchi Lockheed 60 SB No. 11) rather than embedded requirements.","Regulatory placement under Part 39 gives it mandatory force but does not add procedural complexity in the text supplied."],"plain_english_summary":"Summary\n\n- What this instrument does, mechanically:\n  - It imposes a mandatory inspection requirement on a specific aircraft component: the centre elevator hinge bearing assembly. The required procedure is those set out in Aermacchi Lockheed 60 Service Bulletin No. 11 (\"Aermacchi Lockheed 60 SB No. 11\"). (Document: Aermacchi Lockheed 60 SB No. 11)\n  - The inspection must be carried out at intervals not exceeding 25 hours’ time in service, starting from 1 September 1971. (Compliance: At intervals not exceeding 25 hours’ time in service after 1 September 1971)\n\n- Who is affected:\n  - Owners and operators of Aermacchi - Lockheed AL 60 and AL 60B aeroplanes with serial numbers prior to 60/6240. (Applicability: Models AL 60 and AL 60B with Serial Nos. prior to 60/6240)\n  - The directive is issued under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority framework (Part 39), so CASA is the issuing authority and administrators of airworthiness rules are the enforcing body. (COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY)\n\n- Why it matters (officially stated rationale and practical mechanics):\n  - The directive requires repeated inspections of a flight-control hinge bearing assembly, which is a structural/control component. The official text does not state accident history or failure modes here; it sets a periodic inspection as a mandatory preventive action. (AD/AL 60/9 Centre Elevator Hinge Bearing Assembly - Inspection)\n\nAnalyst's note on incentives, costs and practical effects (source-grounded):\n\n- Who pays: aircraft owners/operators must arrange and pay for the inspections and any follow-on maintenance identified by the inspection. The directive itself sets the inspection duty. (Applicability; Compliance; Document)\n\n- What decisions change for operators: operators must schedule inspections at or before every 25 hours’ time in service and must follow the procedure identified in the referenced service bulletin. This increases recurring maintenance activity for affected aircraft. (Compliance; Document)\n\n- Compliance burden and timing: the requirement is frequent (every ≤25 flight hours), so aircraft used frequently will face repeated inspection intervals and associated downtime and labour/material costs. The text fixes the interval and the start date (1 September 1971) but does not quantify inspection duration or costs. (Compliance)\n\n- Implementation discretion and document linkage: the directive points operators to a specific manufacturer service bulletin for the inspection procedure (Aermacchi Lockheed 60 SB No. 11). That means the content and detail of the inspection steps, acceptance criteria and corrective actions are delegated to the service bulletin rather than repeated in the directive text. Operators must follow that bulletin to meet the directive. (Document)\n\n- Trade-offs and opportunity costs (mechanics only): complying requires allocating labour, time on the ground, and possibly replacement parts; those are direct costs. The directive does not provide exemptions, alternative methods of compliance, or inspection thresholds in the text provided. (Compliance; Document)\n\n- Enforcement and effect on aircraft operability: because the directive is listed under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority airworthiness directives schedule, it is a mandatory airworthiness requirement for affected aircraft. Non-compliance would affect an aircraft’s airworthy status under the regulatory framework. The text itself does not set out penalties or enforcement procedures, but placement under Part 39 signals regulatory force. (COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39)\n\nCitations: Applicability; Document; Compliance; AD/AL 60/9 heading; Part 39 (Civil Aviation Safety Authority)."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, single-issue airworthiness directive from 1965 (Issue 3/1965) addressing a specific mechanical inspection requirement. It has not expanded beyond its original narrow scope of elevator hinge bearing inspection for this particular aircraft series."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (approximately 150 words)","Only 2 defined applicability criteria (model type and serial number range)","Single compliance requirement with clear time interval (25 hours)","No cross-references to other legislation or complex conditional logic","Straightforward technical reference to manufacturer service bulletin","No exceptions, exemptions, or nested conditions"],"plain_english_summary":"This is a **CASA Airworthiness Directive** — essentially a mandatory safety order issued by Australia's aviation safety regulator. It requires owners and operators of specific **Aermacchi-Lockheed AL 60 series aircraft** (models AL 60 and AL 60B with serial numbers before 60/6240) to **inspect the centre elevator hinge bearing assembly**.\n\n**What you must do:**\n- **Inspect** the centre elevator hinge bearing assembly on affected aircraft\n- **How often:** Every 25 hours of flight time (\"time in service\")\n- **When it started:** From 1 September 1971 onwards\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis directive addresses a potential safety defect in the elevator control system — the part of the aircraft that controls pitch (up and down movement). A faulty hinge bearing could compromise control of the aircraft, so regular inspection prevents accidents.\n\n**Key details:**\n- **Applies to:** Specific Aermacchi-Lockheed AL 60 aircraft (light utility aircraft under 5,700 kg)\n- **Based on:** Manufacturer Service Bulletin No. 11\n- **Compliance:** Mandatory — failure to comply grounds the aircraft"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-al-60-9-centre-elevator-hinge-bearing-assembly-inspection","history":"/api/acts/ad-al-60-9-centre-elevator-hinge-bearing-assembly-inspection/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-al-60-9-centre-elevator-hinge-bearing-assembly-inspection/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-al-60-9-centre-elevator-hinge-bearing-assembly-inspection/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-al-60-9-centre-elevator-hinge-bearing-assembly-inspection/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-al-60-9-centre-elevator-hinge-bearing-assembly-inspection/documents"}}