{"id":"F2006B02629","name":"AD/B727/106 - Main Landing Gear Support Link","slug":"ad-b727-106-main-landing-gear-support-link","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":41945,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B02629-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/B727/106 - Main Landing Gear Support Link","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-generator: Aspose.Words for .NET 22.10.0\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)  Boeing 727 Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\nAD/B727/106 Main Landing Gear Support Link 3/89\n\nApplicability: All models listed in Boeing SB 727-32-306.\n\n \n\nRequirement: Action in accordance with the requirements of FAA AD 88-24-01 paras A, B and C. Compliance:               In accordance with the Requirement document.\n\nBackground: There have been reports of corrosion and cracking of the support link shaft, failure of which, could cause damage to the wing and/or hydraulic system.\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 \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","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument confines its scope to the Boeing 727 models listed in Boeing SB 727-32-306 and makes compliance conditional on following FAA AD 88-24-01 paras A–C (Applicability; Requirement). Nothing in the text indicates an expansion or narrowing of scope compared with that stated applicability and requirement: it simply adopts the FAA AD requirements for the specified models and cites corrosion/cracking of the support link shaft as the rationale (Background)."},"complexity_factors":["Short instrument that cross-references an external technical document (FAA AD 88-24-01 paras A–C) — requires obtaining and applying that external text to understand concrete steps.","Technical subject matter (structural component corrosion/cracking and landing gear systems) requires specialised maintenance knowledge to implement.","Limited procedural detail within the AD itself (the AD delegates specifics to the FAA document), increasing administrative steps and potential for misinterpretation.","Clear regulatory mandate with little apparent discretion — compliance is binary (follow the FAA AD or not), but enforcement and acceptable alternatives are not described in this text.","Applicability is bounded by a separate service bulletin (Boeing SB 727-32-306), so determining whether an individual aircraft is affected requires cross-referencing that bulletin."],"plain_english_summary":"What this instrument does (mechanically)\n\n- It is an Airworthiness Directive issued under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Schedule of Airworthiness Directives that requires specific action for certain Boeing 727 aeroplanes (see header and Applicability).\n- The AD tells operators to carry out the inspections/repairs/modifications set out in FAA Airworthiness Directive 88-24-01, paragraphs A, B and C. The AD makes compliance with that FAA AD a mandatory requirement under this Australian directive (Requirement; Compliance).\n\nWho is affected\n\n- Aircraft owners and operators of the Boeing 727 models listed in Boeing Service Bulletin 727-32-306 (Applicability).\n- Maintenance organisations and engineers who perform the required inspections and repairs.\n\nWhy it matters (stated reason and practical effect)\n\n- The background provided states there have been reports of corrosion and cracking of the main landing gear support link shaft; failure of that shaft could cause damage to the wing and/or to the hydraulic system (Background).\n- Mechanically, the AD forces operators to undertake whatever inspections and corrective actions FAA AD 88-24-01, paras A–C specify, which are intended to detect and fix corrosion/cracking before it leads to structural or hydraulic damage (Requirement).\n\nWho pays, who decides, and how behaviour changes\n\n- Who decides: the Civil Aviation Safety Authority issued the AD and has tied compliance to the content of FAA AD 88-24-01 (header; Requirement).\n- Who pays: costs of inspections, repairs, parts, labour and any aircraft downtime fall on the aircraft owners/operators (implicit from the Requirement to carry out the FAA AD work and from normal maintenance allocation of costs to operators).\n- Behaviour change required: operators must obtain and follow FAA AD 88-24-01 (paras A–C), schedule and perform inspections/repairs per that AD, and record compliance as required by aviation maintenance and regulatory practice (Requirement; Compliance).\n\nCosts, incentives, trade-offs and implementation notes\n\n- Direct costs: inspections, any required replacement or repair of the support link shaft, and aircraft out-of-service time. Those are borne by operators and their maintenance providers (Requirement; Compliance).\n- Safety incentive: by mandating inspections/repairs the AD reduces the risk of in-service failure of the support link shaft; the background states the specific failure modes (corrosion/cracking) and the potential consequences (wing or hydraulic damage) (Background).\n- Trade-offs and opportunity costs: operators must allocate maintenance resources and downtime to comply, which may defer other uses of the aircraft or other maintenance tasks.\n- Compliance burden and implementation risk: the AD relies on a separate FAA document (FAA AD 88-24-01 paras A–C) for the specific technical steps. That cross-reference concentrates the technical detail outside this short instrument, so operators must obtain and interpret the FAA AD to know precise actions and intervals; this raises administrative steps and potential for misinterpretation if operators do not follow the referenced document exactly (Requirement; Compliance).\n- Discretion: the directive itself imposes a mandatory requirement to act ‘‘in accordance with’’ the FAA AD paragraphs cited. That phrasing leaves limited regulatory discretion to vary or omit the FAA-prescribed steps absent further amendment or approval (Requirement).\n\nReference to source sections\n\n- Applicability: \"All models listed in Boeing SB 727-32-306.\" (Applicability)\n- Requirement: \"Action in accordance with the requirements of FAA AD 88-24-01 paras A, B and C.\" (Requirement)\n- Compliance: \"In accordance with the Requirement document.\" (Compliance)\n- Background: reports of corrosion and cracking of the support link shaft; possible damage to wing and/or hydraulic system. (Background)\n"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, single-issue airworthiness directive from 1989 (as indicated by '3/89') addressing a specific mechanical defect. It has not expanded beyond its original purpose of ensuring the structural integrity of the main landing gear support link on Boeing 727 aircraft."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short document (under 200 words)","No defined terms section — relies entirely on external references","Single operational requirement: comply with external FAA directive","No conditional logic, exceptions, or nested provisions","Simple structure: Applicability → Requirement → Compliance → Background"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — essentially a mandatory safety order — issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for **Boeing 727 aircraft**.\n\n**What it does:**\n- Requires owners and operators of all Boeing 727 models covered by Boeing Service Bulletin 727-32-306 to inspect and fix a specific problem with the **main landing gear support link**.\n- The directive references a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) order (AD 88-24-01, paragraphs A, B, and C), meaning Australian operators must follow the American safety requirements.\n\n**Why it matters:**\n- The support link shaft on these aircraft has been found to suffer from **corrosion and cracking**.\n- If this part fails, it could damage the wing structure and/or the hydraulic systems — potentially leading to loss of control or a serious accident.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Anyone operating Boeing 727 aircraft in Australia that fall within the specified models.\n- Maintenance organisations servicing these aircraft.\n\n**What must be done:**\n- Inspections and any necessary repairs must be carried out exactly as specified in the referenced FAA document, and within the timeframes set out in that document."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-b727-106-main-landing-gear-support-link","history":"/api/acts/ad-b727-106-main-landing-gear-support-link/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-b727-106-main-landing-gear-support-link/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-b727-106-main-landing-gear-support-link/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-b727-106-main-landing-gear-support-link/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-b727-106-main-landing-gear-support-link/documents"}}