{"id":"F2005L02823","name":"AD/B737/217 Amdt 1 - Reinforced Flight Deck Door Decompression Panel","slug":"ad-b737-217-amdt-1-reinforced-flight-deck-door-decompression-panel","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":37756,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2005L02823-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Boeing 737 Series Aeroplanes","sectionType":"division","heading":"Boeing 737 Series Aeroplanes","content":"### Boeing 737 Series Aeroplanes\n\n| AD/B737/217 Amdt 1 | Reinforced Flight Deck DoorDecompression Panel | 11/2005 |\n| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------- | ------- |\n\n| Applicability: | Model 737-200, -300, -400, -500, -600, -700, -800, and -900 series aircraft, modified by Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) ST01335LA. |\n| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Requirement: | Action in accordance with the technical requirements of FAA AD 2005-12-05 Amdt 39-14121. |\n| Compliance: | As specified in the Requirement document, with a revised effective date of27 October 2005. |\n| | This Amendment becomes effective on 27 October 2005. |\n| Background: | The FAA received several reports of incidents involving the reinforced flight deck door on certain Model 737-300, -500, and -800 aircraft. In these incidents, slamming the flight deck door caused the decompression latch to release and the decompression panel in the door to open. This Directive requires modification of the upper and lower pressure relief latch assemblies.Amendment 1 is issued in response to a new FAA AD, which was prompted by reports of discrepancies with the reinforced flight deck door. The actions required by this Directive are intended to prevent inadvertent release of the decompression latch and consequent opening of the decompression panel in the flight deck door, or penetration of the flight deck door by smoke or shrapnel, any of which could result in injury to the aircraft flight crew. This Directive also requires detecting and correcting wire chafing, which could result in arcing and consequent fire. |\n\n![](image.001.png) \nDavid Villiers \nDelegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority\n\n15 September 2005","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/B737/217 Amdt 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/B737/217 Amdt 1","content":"## AD/B737/217 Amdt 1","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"Reinforced Flight Deck DoorDecompression","sectionType":"part","heading":"Reinforced Flight Deck DoorDecompression Panel","content":"## Reinforced Flight Deck Door \nDecompression Panel","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"11/2005","sectionType":"part","heading":"11/2005","content":"## 11/2005","sortOrder":3}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a standard airworthiness directive with a narrow, specific safety purpose. It addresses exactly what it set out to address — a known mechanical defect in a specific aircraft modification. No scope creep is evident."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (under 300 words)","Only 1 defined term (STC - Supplemental Type Certificate, explained in the text)","No cross-references to other Australian legislation","Single compliance requirement: follow the FAA directive","No conditional logic or nested exceptions","Straightforward applicability criteria (specific aircraft models with specific modification)"],"plain_english_summary":"This FAA Airworthiness Directive mandates fixes and inspections for certain Boeing 737 (-200 to -900) aircraft modified with a specific reinforced cockpit door (STC ST01335LA). It requires correcting a flaw that can release a decompression latch and cause the cockpit panel to open if the door is slammed, and inspecting/repairing any wire chafing that could spark a fire. Affects owners/operators of the modified airplanes; compliance per FAA AD 2005-12-05 by 27 October 2005."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This Amendment updates the original Directive by adopting a newer FAA AD and explicitly adding requirements to detect and correct wire chafing, in addition to modifying the upper and lower pressure‑relief latch assemblies. The instrument remains narrowly focused on preventing inadvertent decompression‑panel release and wiring faults, but expands the compliance tasks (hardware modification plus wiring inspections) and clarifies the effective date. It also applies to the set of 737 series aircraft identified as being modified by STC ST01335LA; compared with the Background narrative (which references incidents on certain 737‑300, ‑500 and ‑800 aircraft), the published \"Applicability\" list in the Directive is broader across 737 series models, so the amendment has modestly broadened operational scope and the set of operators who must comply."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow technical scope: single safety issue (flight deck decompression latch and wiring) affecting a specific STC (ST01335LA)","Single external cross‑reference: requires compliance with FAA AD 2005-12-05 Amdt 39-14121 rather than reproducing full technical text","Limited conditionality: applicability restricted to listed 737 models modified by the named STC","Few internal definitions or exceptions in the Australian text (no multi‑layered exceptions or multiple compliance pathways)","One amendment action: revised effective date (27 October 2005) and addition of wire‑chafing detection requirement","Dependence on external technical documents increases practical complexity for operators (must obtain and follow FAA AD for procedural detail)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanics)\n\n- Requires operators of certain Boeing 737 series aeroplanes that have been modified by Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) ST01335LA to carry out the corrective actions set out in FAA Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2005-12-05 (Amendment 39-14121). The Australian Directive adopts the FAA technical requirements and sets a revised effective date of 27 October 2005. (See: \"Applicability\", \"Requirement\", \"Compliance\".)\n\n- The work required is a hardware modification to the flight deck (cockpit) door: modification of the upper and lower pressure‑relief latch assemblies, and inspections to detect and correct wire chafing. The Directive is triggered only for aircraft of the listed 737 model series that have the specific STC modification. (See: \"Applicability\", \"Background\".)\n\n**Why the rule was issued (stated rationale)\n\n- The FAA reported incidents where slamming the reinforced flight deck door caused the decompression latch to release and the decompression panel to open, or where wiring chafing could lead to arcing and fire. The stated safety objective is to prevent inadvertent opening of the decompression panel (which could injure crew) and to prevent wire‑related arcing and fire. (See: \"Background\".)\n\n**Who is affected and who pays\n\n- Directly affected: owners and operators of Model 737-200/ -300/ -400/ -500/ -600/ -700/ -800/ -900 aircraft that have been modified by STC ST01335LA. The obligation sits with those operators to perform or procure the required modifications/inspections.\n\n- Costs fall on those operators: parts, labour, aircraft downtime, and any follow‑on repairs discovered by inspections (e.g. wiring). Maintenance organisations or third‑party repair stations will receive the work and the associated revenue.\n\n**Practical implementation notes, incentives and trade-offs\n\n- The Directive mechanically adopts an FAA directive by cross‑reference; it does not reproduce the full technical procedure in this text. Operators must follow the FAA AD document for detailed steps and compliance times. This shifts reliance to an external (US) technical standard.\n\n- Trade‑offs: the immediate cost and aircraft out‑of‑service time are the principal burdens. The safety benefit is concentrated (flight crew protection) while the compliance cost is concentrated on the affected operators.\n\n- Compliance burden and risk: the operator must schedule the modification and inspections; incorrect or incomplete work could leave the underlying hazard. Detection of wiring chafing may reveal additional maintenance issues, increasing repair scope and cost.\n\n**Implementation discretion and market effects\n\n- The Directive is prescriptive (must follow the FAA AD); little regulator discretion remains in how compliance is achieved beyond following the technical instructions. Market effects are limited and narrow: maintenance providers who can perform the specific modification gain business; larger operators with in‑house capability may absorb costs more easily than smaller operators.\n\n**Source‑stated purpose vs. practical costs and risks\n\n- The source states the purpose is safety (prevent decompression panel opening and wiring arcing). Practically, that purpose is achieved by mandating a hardware change and inspections. Costs are borne by operators of STC‑modified aircraft; enforcement is mechanical (follow FAA AD). The main implementation risks are correct technical execution, availability of parts/qualified maintenance, and any downstream repairs discovered by inspections.\n\n(References within the instrument: \"Applicability\", \"Requirement\", \"Compliance\", \"Background\".)"},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-b737-217-amdt-1-reinforced-flight-deck-door-decompression-panel","history":"/api/acts/ad-b737-217-amdt-1-reinforced-flight-deck-door-decompression-panel/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-b737-217-amdt-1-reinforced-flight-deck-door-decompression-panel/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-b737-217-amdt-1-reinforced-flight-deck-door-decompression-panel/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-b737-217-amdt-1-reinforced-flight-deck-door-decompression-panel/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-b737-217-amdt-1-reinforced-flight-deck-door-decompression-panel/documents"}}