{"id":"F2005L00070","name":"AD/B747/320 - AFM Limitation - RVSM Operations","slug":"ad-b747-320-afm-limitation-rvsm-operations","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":33449,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2005L00070-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Boeing 747 Series Aeroplanes","sectionType":"division","heading":"Boeing 747 Series Aeroplanes","content":"### Boeing 747 Series Aeroplanes\n\n| AD/B747/320 | AFM Limitation - RVSM Operations | 2/2005 |\n| ----------- | -------------------------------- | ------ |\n\n```html\n

Applicability:

Boeing Model 747-100, 747-100B, 747-100B SUD, 747-200B, 747-200C, 747-200F and 747-300 series aeroplanes together with Model 747SP and 747SR series aeroplanes, having variable numbers listed in Table 1 of this Directive or modified in accordance with FAA Supplemental Type Certificate SA960GL or SA1080EA-D.

Aeroplanes on which either Boeing Service Bulletin (SB) 747-34-2294, dated 25 May 1989, or SB 747-34-2296, dated 1 July 1989, has been accomplished, are excluded from the requirements of this Directive.

Table 1 - Applicable Aeroplanes Listed by Boeing Variable Number

RA521-RA528 inclusive
RA532-RA535 inclusive
RA537-RA548 inclusive
RA671-RA675 inclusive
RA677
RB071-RB075 inclusive
RB601-RB607 inclusive
RB681-RB685 inclusive
RB687
RB690-RB693 inclusive
RB695-RB697 inclusive
RB721-RB723 inclusive
RD055
RD082
RD083
RD221-RD227 inclusive
RD231-RD235 inclusive
RD301
RD302
RD381-RD383 inclusive
RD461
RD601-RD607 inclusive

RD741
RD781-RD783 inclusive
RG173
RG174
RH101
RH102
RJ321
RJ322
RR024
RR025
RR261-RR263 inclusive
RR264-RR267 inclusive
RR361
RR362
RR451
RR522
RR526
RR551-RR556 inclusive
RR566
RS001
RS002
RS211

RS212
RS221
RS222
RS232
RS233
RS235
RS236
RS237-RS241 inclusive
RS251-RS259 inclusive
RS263
RS265-RS268 inclusive
RS292
RS311-RS320 inclusive
RS699
RS701-RS703 inclusive
RS711-RS713 inclusive
RS731
RS732
RS741-RS743 inclusive
RS771
RS786

Requirement:

Revise the Limitations section of the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) to include the following statement. This may be accomplished by inserting a copy of this Directive in the AFM.

\n```\n\n| | \"Operation of the autopilot/flight director in command mode with Performance Management System (PMS) selected on the speed mode switch during cruise in Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) airspace is prohibited.Use of PMS generated airspeeds and autopilot modes (e.g., IAS/ Mach) with manually crew-entered airspeeds (via Mode Selector Panel) are allowed.\" |\n| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |\n| | When a statement identical to that above has been included in the general revisions of the AFM, the general revisions may be inserted into the AFM and the copy of this Directive may be removed from the AFM. |\n| | Note: FAA AD 2004-25-06 Amdt 39-13894 refers. |\n| Compliance: | Within 10 days after the effective date of this Directive. |\n| | This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 17 February 2005. |\n| Background: | This Directive requires revising the AFM to prohibit operation of the autopilot/flight director in command mode with performance management system selected on the speed mode switch during cruise in reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) airspace. |\n| | United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has advised of receiving reports of unexpected autopilot disconnects induced by the passing of another aeroplane within 1,000 feet below the aeroplane while they were operating in RVSM airspace. The Directive is issued to prevent unexpected disconnect of the autopilot during operation in RVSM airspace due to close passage of another aeroplane, which may result in altitude deviation and, consequently, could lead to a possible mid-air collision or a near miss with aggressive evasive action (by either or both aeroplanes). Aggressive manoeuvring at cruise altitudes and airspeeds could result in loss of control of the aeroplane and/or injury to passengers and crew. |\n\n![](image.001.png) \nDavid Punshon \nDelegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority\n\n6 January 2005","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/B747/320","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/B747/320","content":"## AD/B747/320","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"AFM Limitation - RVSM Operations","sectionType":"part","heading":"AFM Limitation - RVSM Operations","content":"## AFM Limitation - RVSM Operations","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"2/2005","sectionType":"part","heading":"2/2005","content":"## 2/2005","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"Table 1 - Applicable Aeroplanes Listed b","sectionType":"division","heading":"Table 1 - Applicable Aeroplanes Listed by Boeing Variable Number","content":"### Table 1 - Applicable Aeroplanes Listed by Boeing Variable Number","sortOrder":4}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This Directive is narrowly focused and stays within the original safety-driven purpose: to prevent unexpected autopilot disconnects in RVSM cruise that could cause altitude deviation. It does not expand the regulator's scope beyond that narrow operational restriction. The Directive offers an exclusion for aeroplanes modified by two specific Boeing Service Bulletins and permits replacement of the inserted text with identical general AFM revisions, but those are implementation details rather than an expansion of intent."},"complexity_factors":["Applicability requires cross-referencing a long Table 1 of Boeing variable numbers (many discrete ranges and individual entries).","Exclusion clause for aeroplanes that have accomplished two specific Boeing Service Bulletins (SB 747-34-2294 or SB 747-34-2296).","Single operational prohibition with a narrowly worded technical exception (PMS-generated airspeeds allowed when manually entered via Mode Selector Panel).","Operational scope limited to RVSM cruise conditions—requires pilots/operators to apply the limitation only in that flight phase and airspace.","Short compliance window (10 days) for AFM amendment, which raises immediate administrative and training actions.","Cross-reference to an FAA AD (2004-25-06) for the underlying safety reports—creates an external normative link operators may consult."],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanics)\n\n- Adds a limitation to the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) for specified Boeing 747 models (listed by Boeing variable number in Table 1). See the \"Applicability\" table for the exact variable-number ranges and the two specific model series covered. Aeroplanes that have had Boeing Service Bulletin (SB) 747-34-2294 or SB 747-34-2296 performed are excluded from this Directive (Applicability).\n\n- The required AFM insertion is a single operational restriction (Requirement):\n - \"Operation of the autopilot/flight director in command mode with Performance Management System (PMS) selected on the speed mode switch during cruise in Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) airspace is prohibited.\"\n - The Directive allows use of PMS-generated airspeeds and autopilot modes (e.g., IAS/Mach) when the airspeed is manually entered by the crew via the Mode Selector Panel.\n - The Directive may simply be inserted into the AFM as a copy; when the AFM’s general revisions include an identical statement, that general revision may replace the inserted copy.\n\n- Compliance timing: operators must revise the AFM within 10 days of the Directive’s effective date (Compliance).\n\n- Cross-reference: the Directive notes the related FAA AD 2004-25-06 (Note).\n\n**Who it affects\n\n- Airlines and other operators of the specific Boeing 747 variants named in Table 1, and their flight crews and maintenance/continuing-airworthiness organisations (Applicability).\n- Aircraft already modified per the two Boeing Service Bulletins named are not required to comply with this Directive (Applicability).\n\n**Why it matters (stated rationale and mechanical effects)\n\n- Stated purpose: the FAA reported incidents where an autopilot unexpectedly disconnected after another aeroplane passed within about 1,000 feet below while both were in RVSM airspace. The Directive says that such unexpected autopilot disconnects can lead to altitude deviations. Those deviations create a risk of near-collision or aggressive evasive manoeuvring, which could in turn cause loss of control or injury (Background).\n\n- Mechanical effect on operations: pilots must not use the autopilot/flight director in \"command mode\" when the PMS is selected on the speed-mode switch while cruising in RVSM. In practice this restricts a particular automated speed / autopilot combination; crews may continue to use PMS-derived speeds if they manually enter the airspeed on the Mode Selector Panel. That changes cockpit procedures: either a different autopilot/speed-mode combination must be used in RVSM cruise, or the crew must manually set the airspeed when using PMS-derived values.\n\n**Costs, incentives, trade-offs and implementation issues (testing the stated purpose)\n\n- Who pays: operators bear the direct compliance costs (revising the AFM within 10 days; issuing the revised AFM to crews; updating procedures and any associated crew guidance/training). If an operator changes operational practice to avoid the prohibited mode, there may be indirect costs in crew workload and (potentially) in-flight efficiency—for example, switching modes or manual speed entry can alter how the autopilot manages speed/trim and may affect fuel use or handling. The Directive text does not quantify those costs (Requirement; Compliance; Background).\n\n- Who decides and enforces: the regulator (Civil Aviation Safety Authority via this AD) mandates the AFM change; operators decide how to change procedures and train crews; aircrew must follow the new AFM limitation.\n\n- Implementation risk and compliance burden: the Directive requires a quick amendment (10 days). That tight deadline requires operators to update documentation rapidly and ensure flight crew are briefed. The AD allows a temporary insertion of the Directive into the AFM (Requirement) until a formal AFM revision containing the same statement is available.\n\n- Operational trade-offs: the Directive restricts a specific autopilot/PMS speed-mode combination in RVSM cruise. That reduces the allowed automation choices available to pilots in cruise RVSM airspace; the operator must select alternate autopilot/speed-mode procedures (which may increase manual intervention or different autopilot logic). The Directive permits manual crew entry of PMS speeds, which preserves the ability to use PMS-derived speed information but shifts the final control input to the crew.\n\n- Concentration of benefits and diffuse costs: the safety benefit (reduced risk of unexpected autopilot disconnects in RVSM and the consequential altitude deviations) is concentrated on flight safety across the affected fleet. The costs (AFM amendment, procedural updates, crew briefing, and possible small operational impacts) are borne by the operators of the specified 747 variants. There is no indication in the Directive text of broader market effects or of measures that would materially advantage particular operators.\n\n- Alternatives and substitution effects: the AD excludes aeroplanes that have already had certain Boeing Service Bulletins performed—those modifications (SB 747-34-2294 or SB 747-34-2296) are an available retrofit path to avoid the AFM limitation. Operators therefore face a choice: perform the SB modification (if viable) and be exempt, or accept the AFM limitation and adapt procedures. The Directive itself does not mandate the SB, it only recognizes the SBs as an exclusion (Applicability).\n\n- Bureaucratic discretion: the AD prescribes a firm AFM statement and a 10-day compliance window. It allows replacement of the inserted Directive with general AFM revisions containing an identical statement; beyond that the Directive leaves operational details (how to change procedures, training, or whether to pursue SB modification) to operators and Boeing/maintenance organisations.\n\n**Concrete behavioural changes required\n\n- Update the AFM within 10 days to include the prohibition language (Requirement; Compliance).\n- Flight crews must not operate autopilot/flight director in command mode with PMS selected on the speed-mode switch during cruise in RVSM airspace; instead they may use PMS-generated speeds only if they manually enter those speeds (Requirement).\n\n**Authority citation and background source\n\n- The Directive cites FAA AD 2004-25-06 (Note) and records FAA-reported incidents as the safety basis (Background). The Directive’s text and timing are administrative actions by the regulator to implement that operational restriction for the listed Australian-registered (or operated in Australia) 747 variable-numbered aeroplanes.**"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, targeted safety directive addressing a specific technical issue with specific aircraft configurations. The scope remains tightly focused on the original safety concern regarding autopilot behaviour in RVSM operations for affected Boeing 747 variants."},"complexity_factors":["Highly technical aviation-specific terminology throughout (e.g., 'Performance Management System', 'command mode', 'variable numbers', 'Supplemental Type Certificate')","Extensive cross-referencing to external documents: FAA AD 2004-25-06, Boeing Service Bulletins SB 747-34-2294 and SB 747-34-2296, FAA Supplemental Type Certificates SA960GL and SA1080EA-D","Complex applicability criteria combining aircraft models, specific variable number ranges (63 separate ranges listed in Table 1), modification status, and service bulletin exclusions","Nested conditions: applicability depends on model AND (variable number OR modification) AND NOT (service bulletin accomplished)","Specific compliance mechanism allowing alternative methods (insert copy vs. general revision) with conditional removal provision"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — essentially a mandatory safety order issued by Australia's aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).\n\n**What it does:**\nIt forces airlines and aircraft operators to update the flight manual for specific Boeing 747 aircraft. The update bans pilots from using a particular autopilot setting (\"command mode with Performance Management System selected on the speed mode switch\") when flying in **RVSM airspace** — that's Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum airspace, where planes fly just 1,000 feet apart vertically instead of the usual 2,000 feet.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Operators of specific Boeing 747 models (747-100, 747-200, 747-300, 747SP, and 747SR series)\n- Only aircraft with specific \"variable numbers\" listed in Table 1, or those modified under two specific FAA certificates\n- Aircraft that already had certain Boeing service bulletins installed are exempt\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThe FAA (America's aviation regulator) received reports of autopilots unexpectedly disconnecting when another plane passed underneath within 1,000 feet in RVSM airspace. An unexpected autopilot disconnect at cruise altitude could cause the plane to deviate from its assigned height, risking a mid-air collision or forcing sudden evasive manoeuvres that could injure passengers or cause loss of control.\n\n**What operators must do:**\nWithin 10 days of 17 February 2005, they must insert this restriction into their Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM). They can do this by physically putting a copy of this Directive in the manual, or by updating the manual's general revisions."},"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-b747-320-afm-limitation-rvsm-operations","history":"/api/acts/ad-b747-320-afm-limitation-rvsm-operations/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-b747-320-afm-limitation-rvsm-operations/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-b747-320-afm-limitation-rvsm-operations/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-b747-320-afm-limitation-rvsm-operations/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-b747-320-afm-limitation-rvsm-operations/documents"}}