{"id":"F2006B03226","name":"AD/B747/45 - Aft Pressure Bulkhead Damage","slug":"ad-b747-45-aft-pressure-bulkhead-damage","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":42624,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B03226-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/B747/45 - Aft Pressure Bulkhead Damage","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 747 Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\nAD/B747/45 Aft Pressure Bulkhead Damage 2/86\n\nDM\n\n \n\nApplicability: All models.\n\n \n\nRequirement: Action in accordance with the technical requirements of FAA AD 85-22-12. Compliance:               Prior to 20 December 1985.\n\nBackground: The manufacturer has received reports of aft bulkhead damage and repairs which are unairworthy.\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":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, time-bound safety directive with a single, specific purpose. It has not expanded beyond its original intent — to mandate inspection and repair of aft pressure bulkhead damage on Boeing 747 aircraft by a specific deadline."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short document (approximately 150 words)","No defined terms section — relies entirely on external reference to FAA AD 85-22-12","No conditional logic or nested exceptions","Single, unambiguous applicability clause ('All models')","Simple command structure: identify problem, cite external standard, set deadline","No cross-references to other Australian legislation beyond basic enabling authority (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, Part 39)"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — essentially a mandatory safety order — issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for all models of **Boeing 747 aircraft**.\n\n**What it does:**\n- Requires airlines and aircraft operators to inspect and repair damage to the **aft pressure bulkhead** — a critical structural wall at the rear of the aircraft that helps maintain cabin pressure during flight.\n- The directive references a specific American safety order (FAA AD 85-22-12), meaning Australian operators must follow the technical steps laid out by the US Federal Aviation Administration.\n\n**Why it matters:**\n- The manufacturer (Boeing) had received reports of damage and substandard repairs to this bulkhead that were deemed **\"unairworthy\"** — meaning they could compromise flight safety.\n- A failure of the aft pressure bulkhead can be catastrophic. A famous 1985 Japan Airlines crash involving a Boeing 747 was caused by exactly this type of structural failure, killing 520 people.\n\n**Who must comply:**\n- All operators of Boeing 747 series aircraft in Australia.\n- **Deadline:** Before 20 December 1985 (this was an urgent, time-critical safety fix).\n\n**In short:** This was an emergency safety instruction forcing airlines to fix potentially deadly structural problems on their 747s before a specific deadline."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The directive retains a narrow operational scope: it applies to all Boeing 747 series aeroplanes and requires compliance with the technical requirements of FAA AD 85-22-12 by the stated deadline. The source provides no indication that the CASA directive expands or narrows the FAA AD’s technical scope; it adopts the FAA technical requirements as the compliance standard and cites manufacturer reports as the basis for the action (Applicability; Requirement; Background; Compliance)."},"complexity_factors":["Directive applies to all Boeing 747 models, creating a broad compliance population (Applicability).","Text does not contain technical procedures; it requires following an external FAA AD (Requirement), so implementers must obtain and apply a second document.","Fixed and near-term compliance deadline (prior to 20 December 1985) creates scheduling pressure for inspections and repairs (Compliance).","Background cites manufacturer reports of damage and unairworthy repairs, but the directive itself does not quantify prevalence or specify inspection intervals, increasing reliance on the external AD for detail (Background; Requirement).","Potential operational disruption from taking aircraft out of service to comply, which operators must manage and fund (Requirement; Compliance)."],"plain_english_summary":"CASA requires all Boeing 747 series aircraft to comply with FAA Airworthiness Directive 85-22-12 by 20 December 1985, making the FAA AD’s inspections, repairs or modifications mandatory for Australian operators.  \n\nThe rule targets owners/operators because of reported aft pressure-bulkhead damage and allegedly unairworthy repairs; they must obtain the FAA AD, arrange and pay for work, and may face aircraft downtime and administrative burden to demonstrate compliance."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-b747-45-aft-pressure-bulkhead-damage","history":"/api/acts/ad-b747-45-aft-pressure-bulkhead-damage/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-b747-45-aft-pressure-bulkhead-damage/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-b747-45-aft-pressure-bulkhead-damage/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-b747-45-aft-pressure-bulkhead-damage/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-b747-45-aft-pressure-bulkhead-damage/documents"}}