{"id":"F2006B03235","name":"AD/B747/54 Amdt 1 - Flap Track Bolts","slug":"ad-b747-54-amdt-1-flap-track-bolts","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":42659,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B03235-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/B747/54 Amdt 1 - Flap Track Bolts","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/B747/54\n\nAmdt 1\n\n\nFlap Track Bolts 13/87\n\n \n\nApplicability: All models with line numbers 001 to 632, except 747SP aeroplanes. Requirement:  Action in accordance with Boeing Alert SB 747-57A2234 R1.\n\nNote: FAA AD 86-18-06 refers.\n\n \n\nCompliance: As detailed in the Requirement Document.\n\n \n\nBackground: This Amendment revises the Compliance statement to incorporate a 5000 flight cycle inspection threshold in accordance with the manufacturers SB.\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":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The Amendment revises the Compliance statement to incorporate a 5,000 flight-cycle inspection threshold in accordance with the manufacturer’s Service Bulletin. The applicability to line numbers 001–632 (excluding 747SP) remains as stated; the substantive change is the added inspection threshold in the Compliance requirements (Background; Applicability; Compliance)."},"complexity_factors":["References external documents (Boeing Alert SB 747-57A2234 R1) for the technical steps required (Requirement)","Relies on an external Compliance/Requirement Document for timing and procedural detail (Compliance)","Introduces a numeric inspection threshold (5,000 flight cycles) that must be operationally tracked by operators (Background)","Limited detail in the AD text itself — technical specificity is delegated, increasing dependency on the referenced SB","Applicability carve-out (excludes 747SP) requires operators to check line-number applicability"],"plain_english_summary":"This airworthiness directive (AD) applies to Boeing 747 series aeroplanes with line numbers 001 to 632, excluding 747SP models (Applicability). Mechanically, it requires operators to carry out the actions set out in Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 747-57A2234 R1 (Requirement). The Compliance statement for the AD has been revised to incorporate a specific inspection threshold of 5,000 flight cycles, as stated in the Background. The AD refers to an FAA AD for related context (Note).\n\nWhat this means in plain terms:\n\n- Who must act: Operators/owners of the affected Boeing 747 aeroplanes identified in the Applicability must follow the Boeing Alert Service Bulletin named in the Requirement. The AD is issued under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority schedule of airworthiness directives (header). \n- What must be done: Perform the inspections and any corrective action exactly as set out in Boeing Alert SB 747-57A2234 R1 and within the time or threshold set out in the Compliance/Requirement documents (Requirement; Compliance). The amendment explicitly adds a 5,000 flight-cycle inspection threshold to the Compliance requirements (Background). \n- Who pays and bears the burden: Aircraft operators pay for carrying out the inspections, any repairs or replacements required by the Service Bulletin, and any related downtime. The AD makes compliance an obligatory regulatory step for affected aeroplanes (Applicability; Requirement; Compliance). \n- How it is enforced: Compliance is to be performed “as detailed in the Requirement Document” (Compliance), i.e. operators must follow the Service Bulletin’s procedures and the AD’s compliance timing.\n\nStated purpose and practical trade-offs:\n\n- The AD’s stated change is to revise the Compliance statement to include the 5,000 flight-cycle inspection threshold in line with the manufacturer’s Service Bulletin (Background). That is an explicit purpose-claim in the AD text.\n- Costs and incentives: The immediate, concrete cost is the expense of inspections and any remedial work plus aircraft downtime; those costs are borne by operators because the AD makes the Service Bulletin actions mandatory (Requirement; Compliance). The AD creates a regulatory incentive for operators to schedule inspections at or before the 5,000 flight-cycle threshold. \n- Implementation and compliance risk: The AD delegates technical detail to the Boeing Service Bulletin (Requirement), so effective enforcement depends on the content and clarity of that external document and on operators’ record-keeping of flight cycles. The AD also references an FAA AD, which may affect international operators by aligning requirements across jurisdictions (Note). \n- Trade-offs and opportunity costs: Operators will need to allocate maintenance resources and schedule aircraft out of service for inspections at the specified threshold; those are foregone operating hours and maintenance-shop capacity. The AD does not itself state costs, alternatives, or exemptions other than the numerical applicability exclusion (747SP excluded) (Applicability). \n\nWhat the AD does not specify in this text:\n\n- The AD does not reproduce the inspection tasks, intervals beyond the 5,000 flight-cycle threshold, parts to be used, or remedial actions; those details are in Boeing Alert SB 747-57A2234 R1 and the Requirement Document (Requirement; Compliance). The AD does not quantify costs or economic impact in this document. \n\nBottom line: The Amendment makes the Boeing Service Bulletin’s inspection requirement mandatory for the named 747 aeroplanes and adds a concrete 5,000 flight-cycle inspection threshold to the Compliance statement. Operators of the affected aeroplanes must follow the Service Bulletin and bear inspection and repair costs and any aircraft downtime arising from compliance (Applicability; Requirement; Compliance; Background)."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This amendment maintains the original scope — safety inspection of flap track bolts on specific Boeing 747 aircraft. The change is purely procedural: tightening the inspection interval by adding a specific flight cycle threshold. The directive has not expanded to cover additional aircraft systems, models, or operational requirements beyond the original safety concern."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short document (under 200 words)","Only 4 operative provisions: applicability, requirement, compliance, and background","Single cross-reference to external technical document (Boeing SB)","Single cross-reference to corresponding FAA directive","No defined terms section — relies entirely on external Boeing documentation for technical specifications","No conditional logic or nested exceptions — straightforward mandatory compliance structure","Amendment makes only one substantive change (adding 5000 flight cycle threshold to compliance timing)"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — essentially a mandatory safety order issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for aircraft.\n\n**What it does:**\nOrders owners and operators of certain Boeing 747 aircraft to inspect or replace specific **flap track bolts** — critical hardware that helps control the flaps (the movable surfaces on the wings that help planes slow down and land safely).\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- All Boeing 747 models with serial numbers 001 to 632\n- **Excludes:** 747SP models (a shorter, special performance variant)\n\n**What must be done:**\nOperators must follow the instructions in **Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 747-57A2234 Revision 1** — a technical document from the manufacturer detailing exactly how to inspect or fix the bolts.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nFlap track bolts are under enormous stress during every flight. If they fail, the flaps could malfunction, potentially causing loss of control during landing. This directive exists because the original safety inspection schedule needed tightening — this amendment adds a **5,000 flight cycle inspection threshold** (meaning the bolts must be checked every 5,000 takeoff-landing cycles) to catch problems before they become dangerous.\n\n**Key point:** This is **Amendment 1** — it updates the original 1987 directive to make inspections more frequent based on new data from the manufacturer."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-b747-54-amdt-1-flap-track-bolts","history":"/api/acts/ad-b747-54-amdt-1-flap-track-bolts/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-b747-54-amdt-1-flap-track-bolts/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-b747-54-amdt-1-flap-track-bolts/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-b747-54-amdt-1-flap-track-bolts/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-b747-54-amdt-1-flap-track-bolts/documents"}}