{"id":"F2006B03351","name":"AD/B767/176 - Nose Wheel Well Side Panels and Top Panel","slug":"ad-b767-176-nose-wheel-well-side-panels-and-top-panel","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":42793,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B03351-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE","sectionType":"part","heading":"AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE","content":"# AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE\n\n![](image.001.png)\n\n![](image.001.png)  \nFor the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below issues the following Airworthiness Directive (AD) under subregulation 39.1 (1) of CAR 1998. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.\n\nBoeing 767 Series Aeroplanes","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/B767/176 Nose Wheel Well Side Panels ","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/B767/176 Nose Wheel Well Side Panels and Top Panel 9/2002","content":"# AD/B767/176 Nose Wheel Well Side Panels and Top Panel 9/2002\n\nApplicability: Model 767 series aircraft, line number 1 through 62.\n\nRequirement: Action in accordance with the technical requirements of FAA AD 2002-12-05 Amdt 39-12777.\n\nNote: Replacement of all the rivets with bolts in accordance with Figure 5 of Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 767-53A0090 Revision 1, dated 14 September 2000, constitutes terminating action for the repetitive inspection required by paragraph (a) of the Requirement document.\n\nCompliance: As specified in the Requirement document, with a revised effective date of 5 September 2002.\n\nThis Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 5 September 2002.\n\nBackground: The manufacturer received a report from an operator of 155 broken rivets found in the left and right nose wheel well side panels and top panel on one aircraft. Analysis indicates that pressurisation loads on the side panel and top panel webs results in high prying loads on the rivets. Continued pressurisation cycles on aircraft with broken rivets could result in the initiation of fatigue cracks.\n\n![Signature of David Villiers, Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.](image.002.jpeg)  \n\nDavid Alan Villiers\n\nDelegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 24 July 2002\n\n![](image.001.png)","sortOrder":1}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This AD maintains its original narrow scope. It addresses a specific reported safety defect (broken rivets in nose wheel well panels) on a limited subset of aircraft (early production 767s, lines 1–62). The reference to FAA AD 2002-12-05 and Boeing Service Bulletin 767-53A0090 indicates this is a standard adoption of manufacturer and foreign regulator safety data, which is the intended purpose of Australian ADs under CAR 1998."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-issue directive (only 1 specific structural problem addressed)","Minimal defined terms (only standard aviation terminology like 'line number' and 'terminating action')","Single cross-reference to external technical document (FAA AD 2002-12-05) — actual detailed instructions are outsourced","Simple conditional structure: applicability → requirement → compliance → background","No nested exceptions or complex temporal calculations (just one revised effective date)","Terminating action clearly specified as alternative to ongoing inspections"],"plain_english_summary":"Requires operators of the first 62 Boeing 767s (line numbers 1–62) to inspect and repair nose-wheel-well side/top panel rivets that can break from pressurisation cycles, preventing fatigue cracks and potential structural failure.\n\nCompliance is per FAA AD 2002-12-05; replacing the rivets with bolts per the Boeing service bulletin is an approved terminating action that stops the repetitive inspections."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This AD implements the FAA AD’s technical requirements for a defined subset of Boeing 767s and adds an Australian effective date; it does not materially expand the subject matter or add requirements beyond the FAA AD and the Boeing service bulletin. The scope remains focused on inspecting and repairing the nose wheel well side and top panels and offering a terminating modification (rivet-to-bolt replacement)."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-aircraft-type directive focused on one structural area","Limited applicability (Model 767, line numbers 1–62) reducing scope","References external documents for technical detail (FAA AD 2002-12-05 and Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 767-53A0090 Rev 1) rather than embedding procedures","Contains a single terminating-action exception (rivet replacement with bolts)","Few conditional branches or nested exceptions; compliance tied to times in the referenced FAA AD"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this directive does (mechanically)**\n\n- Applies to Boeing 767 aeroplanes, line numbers 1–62 (a specific early-production subset).\n- Requires operators to carry out the inspections and corrective actions set out in the referenced FAA Airworthiness Directive (FAA AD 2002-12-05).  The Australian AD adopts the FAA AD’s technical requirements as the mandatory action.\n- Gives a terminating option: replacing all the rivets with bolts in accordance with Figure 5 of Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 767-53A0090 Revision 1 (dated 14 September 2000) ends the need for the repeated inspections required by the FAA AD’s paragraph (a).\n- Sets the compliance timing according to the FAA AD, and makes the AD effective from 5 September 2002.\n\n**Who this affects**\n\n- Aircraft owners/operators of Boeing 767s with line numbers 1–62. They must perform recurring inspections and any required repairs, or perform the rivet-to-bolt replacement to stop the need for repeat inspections.\n- Maintenance organisations performing the inspections or the rivet-to-bolt modification, which must follow the referenced FAA AD and Boeing service bulletin procedures.\n\n**Why it matters (official rationale and practical implications)**\n\n- The manufacturer reported 155 broken rivets found in the left and right nose wheel well side panels and the top panel on a single aeroplane. Engineering analysis linked the breakages to high prying loads from pressurisation cycles, which can lead to fatigue crack initiation if left unaddressed (Background section).\n\n- Official purpose-claim: the AD is intended to prevent fatigue crack initiation and maintain structural integrity of the nose wheel well side and top panels by forcing inspections and corrective action.\n\n**Costs, incentives and trade-offs**\n\n- Who pays: aircraft operators bear direct costs — labour for inspections, any repairs, parts, and aircraft downtime. Maintenance organisations incur implementation costs and must schedule work.\n- Incentives: operators face a trade-off between repeatedly performing inspections (ongoing recurring cost and scheduling burden) and performing the rivet-to-bolt modification (one-time cost and downtime) that terminates the inspection requirement. The terminating modification is likely attractive to operators with sufficient remaining aircraft utilisation.\n- Opportunity costs: time in the maintenance dock could displace other work or reduce available flight hours, affecting revenue.\n- Implementation risk and compliance burden: operators must locate and follow the FAA AD and Boeing Alert Service Bulletin procedures precisely. Availability of the required bolts/parts and qualified maintenance capacity could constrain timely compliance.\n- Bureaucratic discretion: the AD is issued by the CASA delegate under regulation authority and mandates compliance with externally referenced FAA/Boeing documents rather than restating full technical steps directly in the AD (Requirement section). That means the technical content and termination criteria are governed by those referenced documents.\n\n**Behavioural effects and private choice**\n\n- Operators must institute a recurring inspection regime until they choose (or are able) to perform the rivet-to-bolt modification.\n- The AD narrows operator choice by making the FAA AD’s inspection/remedy requirements mandatory; however, operators retain the choice of when to pursue the terminating modification, subject to the compliance timeframes in the FAA AD.\n\n**Concrete mechanics to note (where to look in the AD)**\n\n- Applicability: Model 767, line numbers 1–62.\n- Requirement: perform actions in accordance with FAA AD 2002-12-05 (referenced document contains inspection intervals, thresholds, and repair instructions).\n- Note: Figure 5 of Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 767-53A0090 Rev 1 describes the rivet-to-bolt replacement, and completion of that work is stated as terminating action for the repetitive inspections.\n- Compliance: as in FAA AD, with revised effective date of 5 September 2002.\n\n**Summary statement**\n\nThe AD mandates inspection and repair of nose wheel well side and top panels on early Boeing 767s because broken rivets were found and pressurisation loads can lead to fatigue cracks. Operators must follow the FAA AD’s requirements; replacing rivets with bolts per the Boeing service bulletin removes the need for repeat inspections. Costs fall primarily on operators (inspection, repair, downtime), and operators must weigh recurring inspection costs against the one-off cost and downtime of the terminating modification."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-b767-176-nose-wheel-well-side-panels-and-top-panel","history":"/api/acts/ad-b767-176-nose-wheel-well-side-panels-and-top-panel/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-b767-176-nose-wheel-well-side-panels-and-top-panel/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-b767-176-nose-wheel-well-side-panels-and-top-panel/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-b767-176-nose-wheel-well-side-panels-and-top-panel/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-b767-176-nose-wheel-well-side-panels-and-top-panel/documents"}}