{"id":"F2006B03812","name":"AD/BEECH 33/44 - Flap Flex Shaft Assembly","slug":"ad-beech-33-44-flap-flex-shaft-assembly","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":43408,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B03812-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE","sectionType":"part","heading":"AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE","content":"# ![](image.001.png)![](image.001.png)AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE\n\n![](image.001.png)For 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\nBeechcraft 33 & 35-33 (Debonair/Bonanza) Series Aeroplanes","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/BEECH 33/44 Flap Flex Shaft Assembly ","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/BEECH 33/44 Flap Flex Shaft Assembly 3/2002","content":"# AD/BEECH 33/44 Flap Flex Shaft Assembly 3/2002\n\nDM\n\nApplicability: Beechcraft Model E33, E33A, E33C, F33, F33A, F33C, G33, 35-33, 35-A33, 35- B33, 35-C33 and 35-C33A aircraft, all serial numbers.\n\nRequirement: 1. Review the aircraft records to determine if either the LH or the RH flap flex shaft, or the flap actuator has been replaced since 1 March 2000. If these components have not been replaced since 1 March 2000, no further action is required. Make an appropriate certification in the aircraft log book.\n\n    2. If either a LH or RH flap flex shaft, or a flap actuator has been replaced since 1 March 2000, inspect the identification label for manufacture date of the flap flex shaft assemblies in accordance with Raytheon Service Bulletin 27-3478. Flex shafts manufactured before January 2000 and after April 2001 do not require replacement.\n\n    3. Replace flap flex shafts that were manufactured between January 2000 through April 2001.\n\nNote: FAA AD 2001-23-10 refers.\n\nCompliance: 1. Within 25 flight hours from the effective date of this Airworthiness Directive.\n\n    2. Within 25 flight hours from the effective date of this Airworthiness Directive.\n\n    3. Before further flight.\n\nThis Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 30 January 2002.","sortOrder":1}],"analysis":{"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"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a standard single-issue Airworthiness Directive targeting a specific unsafe condition in specific aircraft models. The scope remains tightly focused on the flap flex shaft assembly issue as originally intended."},"complexity_factors":["Single discrete safety issue addressed (one mechanical component)","Clear three-step decision tree (check records → inspect if replaced → replace if manufactured in specific window)","Only 12 aircraft models covered, all clearly listed","Simple date-based conditional logic (manufacture date windows)","No cross-references to other legislation (only a non-binding note about a US FAA directive)","Short document with minimal defined terms"],"plain_english_summary":"This is a **safety order for specific Beechcraft aeroplanes** (the Debonair and Bonanza models). It requires owners and operators to check whether certain flap components (the flexible shafts that help control the wing flaps) were replaced between March 2000 and the present. If they were replaced, the owner must inspect when those parts were manufactured. **Any flex shafts made between January 2000 and April 2001 must be replaced immediately** — before the plane flies again. This is because those particular parts were found to be unsafe. The directive gives 25 flight hours to do the record-checking and inspection, but requires immediate replacement of the faulty parts. Owners must document their findings in the aircraft's log book."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This AD stays within the narrow safety-corrective scope implied by its stated purpose: it targets flap flex-shaft assemblies manufactured in the January 2000–April 2001 window and requires inspection and replacement where those parts are fitted. It does not broaden into unrelated systems, nor does it extend obligations beyond the fleet listed in the applicability. Therefore it has not grown significantly beyond its original corrective purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Short document (single-page AD) with limited number of operative clauses (three requirement steps).","One small set of defined subjects (specific Beechcraft models listed in Applicability).","Three compliance timeframes: two actions within 25 flight hours and one action before further flight (nested urgency).","Cross-references to external documents: Raytheon Service Bulletin 27-3478 and FAA AD 2001-23-10 (requires operators to obtain and follow external material).","Date-based conditional logic (check if parts were replaced since 1 March 2000, then inspect manufacture-date label, then replace if manufacture date falls within Jan 2000–Apr 2001).","A minor ambiguity in triggering condition (replacement of flap actuator versus flex shaft can both trigger an inspection).","No extensive definitions, exceptions, or multi-part schedules — low nesting and few branches."],"plain_english_summary":"**What this directive does (simple)**\n\n- It applies to a specific group of Beechcraft light aircraft: Model E33, E33A, E33C, F33, F33A, F33C, G33, 35-33, 35-A33, 35-B33, 35-C33 and 35-C33A — all serial numbers. (See \"Applicability\".)\n\n- It requires owners/operators to check maintenance records and, if certain flap components have been replaced since 1 March 2000, to inspect the identification label on the flap flex-shaft assemblies and replace shafts made in a specific date range. (See \"Requirement\".)\n\n**Step-by-step, what you must do**\n\n1. Review aircraft logbooks to see whether either left-hand (LH) or right-hand (RH) flap flex shaft, or the flap actuator, has been replaced since 1 March 2000. If none of those parts were replaced since that date, you do not need to take further action. Make an entry in the aircraft logbook certifying you carried out this records review. (Requirement 1.)\n\n2. If any of those parts have been replaced since 1 March 2000, inspect the identification label on the flap flex shaft assemblies to determine the manufacture date. The inspection must be done in accordance with Raytheon Service Bulletin 27-3478. The service bulletin tells the technician how to read the label and what to look for. The directive states that flex shafts manufactured before January 2000, and those manufactured after April 2001, do not require replacement. (Requirement 2.)\n\n3. If the flex shafts are dated between January 2000 through April 2001 (inclusive), they must be replaced before the next flight. (Requirement 3.)\n\n**Timing / urgency**\n\n- The records review (step 1) and the label inspection (step 2) must each be completed within 25 flight hours from the AD’s effective date. (Compliance 1–2.)\n- Any flex shaft found to be in the January 2000–April 2001 manufacture window must be replaced before the aircraft flies again. (Compliance 3.)\n- The AD became effective 30 January 2002. The AD also refers to the related FAA Airworthiness Directive 2001-23-10. (Effectivity / Notes.)\n\n**Who pays and who decides**\n\n- Aircraft owners/operators pay for the records review, inspection and any replacement parts and labour. The Directive is mandatory for affected Australian-registered aircraft and is issued by a CASA delegate under CAR 1998 subregulation 39.1(1). Maintenance tasks are carried out by the operator or their contracted maintenance organisation and must follow Raytheon Service Bulletin 27-3478 where the AD references it. (Header and Requirement.)\n\n**Official rationale, then practical implications**\n\n- The AD states it is issued to correct an unsafe condition (background/rationale statement). In practical terms it targets flap flex-shaft assemblies manufactured in a specific window (Jan 2000–Apr 2001) that are judged to present a safety risk.\n\n- Costs and incentives: operators must allocate time and money to review records, perform label inspections, and, where required, replace the flex shafts. The replacement-before-flight requirement can impose immediate grounding until the part is replaced, so operators face scheduling and parts‑supply risks.\n\n- Trade-offs and implementation risks: the AD relies on accurate maintenance records and readable identification labels. If records are incomplete or labels are illegible, an operator may need to remove parts for inspection or replace them to comply, increasing cost. The AD cross-references an external service bulletin for inspection method — that external dependency creates a procedural compliance burden (you must obtain and follow the Raytheon bulletin).\n\n**Concrete behavioural changes forced by the AD**\n\n- Owners/operators must: (a) examine maintenance logs; (b) inspect flex‑shaft identification labels per Raytheon SB 27-3478 where relevant; and (c) replace any flex shaft made between Jan 2000 and Apr 2001 before further flight. These steps change maintenance priorities and may require procurement of replacement shafts and scheduling of maintenance slots.\n\n**Ambiguities and points a technician/operator should watch**\n\n- The AD triggers an inspection if either a flap flex shaft or the flap actuator has been replaced since 1 March 2000. That implies actuator replacement could have introduced a suspect flex shaft; operators should therefore inspect flex-shaft labels even when only an actuator was changed. (Requirement 1–2.)\n\n- The date ranges are discrete: the AD explicitly exempts shafts made before January 2000 and after April 2001 and mandates replacement for shafts manufactured between January 2000 through April 2001. Treat those endpoints as inclusive unless the service bulletin clarifies otherwise.\n\n**Cross-references**\n\n- The directive requires following Raytheon Service Bulletin 27-3478 for the inspection procedure and cites FAA AD 2001-23-10 as a related document. These external references are part of the compliance pathway and should be obtained and read alongside the AD.\n\n(References in this summary: Applicability; Requirement paragraphs 1–3; Compliance paragraphs 1–3; note referring to FAA AD.)"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-beech-33-44-flap-flex-shaft-assembly","history":"/api/acts/ad-beech-33-44-flap-flex-shaft-assembly/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-beech-33-44-flap-flex-shaft-assembly/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-beech-33-44-flap-flex-shaft-assembly/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-beech-33-44-flap-flex-shaft-assembly/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-beech-33-44-flap-flex-shaft-assembly/documents"}}