{"id":"F2006B03911","name":"AD/BEECH 400/1 - Aft Fuel Tank Vent","slug":"ad-beech-400-1-aft-fuel-tank-vent","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":43520,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B03911-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/BEECH 400/1 - Aft Fuel Tank Vent","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)  Beechcraft 400 Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\nAD/BEECH 400/1 Aft Fuel Tank Vent  12/92 DM\n\n \n\nApplicability: Model 400A serial number RK-1 to RK-28 inclusive.\n\n \n\nRequirement: Unless previously carried out action in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions contained in Beechcraft mandatory service bulletin No 2445.\n\n \n\nNote: FAA AD 92-16-14 amdt 39-8323 refers.\n\n \n\nCompliance: Prior to 25 September 1992.\n\n \n\nBackground:  To prevent a potential fire or explosive situation a one time inspection of the aft fuselage vent system to ensure aluminium honeycomb material is installed, is required.\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument’s scope is limited to a specific subset of Beechcraft 400A aeroplanes (serial numbers RK-1 to RK-28) and requires a one-time inspection to verify aluminium honeycomb material in the aft fuselage vent system. The published text (Applicability; Requirement; Background; Compliance) shows no alteration to that scope compared with the directive’s stated purpose; it mandates inspection for those serial numbers before 25 September 1992 and ties the method to Beechcraft service bulletin No. 2445."},"complexity_factors":["Very narrow applicability (Model 400A, serial RK-1 to RK-28) reduces breadth of affected parties. (Applicability)","Mandates a one-time technical inspection with outcome conditional on presence of aluminium honeycomb material; technical judgment required. (Requirement; Background)","Relies on an external document (Beechcraft mandatory service bulletin No. 2445) for the detailed procedures, so the AD itself is short but implementation depends on that bulletin. (Requirement)","Fixed compliance deadline imposes operational scheduling constraints on owners/operators. (Compliance)","References a related FAA AD, adding a cross-jurisdictional compliance context though without additional procedural detail. (Note)"],"plain_english_summary":"What this directive does mechanically\n\n- Requires a one-time inspection of the aft fuselage fuel tank vent system on certain Beechcraft 400A aeroplanes (Model 400A, serial numbers RK-1 to RK-28) to confirm that aluminium honeycomb material is installed. (Applicability; Requirement; Background)\n- The inspection must be done in the manner described in Beechcraft mandatory service bulletin No. 2445, unless that action has already been completed. (Requirement)\n- The inspection must be completed before 25 September 1992. (Compliance)\n\nWhy the rule exists (as stated in the instrument)\n\n- The directive states the inspection is intended to prevent a potential fire or explosive situation by ensuring the correct material is installed in the aft fuselage vent system. (Background)\n- The directive also cross-references a related FAA airworthiness directive. (Note)\n\nWho is affected and who decides\n\n- Aircraft owners/operators of Model 400A with serial numbers RK-1 through RK-28 must ensure compliance. (Applicability)\n- The Civil Aviation Safety Authority issues the directive; the operator or their authorised maintenance provider must carry out the inspection and any corrective work following Beechcraft mandatory service bulletin No. 2445. (Requirement)\n\nWho pays and what behaviour changes\n\n- Owners/operators (or their insurers/lessors where relevant) bear the cost of the inspection and any remedial work needed to install the aluminium honeycomb material if it is absent. This cost is a one-time compliance cost tied to the affected serial numbers. (Applicability; Requirement; Background)\n- Operators must schedule and allocate maintenance resources and possible aircraft downtime to complete the inspection before the compliance date. (Compliance)\n\nImplementation, compliance burden and discretion\n\n- The AD delegates technical detail to Beechcraft mandatory service bulletin No. 2445; compliance requires following that Accomplishment Instruction. The AD itself does not set step-by-step technical instructions, so implementers must rely on the service bulletin for method and scope of any repairs. (Requirement)\n- The AD sets a firm compliance deadline; failure to comply by that date would leave the aircraft non-compliant with the directive. (Compliance)\n- The directive does not specify who performs the work beyond reference to the service bulletin; in practice an authorised maintenance organisation or qualified technician will decide how to perform the inspection and corrective action consistent with the bulletin. (Requirement)\n\nPractical trade-offs and direct effects on market actors\n\n- The directive’s costs are concentrated on the small set of owners/operators of the specified serial-numbered aeroplanes. (Applicability)\n- The benefit claimed is reduction of a potential safety risk by confirming use of aluminium honeycomb in the vent system; realisation of that benefit depends on the inspection and any corrective action being properly carried out per the referenced service bulletin. (Background; Requirement)\n- Independent maintenance providers capable of following the service bulletin can perform the inspection, so the requirement does not mechanically exclude private businesses from competing to provide the work; however, technical competence and certification requirements for maintenance remain a practical constraint. (Requirement)\n\nSource sections relied on: Applicability; Requirement; Compliance; Background; Note."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, single-issue airworthiness directive focused on one specific safety defect in a limited aircraft population. It has not expanded beyond its original purpose of mandating a one-time inspection for fire/explosion prevention."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (under 200 words)","Only one substantive requirement (inspect and install per service bulletin)","Single applicability criterion (specific serial number range)","No defined terms section","No cross-references to other legislation (only a note about related FAA directive)","Simple conditional structure: 'Unless already done, do X by date Y'"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this is:** This is an Airworthiness Directive (AD) — essentially a mandatory safety order issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for specific aircraft.\n\n**What it does:** It requires owners or operators of certain Beechcraft 400A aeroplanes (serial numbers RK-1 through RK-28) to inspect the rear fuel tank vent system. Specifically, they must check that aluminium honeycomb material is properly installed in the aft fuselage vent system.\n\n**Why it matters:** Without this inspection, there's a risk of fire or explosion. The vent system defect could create a dangerous situation, so this is a one-time mandatory safety check to prevent catastrophic failure.\n\n**Who must comply:** Anyone operating a Beechcraft 400A aircraft with serial numbers RK-1 to RK-28. The work had to be done following Beechcraft's official service bulletin (technical instruction) No. 2445.\n\n**Key deadline:** The inspection had to be completed before 25 September 1992. (This AD is now historical — the compliance date has long passed.)"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-beech-400-1-aft-fuel-tank-vent","history":"/api/acts/ad-beech-400-1-aft-fuel-tank-vent/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-beech-400-1-aft-fuel-tank-vent/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-beech-400-1-aft-fuel-tank-vent/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-beech-400-1-aft-fuel-tank-vent/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-beech-400-1-aft-fuel-tank-vent/documents"}}