{"id":"F2006B03940","name":"AD/BEECH 50/16 Amdt 2 - Plastic Control Wheel","slug":"ad-beech-50-16-amdt-2-plastic-control-wheel","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":43549,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B03940-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/BEECH 50/16 Amdt 2 - Plastic Control Wheel","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 50 (Twin Bonanza) Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\nAD/BEECH 50/16\n\nAmdt 2\n\n\nPlastic Control Wheel 11/70\n\n \n\nApplicability: All models fitted with non-reinforced plastic control wheels.\n\n \n\nRequirement: Visually inspect all plastic non-reinforced control wheels for cracking. Control wheels in which cracks are present shall be replaced with a serviceable item before further flight. It is recommended that replacements should be of the metal reinforced type.\n\n \n\nCompliance: At intervals not exceeding 100 hours’ time in service.\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":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The supplied instrument sets a clear, narrow scope: it applies to all Beechcraft 50 series aeroplanes fitted with non-reinforced plastic control wheels and prescribes visual inspection every 100 hours plus replacement of cracked wheels before further flight (Applicability, Requirement, Compliance). The text provided contains no information indicating a change of scope from prior versions; it stands as a focused equipment-specific safety directive."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow, equipment-specific scope (only Beechcraft 50 series with non-reinforced plastic control wheels) (Applicability)","Simple required action: visual inspection and replacement if cracked (Requirement)","Recurring compliance interval (every 100 hours TIS) introduces administrative tracking (Compliance)","Operational judgement required: visual inspection and determination of ‘cracking’ and ‘serviceable’ status leave room for technician discretion (Requirement)","Recommendation vs mandate: replacement with metal-reinforced wheels is recommended not compulsory, creating optional compliance choices (Requirement)","No definitions or recordkeeping procedures included in the text supplied, which can complicate enforcement and consistent application (Requirement, Compliance)"],"plain_english_summary":"What this instrument does (mechanics)\n\n- It is an airworthiness directive that applies to Beechcraft 50 (Twin Bonanza) series aeroplanes fitted with non-reinforced plastic control wheels (Applicability).\n- It requires a visual inspection of all non-reinforced plastic control wheels for cracking (Requirement).\n- If any cracks are found, the cracked control wheel must be replaced with a serviceable item before the aircraft is flown again (Requirement).\n- Inspections must be carried out at intervals not exceeding 100 hours’ time in service (Compliance).\n- The directive includes a recommendation (not a mandatory requirement) that replacements should be of the metal-reinforced type (Requirement).\n\nWho is affected and who pays\n\n- Affected parties: owners/operators of Beechcraft 50/Twin Bonanza aeroplanes that have non-reinforced plastic control wheels (Applicability).\n- Who pays: the aircraft owner/operator bears the cost of conducting the required inspections and of any replacements that are needed (Requirement, Compliance). That includes parts, labour and any aircraft downtime while the work is done.\n- Who decides/acts: the aircraft operator or authorised maintenance personnel carry out the visual inspections and decide whether a control wheel is cracked and therefore must be replaced (Requirement).\n\nWhat behaviour changes and why the rule exists (as stated)\n\n- Behaviour change: regular, periodic visual inspection of the specified control wheels (every ≤100 hours TIS), and immediate replacement of any cracked wheel before further flight (Requirement, Compliance).\n- Stated purpose (implicit in the directive): to identify and remove cracked plastic control wheels from service. The instrument does not include a separate statement of rationale; that intent is expressed by the inspection-and-replace requirement itself.\n\nCosts, incentives and trade-offs (mechanics, not judgement)\n\n- Direct costs and downtime: recurring inspection labour plus replacement costs where cracks are found; aircraft may be grounded until a replacement is fitted (Requirement).\n- Incentive effects: because a cracked wheel must be removed before flight, operators have an incentive to inspect on schedule and to keep spare serviceable wheels available or to adopt the recommended metal-reinforced replacements to reduce future replacement frequency (Requirement, Compliance).\n- Recommendation versus mandate: the rule mandates replacement of cracked wheels with a “serviceable item” but only recommends (does not require) that replacements be metal-reinforced. Operators can comply by fitting any serviceable control wheel, not necessarily the recommended reinforced type (Requirement).\n\nCompliance burden and implementation risks\n\n- Inspection burden: inspections must be performed every 100 hours TIS; the rule specifies a visual inspection only, which leaves assessment of marginal defects to the judgement of maintenance personnel (Requirement, Compliance).\n- Ambiguities that affect implementation: the instrument uses terms such as “non-reinforced”, “serviceable” and “cracking” without further definition in the text provided; those terms typically rely on maintenance standards or technician judgement to operationalise.\n- Recordkeeping and enforcement: the directive creates an obligation that regulators or auditors can check in maintenance records; the text does not itself prescribe recordkeeping procedures beyond the inspection interval (Compliance).\n\nConcentrated benefits and diffuse costs (mechanism)\n\n- Concentrated costs: operators who still have non-reinforced plastic wheels bear the direct replacement and inspection costs.\n- Potential diffuse benefit (as claimed): removing cracked wheels from service aims to reduce equipment failure risk. The instrument does not quantify benefits or require metal-reinforced wheels, so operators can weigh one-off replacement expense against continuing inspection costs (Requirement).\n\nPractical summary\n\n- Inspect non-reinforced plastic control wheels visually every 100 hours TIS (Compliance).\n- If a crack is present, replace that wheel with a serviceable item before flying again (Requirement).\n- Consider fitting metal-reinforced wheels as recommended, but this is not mandatory (Requirement)."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This airworthiness directive maintains its original narrow scope: safety inspection of a specific component (plastic control wheels) on a specific aircraft type (Beechcraft 50). The amendment appears to be a routine update without expansion into unrelated areas."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short document (under 150 words of substantive content)","Only 4 operative elements: applicability, requirement, recommended action, and compliance interval","No defined terms section","No cross-references to other legislation or regulations","Simple conditional logic (if cracks found → replace)","Single amendment (Amdt 2) with no indication of layered changes"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this is:** An airworthiness directive (a mandatory safety order) for owners and operators of Beechcraft 50 \"Twin Bonanza\" aircraft.\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Targets:** All Beechcraft 50 models that have **non-reinforced plastic control wheels** (the steering yokes the pilot holds)\n- **Requires:** A visual inspection of these plastic control wheels to check for **cracks**\n- **Action if cracks found:** Replace the cracked wheel with a serviceable one before flying again\n- **Recommended upgrade:** Switch to **metal-reinforced control wheels** instead of plastic ones\n- **How often:** Every 100 hours of flight time\n\n**Why it matters:** Cracked control wheels can fail in flight, potentially causing loss of aircraft control. This rule prevents accidents by catching deterioration early and encouraging stronger replacement parts.\n\n**Who must follow this:** Aircraft owners, operators, and maintenance engineers responsible for Beechcraft 50 series aeroplanes."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-beech-50-16-amdt-2-plastic-control-wheel","history":"/api/acts/ad-beech-50-16-amdt-2-plastic-control-wheel/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-beech-50-16-amdt-2-plastic-control-wheel/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-beech-50-16-amdt-2-plastic-control-wheel/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-beech-50-16-amdt-2-plastic-control-wheel/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-beech-50-16-amdt-2-plastic-control-wheel/documents"}}