{"id":"F2006B04369","name":"AD/BELL 205/31 Amdt 1 - Tail Boom Attachment Fitting and Longerons - Inspection","slug":"ad-bell-205-31-amdt-1-tail-boom-attachment-fitting-and-longerons-inspection","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":44194,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B04369-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/BELL 205/31 Amdt 1 - Tail Boom Attachment Fitting and Longerons - Inspection","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\nBell Helicopter Textron 205 Series Helicopters\n\n \n\nAD/BELL 205/31\n\nAmdt 1\n\n\nTail Boom Attachment Fitting and Longerons - Inspection\n\n\n5/77\n\n \n\nApplicability: All model 205A and 205A-1 with S/Nos. prior to 30260. Document:  Bell SB No. 205-77-4.\n\nCompliance: As per requirement document.\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument is labeled as Amendment 1 to AD/BELL 205/31, indicating it modifies a prior AD. The text provided does not specify what substantive change the amendment makes; it instead restates applicability (models and S/N cutoff), references Bell SB No. 205-77-4 for requirements, and requires compliance “as per requirement document.” The specific alterations from the original AD are not set out in the supplied text."},"complexity_factors":["Reliance on an external technical document (Bell SB No. 205-77-4) for all procedural detail increases operational complexity because the AD does not itself state procedures or intervals.","Serial-number cutoff (S/N prior to 30260) narrows applicability and requires accurate fleet record checks.","Mandated inspections of structural components (tail boom attachment fitting and longerons) typically require qualified maintenance personnel and may require aircraft downtime and parts provisioning.","The AD text is short and delegates substance to the Service Bulletin, reducing legal text complexity but shifting technical complexity to the SB.","Enforcement and interpretation sit within the Civil Aviation Regulations framework referenced in the header, which may require cross-referencing regulatory provisions for procedural clarification."],"plain_english_summary":"This airworthiness directive requires owners/operators of Bell 205A and 205A‑1 helicopters (serials before 30260) to inspect the tail‑boom attachment fitting and longerons using the procedures in Bell Service Bulletin No. 205‑77‑4. Compliance is mandatory under the Civil Aviation Regulations; operators bear inspection, repair and parts costs. It matters because it enforces targeted structural checks to maintain airworthiness and regulatory compliance."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, targeted safety directive focused on a specific airframe structural issue. As Amendment 1 to a 1977 directive, it represents refinement of existing requirements rather than scope expansion. Airworthiness Directives by nature remain tightly scoped to specific safety-critical defects."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short document — only 8 substantive lines","No defined terms section; all terminology is standard aviation maintenance language","Single cross-reference to external document (Bell SB 205-77-4) rather than internal legislative complexity","No conditional logic, exceptions, or nested provisions","Simple applicability test: two specific model variants plus serial number cutoff","Compliance requirement is a straightforward incorporation-by-reference to manufacturer service bulletin"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — essentially a mandatory safety order issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). It requires owners and operators of specific Bell 205 series helicopters to inspect critical structural components: the **tail boom attachment fitting** (where the tail section connects to the main body) and the **longerons** (the main longitudinal structural beams running along the helicopter's body).\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Owners and operators of Bell 205A and 205A-1 helicopters with **serial numbers below 30260**\n\n**What they must do:**\n- Follow the inspection procedures outlined in **Bell Service Bulletin 205-77-4** (the manufacturer's official technical notice)\n- The directive itself doesn't specify exact dates or hours — it simply says \"comply with the service bulletin\"\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThese structural components bear significant flight loads. Cracks or failures here could lead to **catastrophic structural failure** and loss of the aircraft. This AD ensures potential defects are caught before they cause accidents.\n\n**Key point:** This is **Amendment 1** to an existing directive originally issued in May 1977 (hence \"5/77\"), suggesting the requirements have been updated based on new safety data or operational experience."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-bell-205-31-amdt-1-tail-boom-attachment-fitting-and-longerons-inspection","history":"/api/acts/ad-bell-205-31-amdt-1-tail-boom-attachment-fitting-and-longerons-inspection/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-bell-205-31-amdt-1-tail-boom-attachment-fitting-and-longerons-inspection/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-bell-205-31-amdt-1-tail-boom-attachment-fitting-and-longerons-inspection/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-bell-205-31-amdt-1-tail-boom-attachment-fitting-and-longerons-inspection/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-bell-205-31-amdt-1-tail-boom-attachment-fitting-and-longerons-inspection/documents"}}