{"id":"F2006B05123","name":"AD/CESSNA 185/32 Amdt 1 - Alternator Ground Strap","slug":"ad-cessna-185-32-amdt-1-alternator-ground-strap","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":45147,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B05123-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/CESSNA 185/32 Amdt 1 - Alternator Ground Strap","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)  Cessna 185 Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\nAD/CESSNA 185/32\n\nAmdt 1\n\n\nAlternator Ground Strap 9/82\n\n \n\nApplicability: All model 185 with S/Nos. 18501096 to 18503619. Requirement:  Action in accordance with Cessna SIL SE79-59.\n\nNote: FAA AD 79-25-07 refers.\n\n \n\nCompliance: 1. Within 100 hours time in service after 31 March 1982.\n\n \n\n2. Each time an engine is installed in an aircraft following initial compliance.\n\n \n\nBackground: Compliance has been amended with the addition of item 2 due to reports from industry that ground straps are being omitted from refitment on engine reinstallations.\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\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is an amendment to an existing Airworthiness Directive, but the scope remains tightly focused on the original safety issue (alternator ground strap installation). The amendment adds a recurring compliance requirement for engine reinstallations, which is a logical extension of the original safety purpose rather than scope creep. The document explicitly states this addition responds to industry reports of ongoing non-compliance."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (approximately 150 words of substantive content)","Only 2 defined applicability criteria (model type and serial number range)","Simple two-part compliance structure with clear time trigger","Single cross-reference to external document (Cessna SIL SE79-59)","No nested conditions, exceptions, or defined terms section","Plain language background explanation included"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — essentially a mandatory safety notice issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for aircraft.\n\n**What it does:**\nOrders owners and operators of specific Cessna 185 aircraft to inspect and fix a problem with the **alternator ground strap** — a critical electrical connection that prevents dangerous electrical faults.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- **Aircraft:** All Cessna 185 model aeroplanes with serial numbers between 18501096 and 18503619\n- **People:** Aircraft owners, maintenance engineers, and operators of these planes\n\n**What must be done:**\n1. **First compliance:** Within 100 hours of flying time after 31 March 1982, follow the instructions in Cessna Service Information Letter SE79-59\n2. **Ongoing requirement:** Every time an engine is removed and reinstalled, the ground strap must be properly refitted (this was added later because mechanics were forgetting to put it back)\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThe ground strap prevents electrical arcing and potential fires. The amendment was made because the aviation industry reported that mechanics were omitting the strap during engine reinstallations, creating a recurring safety risk.\n\n**Key reference:** This aligns with the US Federal Aviation Administration's AD 79-25-07."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The directive's scope was expanded by amendment to add a recurring compliance obligation. The original requirement mandated compliance within 100 hours after 31 March 1982 (Compliance 1). The amendment adds that the alternator ground strap must also be fitted or checked each time an engine is installed following initial compliance (Compliance 2), with the stated reason that straps were being omitted on engine reinstallations (Background)."},"complexity_factors":["Applicability limited to a specific serial-number range (Applicability)","Dependence on an external technical document (Cessna SIL SE79-59) for the required method (Requirement)","Two separate compliance triggers: a one-off deadline and a recurring trigger when engines are installed (Compliance 1; Compliance 2)","Technical nature of the work (mechanical installation of an alternator ground strap) requiring maintenance capability","Amendment history: addition of item 2 increases ongoing compliance obligations (Background)","Directive states required action but does not specify recordkeeping, verification details, or enforcement mechanisms"],"plain_english_summary":"What this directive does (mechanical change)\n\n- This airworthiness directive applies to Cessna 185 aeroplanes with serial numbers 18501096 to 18503619 (Applicability). It requires that an alternator ground strap be fitted or confirmed in place by carrying out the work specified in Cessna Service Information Letter SE79-59 (Requirement).\n\nWhen and how to comply\n\n- Initial compliance must occur within 100 hours time in service after 31 March 1982 (Compliance 1).\n- After the initial compliance, the alternator ground strap must again be fitted or checked each time an engine is installed in the aircraft (Compliance 2).\n\nWhy this was added (stated purpose)\n\n- The directive was amended to add the requirement that the ground strap be fitted or checked on every engine installation because industry reports indicated the ground straps were sometimes omitted when engines were reinstalled (Background).\n\nWho is affected and who decides\n\n- Affected parties: owners/operators of Cessna 185 aircraft in the specified serial number range (Applicability).\n- Who decides the method: the directive requires action \"in accordance with Cessna SIL SE79-59,\" so the aircraft operator or maintenance organisation must follow that Cessna technical instruction (Requirement).\n- Who issued the directive: the schedule is part of the Commonwealth of Australia civil aviation airworthiness directives (header).\n\nWho pays and what behaviour changes\n\n- Who pays: the aircraft owner/operator or their contracted maintenance organisation will incur the cost of the work and any parts and labour required to fit or verify the ground strap (Requirement; Compliance).\n- Behaviour change: operators must ensure the alternator ground strap is installed and must incorporate a check or installation step into any engine removal/reinstallation process after initial compliance (Compliance 2; Background).\n\nOperational and compliance implications (mechanics, incentives and trade-offs)\n\n- External reference dependency: the directive does not set out the installation steps; it relies on Cessna SIL SE79-59 for the technical procedure, so operators must obtain and follow that document (Requirement).\n- Recurring obligation: the amendment adds a recurring compliance trigger tied to engine installation events, increasing the frequency of the obligation for aircraft that have engines removed and reinstalled (Compliance 2; Background).\n- Compliance timing: a deadline for initial compliance is fixed relative to a past date (within 100 hours time in service after 31 March 1982), which sets a one-off timeframe for initial action for affected aircraft (Compliance 1).\n- Recordkeeping and verification: the text instructs action but does not specify records, inspection intervals beyond the engine-install trigger, or penalties; operators must interpret and apply the directive and the referenced Cessna SIL in their maintenance systems (Requirement).\n\nRisks, costs and implementation notes\n\n- The directive targets a specific, technical installation task (the alternator ground strap). The cost per aircraft is limited to parts and labour to fit or verify the strap, but the directive creates ongoing maintenance discipline where engines are removed and refitted (Requirement; Compliance 2).\n- The amendment responds to reported omission of the strap on engine reinstallations; that fact is stated as the reason for adding the recurring requirement (Background). The directive itself does not quantify the safety risk, the cost of compliance, or enforcement measures (Background; Requirement)."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-185-32-amdt-1-alternator-ground-strap","history":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-185-32-amdt-1-alternator-ground-strap/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-185-32-amdt-1-alternator-ground-strap/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-185-32-amdt-1-alternator-ground-strap/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-185-32-amdt-1-alternator-ground-strap/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-185-32-amdt-1-alternator-ground-strap/documents"}}