{"id":"F2006B05223","name":"AD/CESSNA 206/18 - Fuel Quantity Placard","slug":"ad-cessna-206-18-fuel-quantity-placard","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":45486,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B05223-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/CESSNA 206/18 - Fuel Quantity Placard","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 206 Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\nAD/CESSNA 206/18 Fuel Quantity Placard 4/76\n\nApplicability: As detailed in the Requirement Document.\n\n \n\nRequirement: Install fuel quantity placards as detailed in Cessna SL SE75-7 and Supplement No. 1.\n\n \n\nCompliance: 1. Model U206 with S/Nos. as detailed in Cessna SL SE75-7; within 100 hours time in service after 16 April 1976.\n\n \n\n2.    Model 206 with S/Nos. prior to 02127:\n\n \n\n(a)     if currently fitted with one or more replacement fuel cells bearing a manufacturing date of June 1973 or later; within 100 hours time in service after 16 April 1976.\n\n \n\n(b)     concurrent with fitting one or more replacement fuel cells bearing a manufacturing date of June 1973 or later.\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The AD itself sets a targeted scope: specified Cessna 206-series aeroplanes by model/serial number and by the presence or fitting of replacement fuel cells dated June 1973 or later (Applicability; Compliance). The text does not indicate any change to that scope from an earlier instrument; it defines the affected population and the required action within the AD document."},"complexity_factors":["Reference to an external specification (Cessna SL SE75-7 and Supplement No. 1) for exact placard content and placement creates dependency on another document (Requirement).","Targeting by model and serial-number ranges requires checking serial numbers against the service letter (Applicability).","Conditional applicability tied to replacement fuel cells with a specific manufacturing date (June 1973) adds an additional verification step (Compliance 2(a) & 2(b)).","Time-limited compliance windows (within 100 hours time-in-service after 16 April 1976) impose scheduling constraints on operators (Compliance).","Limited scope and prescriptive action reduce interpretive complexity but create practical verification tasks for maintainers/inspectors."],"plain_english_summary":"What this instrument changes mechanically\n\n- It requires that fuel quantity placards be installed on specified Cessna 206-series aeroplanes. The placards must match the instructions in Cessna Service Letter SE75-7 and Supplement No. 1 (Requirement).\n\nWho is affected and when they must act\n\n- Aircraft owners/operators of certain Cessna 206-series aeroplanes must arrange the placard installation. The AD identifies two groups (Applicability; Compliance):\n  - Model U206 aircraft listed by serial number in the Cessna service letter must have the placards fitted within 100 hours time-in-service after 16 April 1976 (Compliance 1).\n  - Model 206 aircraft with serial numbers prior to 02127 are affected only if they have, or are fitted with, one or more replacement fuel cells that show a manufacturing date of June 1973 or later. For those aeroplanes the placards must be fitted either within 100 hours time-in-service after 16 April 1976 if they are already fitted with such cells (Compliance 2(a)), or at the same time as the replacement fuel cell is fitted (Compliance 2(b)).\n\nWhat the AD requires in practice\n\n- Follow Cessna SL SE75-7 and its Supplement No. 1 for the exact text, design and location of the fuel quantity placards (Requirement).\n- Meet the specified deadlines tied to the aircraft model, serial number range and fuel-cell manufacturing dates (Compliance).\n\nStated purpose and a mechanistic test of that purpose\n\n- The AD’s operative requirement is the installation of placards as per the cited Cessna documents (Requirement). The text itself does not elaborate a detailed justification; it presents the placard installation as the corrective action to be undertaken.\n- Mechanistically, the AD creates a mandatory, time-limited action for affected aircraft and ties the obligation to concrete, observable triggers: aircraft model/serial number and the presence or fitting of replacement fuel cells dated June 1973 or later (Applicability; Compliance). That structure makes the obligation enforceable and links compliance cost to identifiable events (existing configuration or replacement activity).\n\nWho pays, who decides, and how behaviour changes (source-grounded)\n\n- Who pays: The aircraft owner or operator must procure and arrange installation of the placards (implicit in the requirement to install; Requirement; Compliance).\n- Who decides: The AD prescribes what must be installed and when; the operator decides when to schedule the work within the AD’s deadlines, subject to the condition triggers described in the AD (Applicability; Compliance).\n- Behaviour change: Owners/operators must add a step to maintenance/inspection workflows: either install placards within the 100-hour deadline (for already-affected aircraft) or ensure placards are fitted at the same time as any qualifying replacement fuel cell is installed (Compliance 1; Compliance 2(a) & 2(b)).\n\nCosts, incentives and trade-offs (mechanical assessment)\n\n- Direct compliance costs: purchase of the correct placard(s) and labour to install them. The AD references an external Cessna document for the placard specification, so following that document may impose exact material and placement requirements (Requirement).\n- Timing/inventory interaction: For operators replacing fuel cells dated June 1973 or later, the AD mandates concurrent placard installation, which could alter the timing or bundling of maintenance tasks (Compliance 2(b)).\n- Enforcement/administration: The AD’s reliance on serial-number ranges and manufacturing dates creates an objective criterion for compliance checks; it also requires maintainers/inspectors to verify serial numbers and fuel-cell manufacture dates (Applicability; Compliance).\n- Market effects on service providers: Maintenance organisations that perform the installation will capture work created by the AD; the requirement creates a small, predictable demand for placards and installation labour. The AD does not alter ownership, operational permissions, or broader market entry rules (Requirement; Compliance).\n\nImplementation risks and unintended operational consequences (mechanistic)\n\n- Misapplication risk: If an operator or maintainer does not correctly identify affected serial numbers or the fuel-cell manufacturing date, they may miss the installation deadline or fit an incorrect placard (Applicability; Compliance).\n- Scheduling risk: The 100-hour time-in-service deadline for already-affected aircraft creates a finite window for operators to book maintenance; if not planned, aircraft availability could be impacted during installation (Compliance 1; 2(a)).\n\nNet practical effect (procedural summary)\n\n- The AD imposes a narrowly defined, technically prescriptive requirement: install fuel quantity placards per Cessna SL SE75-7 and Supplement No. 1 on specified Cessna 206-series aeroplanes, within the stated deadlines tied to model, serial number and fuel-cell manufacturing date. The obligation falls on the aircraft owner/operator and is implemented through normal maintenance and inspection processes (Requirement; Applicability; Compliance)."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, single-issue airworthiness directive from 1976 addressing a specific safety concern with fuel placards on specific Cessna aircraft. It has not expanded beyond its original narrow purpose of mandating cockpit placard installation for fuel quantity awareness."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-purpose directive with only 2 compliance pathways","Cross-reference to external Cessna Service Letter SE75-7 and its Supplement No. 1 for full applicability details and installation instructions","Conditional logic based on aircraft model (U206 vs 206), serial number ranges, and fuel cell manufacturing dates","No defined terms section — relies on aviation industry standard terminology","Temporal limitation: compliance deadline tied to specific date (16 April 1976) plus flying hours"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this is:** This is an Airworthiness Directive (AD) — a mandatory safety order issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Think of it like a recall notice for aircraft, but legally binding.\n\n**What it does:** It requires owners and operators of specific Cessna 206 series aeroplanes to install new fuel quantity placards (warning labels) inside the cockpit. These placards tell pilots how much fuel is actually usable in the tanks — critical information for flight planning and preventing fuel exhaustion.\n\n**Who it affects:** \n- **Cessna U206 models** with specific serial numbers listed in Cessna Service Letter SE75-7\n- **Cessna 206 models** with serial numbers before 02127, but **only if** they have replacement fuel cells (fuel tanks) made in June 1973 or later, **or** when such replacement cells are installed in future\n\n**When it had to be done:** Within 100 hours of flying time after 16 April 1976, or when fitting the replacement fuel cells (whichever applies).\n\n**Why it matters:** Fuel quantity indicators can be misleading if pilots don't know the difference between total fuel and *usable* fuel. This directive prevents accidents caused by pilots thinking they have more fuel available than they actually do. The specific issue relates to replacement fuel cells installed in the mid-1970s that may have altered usable fuel capacity.\n\n**Key point:** This is a **historical directive from 1976** (note the \"4/76\" reference). It would only apply today to aircraft that somehow never complied, or for understanding maintenance history of vintage aircraft still in service."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-206-18-fuel-quantity-placard","history":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-206-18-fuel-quantity-placard/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-206-18-fuel-quantity-placard/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-206-18-fuel-quantity-placard/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-206-18-fuel-quantity-placard/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-206-18-fuel-quantity-placard/documents"}}