{"id":"F2006B08195","name":"AD/CESSNA 320/17 - Wing Leading Edge Fuel Lines and Wiring - Inspection and Modification","slug":"ad-cessna-320-17-wing-leading-edge-fuel-lines-and-wiring-inspection-and-modification","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":115404,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B08195-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/CESSNA 320/17 - Wing Leading Edge Fuel Lines and Wiring - Inspection and Modification","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 320 Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\nAD/CESSNA 320/17 Wing Leading Edge Fuel Lines and\n\nWiring - Inspection and Modification\n\nApplicability: All models 320 with S/Nos. 320-0001 to 320F0045. Document:  Cessna SL ME73-5.\n\nCompliance: Within 100 hours time in service after 29 June 1973.\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\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n\n6/73\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The provided text sets out a targeted requirement with explicit applicability and a fixed compliance window. There is no information in the supplied document indicating that the AD's scope was altered from its original formulation; based on the text alone, scope remains as stated (Applicability; Compliance; Document reference)."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow applicability defined by specific serial-number range (320-0001 to 320F0045) reduces scope complexity (Applicability).","Short, explicit compliance deadline (100 hours time in service after 29 June 1973) creates a clear but time‑sensitive obligation (Compliance).","Reliance on an external technical document (Cessna SL ME73-5) for procedural detail increases procedural dependency (Document: Cessna SL ME73-5).","AD text does not include procedural steps, exemptions, or enforcement details — requires consultation of regulator guidance and the service letter for implementation specifics (AD text; Document reference).","Statutory basis under Part 39 is straightforward: an enforceable airworthiness directive rather than guidance, so legal effect is direct (PART 39 heading)."],"plain_english_summary":"What this instrument does (mechanics)\n\n- This is an Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued under Part 39 of the Civil Aviation Regulations. It mandates an inspection and modification of the wing leading edge fuel lines and wiring on Cessna 320 series aeroplanes. (COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES; AD/CESSNA 320/17 title)\n- It applies only to Cessna 320 series aircraft with serial numbers 320-0001 through 320F0045. (Applicability)\n- Compliance must be completed within 100 hours time in service measured after 29 June 1973. The AD refers to Cessna Service Letter ME73-5 as the controlling document for the required work. (Compliance; Document: Cessna SL ME73-5)\n\nWho is affected\n\n- Owners and operators of aircraft that fall inside the stated serial-number range. Those aircraft must have the specified inspection and any required modification performed within the stated compliance window. (Applicability; Compliance)\n\nWhy it matters (stated purpose and practical effect)\n\n- The AD's subject is the wing leading edge fuel lines and wiring; by requiring inspection and modification it creates a legally enforceable obligation to examine and, if necessary, alter those components according to the referenced service letter. The document supplied does not include a narrative description of the underlying defect or incident history; the mechanical effect is to impose a time‑bound maintenance action on a defined set of aircraft. (AD title; Document reference; Compliance)\n\nCosts, incentives, trade-offs and implementation points\n\n- Who pays: The measurable compliance cost (labour, parts, aircraft downtime) will fall on the owners/operators of the affected aircraft because the directive applies to those specific serial numbers and sets a mandatory work requirement. (Applicability; Compliance)\n- Compliance burden: The AD sets a short, fixed compliance window (100 hours time in service after 29 June 1973). Meeting that deadline may require scheduling maintenance outages and sourcing any parts or specialised labour called for by Cessna SL ME73-5. (Compliance; Document: Cessna SL ME73-5)\n- Operational impact and substitution effects: Operators may need to ground aircraft temporarily or rearrange flight schedules to complete the inspection/modification within the prescribed hours. (Compliance)\n- Dependence on external document: The AD delegates procedural detail to Cessna SL ME73-5; effective compliance therefore requires access to and fidelity to that service letter. The AD itself does not set out step‑by‑step instructions. (Document: Cessna SL ME73-5)\n- Authority and enforcement: The AD is issued under Part 39 procedures administered by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority; the instrument imposes an enforceable requirement rather than a guidance note. (COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105)\n\nImplementation risks and discretion\n\n- Implementation risk turns on the clarity and availability of the referenced service letter and on operators' ability to schedule and fund the required work within the compliance window. The AD text does not specify exemptions, alternative compliance methods, or the penalties for non‑compliance. (Document reference; Compliance)\n\nNet allocation of burdens and decisions (mechanics summary)\n\n- Decision makers: the regulator (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) issues the AD; the AD prescribes actions to be taken on defined aircraft. (Part 39 heading)\n- Who acts: the aircraft owner/operator must ensure the inspection and modification described in the referenced Cessna service letter is completed within the stated 100‑hour window. (Applicability; Compliance)\n\nSource references in this summary: AD/CESSNA 320/17; Applicability; Document: Cessna SL ME73-5; Compliance; COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, single-issue airworthiness directive from 1973 addressing a specific technical defect in a specific aircraft model range. It has not expanded beyond its original scope of ensuring safe fuel line and wiring configurations in Cessna 320 aircraft."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short document (approximately 150 words)","Only 3 operative requirements: applicability, reference document, and compliance deadline","No defined terms section","No cross-references to other legislation beyond the enabling Civil Aviation Regulations 1998","Single, unambiguous compliance action with clear time limit","No conditional logic, exceptions, or alternative compliance methods specified"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — a mandatory safety order issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). It applies to specific **Cessna 320 series aeroplanes** (serial numbers 320-0001 through 320F0045).\n\n**What it requires:**\n- Owners and operators must **inspect and modify the fuel lines and wiring located in the wing leading edge** of these aircraft.\n- The work must follow the procedures outlined in **Cessna Service Letter ME73-5**.\n\n**When it must be done:**\n- Within **100 hours of flight time** after **29 June 1973**.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nAirworthiness Directives are legally binding safety instructions. If you don't comply, you cannot legally fly the aircraft. This particular AD addresses potential safety risks in the fuel system and electrical wiring — critical systems where failures could lead to fire or loss of control. Even though this directive dates from 1973, it remains part of the aircraft's permanent compliance history."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-320-17-wing-leading-edge-fuel-lines-and-wiring-inspection-and-modification","history":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-320-17-wing-leading-edge-fuel-lines-and-wiring-inspection-and-modification/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-320-17-wing-leading-edge-fuel-lines-and-wiring-inspection-and-modification/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-320-17-wing-leading-edge-fuel-lines-and-wiring-inspection-and-modification/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-320-17-wing-leading-edge-fuel-lines-and-wiring-inspection-and-modification/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-320-17-wing-leading-edge-fuel-lines-and-wiring-inspection-and-modification/documents"}}