{"id":"F2006B08278","name":"AD/CESSNA 340/32 - Wing and Airframe","slug":"ad-cessna-340-32-wing-and-airframe","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":115594,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B08278-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/CESSNA 340/32 - Wing and Airframe","content":"COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 \\- 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY\n\nSCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES\n\n![](image.001.png)  \nCessna 340 Series Aeroplanes\n\nAD/CESSNA 340/32 Wing and Airframe 10/95\n\nApplicability: All Cessna Model 340 and 340A Series aircraft.\n\nRequirement: 1. Retire the wing main spar lower cap and wing upper and lower attachment fittings from service.\n\nNote: The centre section spar caps and attachment fittings are not affected by this Requirement.\n\n2. Retire the remainder of the airframe from service.\n\nCompliance: 1. Retire components, in accordance with Requirement 1, before exceeding 22 300 hours time in service or 20 300 flights, whichever occurs first.\n\n2. Retire airframe, in accordance with Requirement 2, before exceeding 44 600 hours time in service or 40 600 flights, whichever occurs first.\n\nNote 1: For aircraft with an unknown number of flights an estimate shall be made by dividing the number of hours flown by an average flight time of 0.8 hours.\n\nNote 2: The available fatigue data covers wing main spars only. The durability of other parts of the airframe has not been evaluated, and is therefore unknown. Based on experience, the Authority is prepared to credit unevaluated structure with a retirement life equal to double the life for the wing spar (Requirement 2). An extension beyond this may be available, but any application must be supported by a fatigue substantiation covering all the remaining primary structure. This should include empennage, wing centre section, wing rear spar, control surfaces, fuselage, etc. The substantiation may take the form of a safe life assessment, or a sufficiently rigorous revised inspection schedule to ensure that any fatigue cracking which could occur in service will be detected before the aircraft is endangered.\n\nBackground: Results of full scale fatigue testing of the wing, flight load data analysis and fleet usage have been used to establish the fatigue life for the Cessna 340 Series wing spar and attachment fittings. The remainder of the airframe is allowed two spar lives without further substantiation.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument applies to all Cessna Model 340 and 340A aircraft and sets specific component and airframe retirement lives based on wing fatigue testing; it allows other structure two spar lives unless a fatigue substantiation is provided. The text contains no indication that the coverage or applicability has been broadened or narrowed from an earlier intent."},"complexity_factors":["Dual retirement criteria (hours OR flights) requiring operators to track and compare two metrics for each aircraft (Requirement 1 & Requirement 2).","Estimation rule for unknown flight counts using hours ÷ 0.8, which introduces calculation and recordkeeping uncertainty (Note 1).","Fatigue data is explicitly limited to wing main spars; the remainder of the airframe is assumed to have twice the spar life unless proven otherwise, creating a conditional rule dependent on further analysis (Note 2).","Extensions beyond the stated lives require a comprehensive fatigue substantiation or revised inspection schedule covering all primary structure (Note 2) — a technically demanding and potentially costly approval pathway.","Hard numeric retirement thresholds (22,300/20,300 and 44,600/40,600) impose clear compliance triggers and likely replacement/disposal costs for owners/operators (Requirement 1 & Requirement 2).","Background reliance on full-scale fatigue testing and fleet usage means operators and the regulator must interpret technical load-data and testing results to support compliance and any extension applications (Background).","Enforcement and monitoring burden on the regulator and recordkeeping burden on operators to demonstrate compliance across hours, flights, component retirement and any substantiation submissions."],"plain_english_summary":"This airworthiness directive requires owners/operators of all Cessna 340/340A aeroplanes to remove specified wing spar components and, later, the remaining airframe from service at set life limits. It sets component retirement at 22,300 flight hours or 20,300 flights and full-airframe retirement at 44,600 hours or 40,600 flights, with flights estimated by dividing hours by 0.8 if unknown. It rests on wing fatigue tests; operators bear the cost of tracking hours/flights, retiring parts/airframes, or funding a fatigue substantiation if seeking life-extension."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete airworthiness directive with a single, focused purpose: establishing retirement lives for specific aircraft components. It has not expanded beyond its original safety-critical intent."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-purpose document (2 pages)","Only 2 defined thresholds (hours vs flights with 'whichever occurs first' logic)","Minimal cross-referencing (only refers to Civil Aviation Regulations Part 39)","Two calculation notes for edge cases (unknown flight counts and potential extensions)","Clear structure: Applicability → Requirement → Compliance → Background"],"plain_english_summary":"This AD mandates firm end-of-service limits for Cessna 340/340A aircraft: wing spars and attachment fittings must be removed before 22,300 flight hours or 20,300 flights, and the entire airframe before 44,600 hours or 40,600 flights. It affects owners, operators and maintenance organisations.\n\nIt matters because fatigue testing shows the wing spars have a limited safe life and continued flight risks structural failure; operators wanting longer use must prove safety by engineering analysis. If flight cycles are unknown, estimate cycles = hours ÷ 0.8."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-340-32-wing-and-airframe","history":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-340-32-wing-and-airframe/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-340-32-wing-and-airframe/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-340-32-wing-and-airframe/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-340-32-wing-and-airframe/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-cessna-340-32-wing-and-airframe/documents"}}