{"id":"F2006B08556","name":"AD/CHA/3 - Fuel System Drain","slug":"ad-cha-3-fuel-system-drain","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":51360,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B08556-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/CHA/3 - Fuel System Drain","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)  American Champion (Aeronca, Bellanca) Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\nAD/CHA/3 Fuel System Drain 10/71\n\nApplicability: All models.\n\n \n\nRequirement:  Install an approved fuel drain cock at the lowest point of the fuel system plumbing. Compliance:              Before 29 October 1971.\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","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, single-issue safety directive from 1971. It has not expanded beyond its original narrow purpose of mandating a specific fuel system modification for a particular aircraft series."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short document (under 100 words of substantive content)","No defined terms section","No cross-references to other legislation","Single, unambiguous requirement with clear applicability","No conditional logic, exceptions, or nested provisions","Simple command structure: 'Install X at location Y by date Z'"],"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) under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998.\n\n**What it does:** It requires owners and operators of **American Champion aircraft** (including older models previously made by Aeronca and Bellanca) to install an approved fuel drain valve at the very lowest point of the fuel system plumbing.\n\n**Why it matters:** Water and sediment can collect in aircraft fuel tanks. Without a drain at the lowest point, this contamination stays trapped and can cause engine failure in flight. This rule ensures pilots can physically drain out water and debris before takeoff — a critical pre-flight safety check.\n\n**Who must comply:** Anyone operating these specific aircraft models. The deadline was **before 29 October 1971** — meaning this directive is long past its compliance date and applies to historical aircraft still in service."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument's scope is stated plainly in the text: it applies to \"All models\" of the American Champion (Aeronca, Bellanca) series and requires fitting an approved fuel drain cock at the lowest point of the fuel plumbing before the specified date. There is no indication within the provided text that the scope has been expanded or narrowed from an earlier or original intent."},"complexity_factors":["Single, narrowly defined technical requirement (install a drain cock at the lowest point of the fuel plumbing). (Requirement)","Clear, explicit deadline for compliance (before 29 October 1971). (Compliance)","Broad applicability in terms of models (applies to all models of the named series), but limited to a single retrofit action. (Applicability)","Use of the term \"approved\" for the required part introduces a dependency on an external approval process that is not defined in-text, creating a minor ambiguity. (Requirement: \"approved fuel drain cock\")","No procedural, enforcement, or penalty details in the text, reducing procedural complexity but leaving implementation details to other instruments or authorities. (AD text lacks enforcement detail)"],"plain_english_summary":"- What this instrument does, mechanically: This Airworthiness Directive (AD/CHA/3, \"Fuel System Drain\") requires that an \"approved fuel drain cock\" be installed at the lowest point of the fuel-system plumbing on the specified aeroplanes. (See: \"Requirement: Install an approved fuel drain cock at the lowest point of the fuel system plumbing.\")\n\n- Which aircraft it covers: The AD is directed at the American Champion (Aeronca, Bellanca) series aeroplanes and states the applicability as \"All models.\" (See: header and \"Applicability: All models.\")\n\n- Who must act and who pays: Owners or operators of the affected aeroplanes are the parties who must carry out the installation required by the AD. The text requires installation of an approved part before the deadline, so the direct costs of purchasing the approved drain cock and the labour to fit it fall on those owners/operators. (See: \"Applicability: All models.\" and \"Requirement: Install an approved fuel drain cock...\")\n\n- Timing and compliance mechanics: The AD sets a firm compliance date: the installation must be completed before 29 October 1971. (See: \"Compliance: Before 29 October 1971.\")\n\n- Approval and technical standard: The part to be fitted must be an \"approved\" fuel drain cock. The AD does not define in-text who grants that approval or the technical specification for approval; it simply makes approval a condition of compliance. (See: \"Install an approved fuel drain cock...\")\n\n- How it changes behaviour: Operators must procure an approved component and arrange for its installation at the specified location (the lowest point of the fuel plumbing). That creates a short-term operational task and a one-off retrofit cost for each affected aeroplane. (See: \"Requirement...\" and \"Compliance...\")\n\n- What the text states (and what it does not): The directive sets the mandatory action, the technical location for the fitting (lowest point of the fuel system plumbing), the affected fleet (all models of the named series), and the completion deadline. The text does not state a rationale for the requirement, does not state who issues or defines the meaning of \"approved,\" and does not specify enforcement steps or penalties for non-compliance within the text provided. (See: full AD text.)\n\n- Practical trade-offs and implementation points to note (source-grounded):\n  - Immediate compliance cost: each affected aircraft requires purchase and fitting of the approved drain cock before the deadline (costs borne by owners/operators). (See: \"Requirement...\" and \"Compliance...\")\n  - Administrative/technical step: the instruction to use an \"approved\" part implies a need to identify or obtain a component that meets the approver's standard; the AD text itself does not state how approval is obtained or by whom. (See: \"approved fuel drain cock\" in Requirement.)\n  - Timing constraint: the compliance date fixes a deadline for action; implementation must be scheduled to meet that date. (See: \"Compliance: Before 29 October 1971.\")\n\n- Who decides and residual discretion: The AD imposes the obligation and the technical placement (lowest point). The requirement that the drain cock be \"approved\" introduces an external approval criterion but the AD text provided does not record who exercises that approval or how discretionary decisions about acceptable parts are made. (See: \"approved\" in Requirement.)"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-cha-3-fuel-system-drain","history":"/api/acts/ad-cha-3-fuel-system-drain/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-cha-3-fuel-system-drain/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-cha-3-fuel-system-drain/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-cha-3-fuel-system-drain/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-cha-3-fuel-system-drain/documents"}}