{"id":"F2006B09057","name":"AD/DHC-3/1 - Rudder Quadrant, Rudder Pedal Linkage, Tail Wheel Assembly and Rear Fuselage","slug":"ad-dhc-3-1-rudder-quadrant-rudder-pedal-linkage-tail-wheel-assembly-and-rear-fuselage","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":52795,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B09057-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/DHC-3/1 - Rudder Quadrant, Rudder Pedal Linkage, Tail Wheel Assembly and Rear Fuselage","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)  DHC-3 (Otter) Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\nAD/DHC-3/1 Rudder Quadrant, Rudder Pedal Linkage, NK Tail Wheel Assembly and Rear Fuselage\n\nApplicability: As detailed in Requirement Document.\n\n \n\nRequirement: Action in accordance with De H Canada TNS Otter Nos 3 or 4, 6 and 9.\n\n \n\nNote: Canadian AD 53-16 refers.\n\n \n\nCompliance: Forthwith.\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":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a standard, narrow airworthiness directive targeting specific mechanical components of a single aircraft type. It reflects the original purpose of such instruments: targeted safety interventions for identified technical defects."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short document (approximately 150 words)","Only 4 defined structural components mentioned","Single compliance requirement with external reference to manufacturer documents","No nested conditions, exceptions, or procedural subsections","No cross-references to other legislation beyond a single note about a Canadian AD","Binary applicability (applies to DHC-3 series or doesn't)"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — essentially a mandatory safety order — issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for a specific type of aircraft: the **de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter** series.\n\n**What it does:**\n- Requires owners and operators of these aircraft to inspect and potentially fix problems with four specific components:\n  - The **rudder quadrant** (the mechanism that connects foot pedals to the rudder)\n  - The **rudder pedal linkage** (the connecting rods and cables)\n  - The **tail wheel assembly** (the small wheel at the back of the plane)\n  - The **rear fuselage** (the back section of the aircraft body)\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Anyone who owns, operates, or maintains DHC-3 Otter aircraft in Australia.\n\n**Why it matters:**\n- These components are critical for controlling the aircraft on the ground and in the air. Failures could lead to loss of directional control.\n- The directive references specific technical documents from the manufacturer (De Havilland Canada Technical News Sheets) and a Canadian airworthiness directive, suggesting this addresses known safety issues discovered in Canada.\n- **\"Forthwith\"** means operators must comply immediately — there's no grace period.\n\n**In short:** If you fly or maintain a DHC-3 Otter in Australia, you must immediately check these four parts against the manufacturer's instructions to keep the aircraft airworthy."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument, as presented, sets a corrective action requirement for specified DHC-3 components and delegates technical detail to De H Canada TNS documents. It does not indicate any amendment to or expansion of scope beyond those instructions. The text references applicability in a separate Requirement Document and a related Canadian AD (\"Applicability: As detailed in Requirement Document.\"; \"Note: Canadian AD 53-16 refers.\"), but does not itself change or broaden the stated scope beyond mandating the referenced actions; therefore there is no evidence in this text that the scope has changed from the original instrument."},"complexity_factors":["Cross-reference to external technical documents (De H Canada TNS Otter Nos 3 or 4, 6 and 9) rather than containing technical steps in-line (\"Requirement\").","Applicability is defined in a separate Requirement Document rather than in this text, requiring consultation of another document (\"Applicability\").","Immediate compliance obligation (\"Forthwith\") increases operational urgency and reduces time for planning.","Short text lacks detail on alternative compliance methods, exemptions, or implementation procedures, creating interpretive work for operators and maintainers.","Technical subject matter (rudder quadrant, pedal linkage, tail wheel assembly, rear fuselage) requires specialised maintenance expertise and parts, which raises logistical complexity."],"plain_english_summary":"- What this instrument does mechanically\n  - Orders operators of DHC-3 (Otter) series aeroplanes to carry out specified action affecting the rudder quadrant, rudder pedal linkage, NK tail wheel assembly and rear fuselage. (See \"Requirement\": \"Action in accordance with De H Canada TNS Otter Nos 3 or 4, 6 and 9\".)\n  - Makes applicability dependent on a separate Requirement Document (\"Applicability: As detailed in Requirement Document\").\n  - Requires compliance immediately (\"Compliance: Forthwith\").\n  - Cross-references a Canadian airworthiness directive (\"Note: Canadian AD 53-16 refers\").\n\n  - Who is affected and who decides\n  - Affected parties: owners and operators of DHC-3 (Otter) series aeroplanes that are within the applicability set out in the Requirement Document (see \"Applicability\").\n  - Decision-makers: the Civil Aviation Safety Authority issues the directive; the specific technical steps to be followed are those described in the De H Canada TNS Otter documents cited in the Requirement. Operators must follow those technical instructions to comply (see \"Requirement\").\n\n  - Practical consequences, incentives and costs\n  - Operators must obtain and follow the referenced De H Canada TNS Otter documents (Nos 3 or 4, 6 and 9) to perform whatever inspection, modification or repair those documents specify (see \"Requirement\"). That creates direct compliance costs: labour, parts, and aircraft downtime. The directive requires these actions immediately (see \"Compliance\"), increasing the short-term scheduling and cash-flow effect on operators.\n  - The directive does not include the specific technical steps in this text; it relies on external technical documents. That means operators need access to those documents and to any special parts or qualified maintenance providers they require to implement them (see \"Requirement\" and \"Applicability\").\n  - Because the AD cross-references a Canadian AD (\"Note: Canadian AD 53-16 refers\"), operators and maintainers may need to consult both the referenced De H Canada TNS documents and the Canadian AD to determine precise obligations.\n\n  - Trade-offs, compliance burden and implementation risk\n  - Trade-offs: the instrument imposes an immediate operational and financial burden on affected operators in order to implement the prescribed actions. The text itself does not state the safety deficiency or the magnitude of risk; it simply prescribes that the referenced actions be carried out (see entire instrument).\n  - Compliance burden: immediate timing (\"Forthwith\") reduces the window for planning and can increase short-term costs. The need to follow separate technical documents shifts the burden of interpretation and procurement to operators and their maintenance organisations (see \"Requirement\" and \"Applicability\").\n  - Implementation risks: if the Requirement Document or the referenced De H Canada TNS documents are not readily available, or if required parts or qualified labour are scarce, operators may face delays or higher costs. The short text leaves limited internal detail about alternative means of compliance or exemptions.\n\n  - Who pays and who benefits\n  - Who pays: owners/operators bear the direct costs of complying (inspections, repairs, parts, maintenance labour, and aircraft downtime) as required by the AD (see \"Requirement\" and \"Compliance\").\n  - Who benefits: the intended benefit is to address the specified components on the listed aeroplanes; the instrument itself does not quantify the benefit in this text. The note that a Canadian AD is relevant indicates the action is aligned with another regulator's directive (see \"Note\").\n\n  - Concentrated benefits, substitution and market effects\n  - The directive creates immediate demand for whatever maintenance actions, parts or services the referenced TNS documents require. That can concentrate near-term revenue to maintenance providers or parts suppliers able to meet the demand. Operators may substitute by scheduling work with different providers or grounding aircraft until compliance is achieved.\n\n  - Summary of legal mechanics to comply\n  - Check whether an individual DHC-3 is within the Requirement Document's applicability (see \"Applicability\").\n  - Obtain and follow De H Canada TNS Otter Nos 3 or 4, 6 and 9 as the technical basis for the required work (see \"Requirement\").\n  - Complete the prescribed actions without delay (\"Compliance: Forthwith\").\n\n  (Cited text locations: \"Applicability: As detailed in Requirement Document.\"; \"Requirement: Action in accordance with De H Canada TNS Otter Nos 3 or 4, 6 and 9.\"; \"Note: Canadian AD 53-16 refers.\"; \"Compliance: Forthwith.\")"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-dhc-3-1-rudder-quadrant-rudder-pedal-linkage-tail-wheel-assembly-and-rear-fuselage","history":"/api/acts/ad-dhc-3-1-rudder-quadrant-rudder-pedal-linkage-tail-wheel-assembly-and-rear-fuselage/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-dhc-3-1-rudder-quadrant-rudder-pedal-linkage-tail-wheel-assembly-and-rear-fuselage/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-dhc-3-1-rudder-quadrant-rudder-pedal-linkage-tail-wheel-assembly-and-rear-fuselage/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-dhc-3-1-rudder-quadrant-rudder-pedal-linkage-tail-wheel-assembly-and-rear-fuselage/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-dhc-3-1-rudder-quadrant-rudder-pedal-linkage-tail-wheel-assembly-and-rear-fuselage/documents"}}