{"id":"F2006B09090","name":"AD/DHC-3/4 - Cargo Door Handles","slug":"ad-dhc-3-4-cargo-door-handles","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":115643,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B09090-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/DHC-3/4 - Cargo Door Handles","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-3/4 Cargo Door Handles NK\n\nApplicability: All models with S/Nos 2 to 31 except 24.\n\n \n\nRequirement: Action in accordance with De H Canada TNS Otter no 21.\n\n \n\nNote: Canadian AD 54-7 refers.\n\n \n\nCompliance: Forthwith.\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The document, as presented, sets a specific and limited scope: it applies to DHC-3 (Otter) aeroplanes with serial numbers 2–31 except 24 and requires action per De Havilland Canada TNS Otter no. 21 with immediate effect. The text contains no indications that the applicability or requirements were amended from an earlier version, nor does it state any changes to scope within the instrument itself. It also notes a related Canadian AD (Canadian AD 54-7) but does not alter the stated applicability or requirements."},"complexity_factors":["Short, narrowly targeted directive with a clear applicability (serial numbers 2–31 except 24) keeps substantive scope limited.","Primary substantive content is external: the AD mandates compliance with De Havilland Canada TNS Otter no. 21 rather than reproducing required steps, which requires users to obtain and interpret an external technical document.","Immediate compliance requirement (\"forthwith\") compresses operational timelines and raises practical complexity for scheduling and aircraft availability.","Cross-reference to a foreign AD (Canadian AD 54-7) introduces a cross-jurisdictional dependency for context or supplementary instruction.","The AD does not state enforcement, reporting, or alternative-compliance procedures, so implementers must consult broader regulatory framework for those details."],"plain_english_summary":"What this instrument does\n\n- Orders immediate corrective action on the cargo door handles of certain De Havilland Canada DHC-3 (Otter) aeroplanes. (See \"Cargo Door Handles\" heading and \"Requirement\".)\n\nWho is affected\n\n- Owners and operators of DHC-3 (Otter) aeroplanes with serial numbers 2 through 31, except serial number 24. (See \"Applicability: All models with S/Nos 2 to 31 except 24.\")\n\nHow it works, mechanically\n\n- The directive requires the operator/owner to carry out the work specified in De Havilland Canada TNS Otter no. 21. The AD itself does not list the steps; it refers operators to that external technical notice. (See \"Requirement: Action in accordance with De H Canada TNS Otter no 21.\")\n- The timing is immediate: the work must be done \"forthwith,\" meaning without delay. (See \"Compliance: Forthwith.\")\n- The AD also cross-references a related Canadian airworthiness directive (Canadian AD 54-7). (See \"Note: Canadian AD 54-7 refers.\")\n\nWho pays and who decides\n\n- The legal obligation falls on the owners/operators of the affected aircraft to obtain the De Havilland Canada technical notice and to perform the prescribed work. (Implied by the Applicability and Requirement statements.)\n- The AD sets the mandatory requirement and the timing; it does not delegate discretion or provide alternative compliance options within the text. (See \"Requirement\" and \"Compliance.\")\n\nCost, incentives and compliance mechanics\n\n- Compliance will impose direct costs on owners/operators: obtaining the referenced technical notice, carrying out inspections/repairs/modifications described in that notice, paying labour and parts, and any aircraft downtime while work is done. (Implied by the Requirement referencing an external maintenance action and the Compliance timing.)\n- Because the AD does not specify the remedial steps itself, operators must rely on the manufacturer technical notice (De H Canada TNS Otter no. 21) and possibly the referenced Canadian AD for detailed instructions. That creates a dependence on external documents for both the technical content and any parts or procedures needed. (See \"Requirement\" and \"Note\".)\n- The immediate compliance requirement may force short-term operational decisions: schedule maintenance immediately, ground the aircraft until work is completed, or otherwise remove affected aircraft from service pending compliance. The AD text does not describe allowable operational continuations or exemptions. (See \"Compliance: Forthwith.\")\n\nImplementation and enforcement risk\n\n- The AD is prescriptive and leaves little procedural discretion in the text; enforcement mechanisms are not detailed here. The document does not state penalties or post-compliance reporting requirements; those would be governed by the broader Civil Aviation Regulations and the regulator's enforcement practices. (The instrument is published under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, Part 39 — Schedule of Airworthiness Directives.)\n\nTrade-offs and substitution effects to note\n\n- The measure shifts immediate maintenance and inspection workload onto affected operators and onto maintenance providers who will perform the work.\n- Because the AD points to an external technical notice rather than reproducing instructions, cost and timing depend on access to that notice and on the content it prescribes. (See \"Requirement: Action in accordance with De H Canada TNS Otter no 21.\")\n\nSource anchors\n\n- Applicability: \"All models with S/Nos 2 to 31 except 24.\" (Applicability)\n- Requirement: \"Action in accordance with De H Canada TNS Otter no 21.\" (Requirement)\n- Note on related foreign directive: \"Canadian AD 54-7 refers.\" (Note)\n- Timing: \"Compliance: Forthwith.\" (Compliance)\n"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, targeted safety directive focused specifically on cargo door handles for a limited subset of DHC-3 Otter aircraft. It has not expanded beyond its original narrow technical purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short document (under 150 words)","Only one substantive requirement referencing an external technical document","No defined terms section","No conditional logic or nested exceptions","Single applicability criterion (serial number range with one exclusion)","Cross-reference to only one external document (Canadian AD 54-7)"],"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 De Havilland Canada DHC-3 'Otter' aircraft (serial numbers 2–31, excluding number 24).\n\n**What it does:** Requires the owners or operators of these aircraft to take immediate action to fix or inspect the **cargo door handles** following technical instructions from the manufacturer (De Havilland Canada Technical Note Supplement Otter no. 21).\n\n**Why it matters:** Faulty cargo door handles could potentially cause doors to open unexpectedly during flight, creating a serious safety risk. The directive references a Canadian safety order (AD 54-7), showing this is part of international coordination on aircraft safety.\n\n**Who must comply:** Anyone operating the affected aircraft must complete the required work **'forthwith'** (immediately, without delay)."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-dhc-3-4-cargo-door-handles","history":"/api/acts/ad-dhc-3-4-cargo-door-handles/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-dhc-3-4-cargo-door-handles/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-dhc-3-4-cargo-door-handles/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-dhc-3-4-cargo-door-handles/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-dhc-3-4-cargo-door-handles/documents"}}