{"id":"F2015L00359","name":"AD/GA8/8 Amdt 1 - Engine Mount Fire Seal Washer","slug":"ad-ga8-8-amdt-1-engine-mount-fire-seal-washer","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":92897,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2015L00359-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"GippsAero GA8 Series Aeroplanes","sectionType":"division","heading":"GippsAero GA8 Series Aeroplanes","content":"### GippsAero GA8 Series Aeroplanes\n\n| AD/GA8/8 Amdt 1 | Engine Mount Fire Seal Washer | 7/2015 |\n| --------------- | ----------------------------- | ------ |\n\n| Applicability: | All GA8-TC 320 aircraft up to and including serial number GA8-TC 320-14-205.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |\n| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |\n| Requirement:   | Comply with GippsAero Service Bulletin SB-GA8-2014-115 Issue 1, or later approved revision.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |\n| Compliance:    | Unless previously accomplished; within 300 hours flight time or 12 months, whichever occurs first, from 1 December 2014, (the original effective date of this AD).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |\n|                | This Amendment becomes effective on 1 April 2015.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |\n| Background:    | A recent review of the engine mount installation on the GA8-TC 320 aircraft has highlighted the omission of engine mount fire seal washers during the assembly process.The current engine mount configuration does not meet the certification basis for the aircraft, specifically regulation 23.865 of the Federal Aviation Regulations of the United States of America, where engine mounts located in designated fire zones are required to be suitably shielded so that they are capable of withstanding the effects of a fire.The Gippsland Aeronautics GA8-TC 320 aircraft require the installation of an approved steel washer at each of the engine mount locations to address a potential risk of reduced engine retention capability in the event of a fire.This AD, AD/GA8/8 Amdt 1, amends the applicability statement to be inclusive of the affected aircraft serial number range. |\n\n![](image.001.png)\n\nMike Higgins  \nDelegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority\n\n26 March 2015","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/GA8/8 Amdt 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/GA8/8 Amdt 1","content":"## AD/GA8/8 Amdt 1","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"Engine Mount Fire Seal Washer","sectionType":"part","heading":"Engine Mount Fire Seal Washer","content":"## Engine Mount Fire Seal Washer","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"7/2015","sectionType":"part","heading":"7/2015","content":"## 7/2015","sortOrder":3}],"analysis":{"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"},"summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument amends AD/GA8/8 to expand and clarify the applicability statement, making clear that all GA8-TC 320 aircraft up to serial number GA8-TC 320-14-205 are affected."},"complexity_factors":["Amendment to an existing AD","Clarifies applicability by serial number range","Simple installation requirement per service bulletin","Compliance period tied to calendar time and flight hours"],"plain_english_summary":"This amendment to CASA AD/GA8/8 corrects the applicability to include all GA8‑TC 320 aeroplanes up to serial GA8‑TC 320‑14‑205. The AD requires owners/operators to fit a steel fire‑seal washer at each engine mount because the washers were omitted during assembly, leaving the mount short of FAR 23.865 fire‑protection and risking reduced engine retention in a fire. The compliance deadline and required GippsAero service bulletin remain unchanged; amendment effective 1 April 2015."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The amendment expanded the AD's applicability by explicitly including the affected serial number range (up to and including GA8‑TC 320‑14‑205). Mechanically the AD still mandates the same modification, but more aircraft are brought into scope by this amendment."},"complexity_factors":["Single, discrete modification: installation of an approved steel washer at each engine mount (straightforward hardware change).","Cross-reference to external document: requires following GippsAero Service Bulletin SB‑GA8‑2014‑115 (or later approved revision), creating dependency on obtaining the SB and any approved revisions.","Specific serial-number applicability: affects aircraft up to and including GA8‑TC 320‑14‑205, so operators must check serial records.","Clear compliance window: 300 flight hours or 12 months from 1 Dec 2014 unless already done—adds scheduling and tracking tasks for operators.","Regulatory linkage: cites certification requirement (FAR 23.865), tying the AD to an airworthiness standard rather than purely local guidance.","Administrative enforcement: issued by CASA delegate (dates and effective amendment date specified), so regulatory compliance and possible audit/recording are involved.","Implementation risks that can affect complexity in practice: parts availability, workshop capacity, and downtime for affected operators."],"plain_english_summary":"This airworthiness directive requires an approved steel engine‑mount fire‑seal washer to be fitted to GippsAero GA8‑TC 320 aeroplanes up to and including serial number GA8‑TC 320‑14‑205, by following GippsAero Service Bulletin SB‑GA8‑2014‑115 (or later approved revision). Compliance must occur within 300 flight hours or 12 months from 1 December 2014; the amendment became effective 1 April 2015. Owners/operators pay for parts and labour and must schedule the work to meet CASA’s requirement; the change is intended to align the aircraft with FAR 23.865 fire‑protection standards."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This amendment slightly expands the applicability (serial number range) but does not alter the fundamental scope or purpose of the original directive. It remains a targeted safety fix for a specific manufacturing defect."},"complexity_factors":["Single, specific mechanical requirement (install washers per manufacturer bulletin)","Only one defined applicability criterion (serial number range)","Simple time-based compliance trigger (300 hours OR 12 months)","No nested exceptions, conditional logic, or cross-references to other legislation","Self-contained document with clear background explanation","Approximately 200 words of substantive content"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — essentially a mandatory safety notice issued by Australia's aviation regulator (CASA) requiring specific repairs or inspections on aircraft.\n\n**What it does:**\nOrders owners and operators of certain GippsAero GA8-TC 320 aeroplanes to install missing **fire seal washers** on the engine mounts. These are protective metal rings that shield the engine mounting structure from fire damage.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nDuring manufacturing, these washers were accidentally left out. Without them, if an engine fire occurred, the engine mounts could fail — meaning the engine could literally fall off the aircraft. This fixes a potentially catastrophic safety defect.\n\n**Who must comply:**\nAnyone who owns or operates a GA8-TC 320 aircraft with serial numbers up to GA8-TC 320-14-205 (roughly the first 205 aircraft built).\n\n**What they must do:**\nFollow the manufacturer's official repair instructions (Service Bulletin SB-GA8-2014-115) and install approved steel washers at each engine mount location.\n\n**When:**\nWithin 300 flight hours or 12 months from 1 December 2014, whichever comes first. This amended version took effect on 1 April 2015.\n\n**What's changed in this version:**\nThis is an **amendment** that expands which aircraft are covered — specifically updating the serial number range to include more affected planes than the original directive."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-ga8-8-amdt-1-engine-mount-fire-seal-washer","history":"/api/acts/ad-ga8-8-amdt-1-engine-mount-fire-seal-washer/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-ga8-8-amdt-1-engine-mount-fire-seal-washer/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-ga8-8-amdt-1-engine-mount-fire-seal-washer/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-ga8-8-amdt-1-engine-mount-fire-seal-washer/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-ga8-8-amdt-1-engine-mount-fire-seal-washer/documents"}}