{"id":"F2006B05596","name":"AD/PA-28/38 - Stabilator Hinge Attaching Bolts - Inspection","slug":"ad-pa-28-38-stabilator-hinge-attaching-bolts-inspection","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":135206,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B05596-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/PA-28/38 - Stabilator Hinge Attaching Bolts - Inspection","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)  Piper PA-28 Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\nAD/PA-28/38 Stabilator Hinge Attaching Bolts - Inspection 6/78\n\nApplicability: All models referenced in requirement documents. Document:  1. Piper SL No. 614; or\n\n2. FAA AD 72-14-7.\n\n \n\nCompliance: Within 100 hours time in service after 31 August 1972.\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":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The text presents a single, narrowly framed requirement: inspect stabilator hinge attaching bolts on the PA-28 models identified in the referenced documents, within the stated 100-hour window. The instrument itself does not indicate any expansion or contraction of scope from an earlier or different intent; no change of scope is evident in the provided text."},"complexity_factors":["Relies on external technical documents (Piper SL No. 614 and FAA AD 72-14-7) for inspection procedure and affected-model list, requiring operators to consult additional sources.","Short, historical compliance window tied to a specific calendar date (100 hours after 31 August 1972) which is definitive but time-limited.","Lacks procedural detail in the text (no inspection method, acceptance criteria, or corrective-action steps included), increasing practical interpretive work.","Applicability phrasing is indirect (models referenced in requirement documents) rather than listing models explicitly, adding a step to determine exact scope.","Requires maintenance-record compliance and possible parts replacement costs, creating operational and financial obligations for owners/operators."],"plain_english_summary":"What this instrument does (mechanically)\n\n- It requires an inspection of the stabilator hinge attaching bolts on Piper PA-28 series aeroplanes. (See title and Applicability.)\n- The directive points operators to two documents for the specific inspection instructions: Piper Service Letter No. 614 or FAA Airworthiness Directive 72-14-7. (See Document references.)\n- The inspection must be completed within 100 hours time-in-service after 31 August 1972. (See Compliance.)\n\nWho it affects and who decides\n\n- Affected parties: owners and operators of the Piper PA-28 models referenced in the requirement documents. (Applicability: \"All models referenced in requirement documents\".)\n- Decision authority: the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has issued the directive and sets the mandatory requirement; the operator must follow the directive and the referenced technical documents. (Instrument heading and Document references.)\n\nWho pays and what behaviour must change\n\n- Cost-bearers: aircraft owners/operators pay for the inspection work (labour and any materials or replacement bolts if defects are found). The directive itself does not allocate funding or exemptions. (Implicit from the requirement to inspect.)\n- Behaviour change: responsible maintenance personnel must perform the stabilator hinge attaching-bolt inspection within the stated compliance window and follow the inspection procedures in Piper SL No. 614 or FAA AD 72-14-7. If the referenced documents require follow-up actions (repairs, part replacement), operators will need to carry those out.\n\nMechanics, incentives, and practical effects to check before acting\n\n- The AD is short on procedural detail in this text: it does not include the inspection method, acceptance criteria, or corrective actions. Operators must consult the two referenced documents (Piper SL No. 614 or FAA AD 72-14-7) for the technical steps. (Document references.)\n- Timing constraint: the compliance window is strictly defined (within 100 hours time-in-service after 31 August 1972). That creates a limited window that could have required prioritising inspections when it was current; the AD text itself does not state recurring inspection intervals. (Compliance.)\n- Administrative compliance: operators will need to record the inspection in maintenance logs in accordance with applicable maintenance regulations; the AD text does not specify the form of evidence required.\n\nTrade-offs, risks and implementation burden (source-grounded)\n\n- Benefit sought (as stated by the instrument title and placement): detection of potential problems with stabilator hinge attaching bolts. The text does not itself set out a safety rationale beyond the inspection requirement. (Title: \"Stabilator Hinge Attaching Bolts - Inspection\".)\n- Costs and burdens are concentrated on aircraft owners/operators who must schedule and pay for the inspection and any repairs. The AD references external technical documents for action details, which creates a dependency on those documents for compliance. (Applicability; Document references; Compliance.)\n- Risk of ambiguity: because the AD text here is brief and relies on external documents for the technical procedure and for identifying which PA-28 models are affected, there is an implementation risk that operators must locate and interpret those documents to know exactly what to do. (Applicability; Document references.)\n\nKey source citations\n\n- Applicability: \"All models referenced in requirement documents.\" (Applicability line.)\n- Document references: \"1. Piper SL No. 614; or 2. FAA AD 72-14-7.\" (Document line.)\n- Compliance timing: \"Within 100 hours time in service after 31 August 1972.\" (Compliance line.)"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, time-bound safety directive from 1972. It has not expanded beyond its original narrow purpose of inspecting specific bolts on specific aircraft. The document appears complete as issued."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short document — only 8 substantive lines","No defined terms section; all language is operational","Single compliance requirement with clear deadline","No nested exceptions or conditional logic","Cross-references only to external technical documents (Piper SL and FAA AD), not to other legislative provisions","No penalty clauses, appeal mechanisms, or administrative procedures included"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — essentially a mandatory safety order issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). It applies to **Piper PA-28 series aircraft** (popular single-engine planes often used for training and private flying).\n\n**What it requires:**\n- **Inspection of the stabilator hinge attaching bolts** — the stabilator is the moveable tail surface that controls the aircraft's pitch (nose up/down). The bolts that attach its hinges must be checked for cracks, wear, or other problems.\n\n**Who must comply:**\n- Owners and operators of all Piper PA-28 models covered by the referenced documents.\n\n**When:**\n- Within **100 hours of flying time** after **31 August 1972**.\n\n**Why it matters:**\n- If these bolts fail in flight, the pilot could lose pitch control — a potentially catastrophic situation. This AD was issued to prevent accidents caused by structural failure in the tail section.\n\n**How to comply:**\n- Follow either **Piper Service Letter No. 614** or **FAA Airworthiness Directive 72-14-7** (the US equivalent safety notice). These documents detail exactly how to inspect the bolts and what to do if problems are found."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-pa-28-38-stabilator-hinge-attaching-bolts-inspection","history":"/api/acts/ad-pa-28-38-stabilator-hinge-attaching-bolts-inspection/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-pa-28-38-stabilator-hinge-attaching-bolts-inspection/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-pa-28-38-stabilator-hinge-attaching-bolts-inspection/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-pa-28-38-stabilator-hinge-attaching-bolts-inspection/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-pa-28-38-stabilator-hinge-attaching-bolts-inspection/documents"}}