{"id":"F2005L00209","name":"AD/PA-28/96 Amdt 1 - Control Wheel Attachment","slug":"ad-pa-28-96-amdt-1-control-wheel-attachment","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":33732,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2005L00209-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Piper PA-28 Series Aeroplanes","sectionType":"division","heading":"Piper PA-28 Series Aeroplanes","content":"### Piper PA-28 Series Aeroplanes\n\n| AD/PA-28/96 Amdt 1 | Control Wheel Attachment | 3/2005 |\n| ------------------ | ------------------------ | ------ |\n\n| Applicability: | Group A aircraft:Models Serial NumbersPA-28-161 Warrior III 2842026 through 2842180PA-28-181 Archer III 2843112 through 2843565PA-28R-201 Arrow 2844014 through 2844099Group B aircraft:PA-28-161 Warrior III 2842181 through 2842203PA-28-181 Archer III 2843566 through 2843588PA-28R-201 Arrow 2844100 through 2844104 |\n| -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Requirement: | 1. For aircraft listed in Group A of the applicability part of this Directive, with the exception of aircraft listed in Group A that are already modified in accordance with the New Piper Aircraft Service Bulletin (SB) No. 1139, dated 28 August 2003; accomplish the following in accordance with Part I of SB No.1139A dated 9 April 2004:a. Inspect the control wheel attachment screw for proper thread engagement (minimum one thread showing past the end of the nut plate), and replace the screw before further flight if insufficient thread engagement is found.b. Inspect the nut plate for sufficient locking characteristics. If the screw can be fully inserted into the nut plate by hand (one thread showing past end of nut), then replacement of the nut plate is required before further flight.c. Reassemble the control wheel onto the control wheel shaft and install the attachment screw using Loctite thread-locking compound.2. For aircraft listed in Group A or Group B of the applicability part of this Directive, install retainer clip part number 104687-002 in accordance with Part II of SB No. 1139A, dated 9 April 2004. |\n| | Note: Corrected FAA AD 2004-14-12 Amdt 39-13721 refers. |\n| Compliance: | 1. Within 25 hours time in service after 11 August 2004.2. Within 100 hours time in service after 11 August 2004.The compliance times remain unchanged by this issue. |\n| | This Amendment becomes effective on 17 March 2005. |\n| Background: | The FAA received a report that a Model PA-28-181 aircraft crashed after the pilot lost control of the ailerons and elevator. Investigation revealed that the left control wheel single attachment screw had unscrewed from its nut plate, which resulted in the control wheel spinning freely on the control column. Further investigation revealed the screw was too short and the nut plate lacked proper locking characteristics.Amendment 1 is issued in response to the issue of a corrected copy of the related FAA AD, which corrects certain parts of the text. The only part requiring correction of this Directive was Requirement 1. text, “Part I of SB No. 1139 dated 9 April 2004” which was changed to “Part I of SB No. 1139A dated 9 April 2004”. |\n\n![](image.001.png) \nDavid Punshon \nDelegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority\n\n4 February 2005","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/PA-28/96 Amdt 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/PA-28/96 Amdt 1","content":"## AD/PA-28/96 Amdt 1","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"Control Wheel Attachment","sectionType":"part","heading":"Control Wheel Attachment","content":"## Control Wheel Attachment","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"3/2005","sectionType":"part","heading":"3/2005","content":"## 3/2005","sortOrder":3}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Amendment 1 corrects the cited service bulletin reference from 'SB No. 1139' to 'SB No. 1139A' (Background). The Directive's affected aircraft, required actions (inspection/replacement and retainer clip installation) and compliance times remain unchanged."},"complexity_factors":["Targeted applicability by model and narrow serial‑number ranges (Applicability table) increases administrative tracking for operators.","Different requirements for Group A versus Group B aircraft (Requirement: Part I applies to Group A except already‑modified; Part II applies to Group A and B).","Specific technical inspection criteria with pass/fail threshold: 'minimum one thread showing past the end of the nut plate' (Requirement 1.a and 1.b).","Two distinct corrective actions: conditional screw/nut plate replacement and mandatory installation of retainer clip part 104687‑002 (Requirement 1.a–c and 2).","Short, mandatory compliance windows (25 hours and 100 hours time in service after 11 August 2004) create immediate operational interruption (Compliance).","Dependence on an external technical document (Piper SB No. 1139A dated 9 April 2004) for procedural detail; amendment corrects the SB reference (Background).","A prior FAA AD and its corrected text are referenced, requiring cross‑checking of international regulatory documents (Note/Background)."],"plain_english_summary":"This airworthiness directive requires owners/operators of specific Piper PA‑28 models and serial numbers to inspect the control‑wheel attachment screw and nut plate, replace components if engagement or locking is insufficient, and install a retainer clip per Piper Service Bulletin No. 1139A. It sets short compliance windows (25 and 100 hours time‑in‑service) to address a reported crash caused by an unscrewed attachment screw that allowed the control wheel to spin freely."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a minor amendment (Amendment 1) that corrects a typographical error in the referenced service bulletin number (1139 to 1139A). The substantive safety requirements and scope remain identical to the original AD/PA-28/96 issued in response to the fatal accident."},"complexity_factors":["Two distinct aircraft groups (A and B) with different compliance requirements","Cross-reference to external technical document (Piper Service Bulletin 1139A) for detailed procedures","Nested conditional logic: Group A has an exception for already-modified aircraft, plus three sub-requirements (a, b, c)","Specific part numbers and technical specifications (Loctite compound, minimum thread engagement)","Dual compliance deadlines (25 hours vs 100 hours time in service)","Amendment structure requires reading background to understand what changed from original directive"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — essentially a mandatory safety notice for aircraft owners and operators. It applies to specific Piper PA-28 series aeroplanes (Warrior III, Archer III, and Arrow models with certain serial numbers).\n\n**What it does:**\nThe directive fixes a dangerous defect where the control wheel (the \"steering wheel\" of the plane) could detach from the control column mid-flight. This happened because:\n- The attachment screw was too short\n- The nut plate (a special nut that holds the screw) wasn't locking properly\n\n**What owners must do:**\n- **Group A aircraft:** Inspect and potentially replace the screw and nut plate, then reinstall the control wheel using thread-locking compound (a glue-like substance that stops screws loosening). Also install a retainer clip.\n- **Group B aircraft:** Just install the retainer clip.\n\n**When:**\n- The inspection and screw replacement must happen within 25 flight hours after 11 August 2004\n- The retainer clip installation within 100 flight hours after that date\n\n**Why it matters:**\nA pilot already crashed after losing control when their control wheel spun freely on the column. This directive prevents that happening again by ensuring the wheel stays firmly attached."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-pa-28-96-amdt-1-control-wheel-attachment","history":"/api/acts/ad-pa-28-96-amdt-1-control-wheel-attachment/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-pa-28-96-amdt-1-control-wheel-attachment/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-pa-28-96-amdt-1-control-wheel-attachment/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-pa-28-96-amdt-1-control-wheel-attachment/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-pa-28-96-amdt-1-control-wheel-attachment/documents"}}