{"id":"F2006B05793","name":"AD/PA-31/87 - Electroluminescent Panel Inverters","slug":"ad-pa-31-87-electroluminescent-panel-inverters","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":135696,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B05793-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/PA-31/87 - Electroluminescent Panel Inverters","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-31 Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\nAD/PA-31/87 Electroluminescent Panel Inverters 12/79\n\nApplicability: Models PA-31T1 Cheyenne I S/Nos. 31T-7804001 to 31-7904016, and PA-31T1 Cheyenne/Cheyenne II S/Nos. 31T-7400002 to 31T-7920036.\n\n \n\nRequirement: Action in accordance with Piper SB No. 640.\n\n \n\nNote: (FAA AD 79-19-09 Amdt. 39-3560 refers).\n\n \n\nCompliance: Within 100 hours time in service after 31 December 1979.\n\n \n\nBackground: There have been a number of cases overseas where shorting has occurred in the electroluminescent panel inverters resulting in smoke in the cockpit.\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 discrete, time-bound safety directive issued in 1979 for a specific technical defect. It has not expanded beyond its original purpose of addressing electroluminescent panel inverter failures in specific Piper aircraft."},"complexity_factors":["Single, specific technical requirement referencing an external document (Piper SB No. 640)","Narrow applicability limited to specific aircraft models and serial number ranges","Simple compliance deadline (100 hours time in service after fixed date)","No defined terms section, no cross-references to other legislation beyond a note about related FAA directive","Straightforward background explanation without nested conditions or exceptions"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — essentially a mandatory safety order issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for specific aircraft.\n\n**What it does:**\nOrders owners and operators of certain Piper PA-31 Cheyenne aircraft to inspect or fix a problem with **electroluminescent panel inverters** — electrical components that power the glowing instrument panels in the cockpit.\n\n**Who it affects:**\nSpecific Piper aircraft models:\n- PA-31T1 Cheyenne I (serial numbers 31T-7804001 to 31-7904016)\n- PA-31T1 Cheyenne/Cheyenne II (serial numbers 31T-7400002 to 31T-7920036)\n\n**What must be done:**\nFollow the instructions in **Piper Service Bulletin No. 640** — a technical notice from the manufacturer detailing the required inspection or repair.\n\n**When:**\nWithin 100 hours of flight time after 31 December 1979.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nOverseas, these inverters have short-circuited, causing **smoke in the cockpit** — a serious flight safety hazard that could distract pilots or indicate electrical fire risk.\n\n**Key point:** This is not optional. Airworthiness Directives are legally binding safety requirements. Non-compliance means the aircraft cannot legally fly."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The directive imposes a new mandatory maintenance requirement on a defined set of aircraft (the specific PA-31T1 Cheyenne serial numbers). It changes the operators' maintenance obligations by requiring action in accordance with Piper SB No. 640 within a specified compliance period (100 hours after 31 December 1979). The AD itself sets the compulsory scope and timing but delegates the precise technical steps to the referenced service bulletin (Applicability; Requirement; Compliance)."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow applicability limited to specific serial-numbered airframes (Applicability)","Key technical detail delegated to a separate document (Piper SB No. 640) rather than contained in the AD (Requirement)","Fixed, short compliance window that creates operational scheduling pressure (Compliance)","Cross-reference to an FAA AD for context but no further procedural detail in the AD text (Note)","Simple, single-action mandate (inspect/modify per SB) with no layered exemptions or conditional tests (Requirement)"],"plain_english_summary":"This directive makes compliance with Piper Service Bulletin No. 640 mandatory for specific Piper PA‑31T1 Cheyenne I and Cheyenne/Cheyenne II aircraft (the listed serial‑number ranges), requiring the corrective work within 100 flight hours after 31 Dec 1979. It affects owners/operators of those aircraft, who must arrange and pay for the service. The AD was issued after overseas incidents of electroluminescent inverter shorts causing cockpit smoke and mirrors a related FAA airworthiness directive."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-pa-31-87-electroluminescent-panel-inverters","history":"/api/acts/ad-pa-31-87-electroluminescent-panel-inverters/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-pa-31-87-electroluminescent-panel-inverters/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-pa-31-87-electroluminescent-panel-inverters/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-pa-31-87-electroluminescent-panel-inverters/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-pa-31-87-electroluminescent-panel-inverters/documents"}}