{"id":"F2006B05948","name":"AD/PA-38/10 - Stabiliser/Elevator Leading Edge - Inspection and Modification","slug":"ad-pa-38-10-stabiliser-elevator-leading-edge-inspection-and-modification","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":136095,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B05948-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/PA-38/10 - Stabiliser/Elevator Leading Edge - Inspection and Modification","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-38 (Tomahawk) Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\n# AD/PA-38/10 Stabiliser/Elevator Leading Edge - Inspection\n\nand Modification Applicability: All models PA-38-112 with S/Nos. 38-78A0001 to 38-78A0400. Document:               1. Piper SB No. 607A, Part III; or\n\n2. FAA AD 78-22-01, amendment 39-3323.\n\n# 1/79\n\n \n\nCompliance: Unless already accomplished, within 50 hours time in service after 20 November 1978.\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 supplied AD text sets out a single, specific requirement (inspection/modification) for a defined set of serial numbers and cites the technical documents to be used. The text contains no language indicating a change from an earlier or original scope within the supplied material; therefore no change of scope is evident in this document."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow and clearly defined applicability by model and serial-number range (lowers complexity). (Applicability)","Short, specific compliance deadline (straightforward but operationally constraining). (Compliance)","No technical steps included in the AD itself — compliance depends on external documents (Piper SB No. 607A Part III or FAA AD 78-22-01), which raises reliance on those sources. (Document)","Lack of procedural detail in the AD creates potential for uncertainty about evidence of compliance and interpretation of the technical requirements. (Document; Compliance)","Historical date and amendment references may require retrieval of older documents, adding administrative friction. (Document; Compliance)"],"plain_english_summary":"What this document does (mechanically)\n\n- This is an airworthiness directive (AD) issued under Commonwealth civil aviation arrangements that requires specific inspections and modifications to the stabiliser/elevator leading edge on certain Piper PA-38-112 (Tomahawk) aeroplanes. (Header; AD title)\n- It applies only to PA-38-112 aircraft with serial numbers 38-78A0001 through 38-78A0400. (Applicability)\n- The AD requires compliance with the technical instructions given in either Piper Service Bulletin No. 607A Part III or FAA AD 78-22-01 (amendment 39-3323). The operator/maintainer must carry out the inspection and any modification according to those documents. (Document)\n- The compliance deadline is: unless already done, complete the required work within 50 hours time in service after 20 November 1978. (Compliance)\n\nWho is affected and who decides\n\n- Affected parties: owners, operators and maintenance organisations responsible for the listed PA-38-112 serial numbers. (Applicability)\n- Decision issuer: the directive is issued as part of the Commonwealth civil aviation airworthiness directives schedule (Civil Aviation Safety Authority framework). The AD itself directs which technical documents to follow. (Header; Document)\n\nWhy it matters (stated purpose and practical implication)\n\n- The AD’s stated action is inspection and modification of the stabiliser/elevator leading edge. The AD text does not set out a narrative justification beyond that requirement; it prescribes the work and references the technical documents that specify how to do it. (AD title; Document)\n\nTesting that stated purpose against practical effects, costs and incentives\n\n- Who pays: the aircraft owner/operator pays for labour, parts and any associated maintenance costs needed to perform the inspection and modification required by the referenced documents. (Applicability; Document)\n- Timing and operational cost: the AD imposes a short compliance window (50 hours TIS after 20 Nov 1978) for those aircraft that had not already complied. That creates potential aircraft downtime and scheduling costs for owners/operators. (Compliance)\n- Compliance path and discretion: the AD does not give technical steps itself; it requires following the referenced Piper service bulletin or the FAA AD. That delegates the technical method to those documents and to the maintenance organisation doing the work. The AD allows no alternative method in its text (other than that the work may already be accomplished). (Document; Compliance)\n- Compliance burden and proof: operators must demonstrate the inspection/modification has been accomplished within the timeframe or already completed. The AD text does not prescribe the form of evidence, but compliance will depend on maintenance records and adherence to the referenced documents. (Compliance; Document)\n- Concentration of cost/benefit: the directive targets a narrow set of serial numbers. The costs of compliance (labour, parts, downtime) fall directly on the specific owners/operators of those aircraft; any benefits claimed by the issuer would flow to those same aircraft by addressing the specified component. (Applicability)\n- Implementation risk and opportunity cost: because the AD relies on external technical documents for instructions, any ambiguity or unavailability in those documents could impede timely and correct compliance. Operators must allocate maintenance resources within the short compliance window, which may displace other scheduled work. (Document; Compliance)\n\nBottom line\n\n- Mechanically, this AD compels defined inspection and modification work on the stabiliser/elevator leading edge for PA-38-112 aircraft in the stated serial-number range, within a set short timeframe, by reference to specified Piper/FAA technical documents. Owners/operators bear the direct cost and responsibility to comply; the AD delegates the technical particulars to the referenced service bulletin or FAA AD and does not itself set out the detailed steps or acceptance criteria. (Applicability; Document; Compliance)"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, time-bound safety directive from 1978/1979 with a narrow, specific scope (particular serial numbers of one aircraft model). It has not expanded beyond its original purpose of addressing a specific airworthiness issue in early PA-38 aircraft."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document — essentially a single-page safety order","Only 1 defined applicability criterion (serial number range)","Simple binary compliance condition (done by deadline or already done)","No nested exceptions or conditional logic","Clear reference to external technical documents (Piper SB and FAA AD) rather than embedding complex technical specifications","Single compliance deadline with straightforward time-in-service calculation"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this is:** This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — a mandatory safety order issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for specific aircraft.\n\n**What it does:** It requires owners and operators of certain Piper PA-38 Tomahawk aeroplanes to **inspect and modify the leading edge of the stabiliser/elevator** (the horizontal tail surfaces that control the aircraft's pitch). This addresses a known safety defect.\n\n**Who it affects:** Only specific Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk aircraft with serial numbers between **38-78A0001 and 38-78A0400** — essentially early production models from 1978.\n\n**What must be done:**\n- **Inspection and modification** of the stabiliser/elevator leading edge\n- Must follow either:\n  - **Piper Service Bulletin No. 607A, Part III** (the manufacturer's official repair instructions), OR\n  - **FAA AD 78-22-01** (the equivalent US safety order)\n\n**When it must be done:** Within **50 hours of flying time** after **20 November 1978** — unless the work was already completed.\n\n**Why it matters:** Airworthiness Directives are legally binding safety-critical orders. Non-compliance means the aircraft cannot legally fly. This particular AD addresses a structural or aerodynamic defect in the tail section that could affect flight safety."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-pa-38-10-stabiliser-elevator-leading-edge-inspection-and-modification","history":"/api/acts/ad-pa-38-10-stabiliser-elevator-leading-edge-inspection-and-modification/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-pa-38-10-stabiliser-elevator-leading-edge-inspection-and-modification/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-pa-38-10-stabiliser-elevator-leading-edge-inspection-and-modification/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-pa-38-10-stabiliser-elevator-leading-edge-inspection-and-modification/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-pa-38-10-stabiliser-elevator-leading-edge-inspection-and-modification/documents"}}