{"id":"F2006B05963","name":"AD/PA-38/24 - Elevator Control Travel - Modification","slug":"ad-pa-38-24-elevator-control-travel-modification","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":136136,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B05963-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/PA-38/24 - Elevator Control Travel - 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\nAD/PA-38/24 Elevator Control Travel - Modification 2/85\n\nApplicability: All model PA-38-112 with S/Nos. 38-78A0001 to 38-82A0122. Requirement:  Piper SB No. 800.\n\nCompliance: Within 100 hours time in service after 28 February 1985 or at the next scheduled inspection for maintenance release issue after 28 February 1985, which ever is the later.\n\n \n\nBackground: It has been reported that when either control wheel is full AFT and an upward-and- forward pressure is applied, the potential exists that the pilot may be unable to move the control yoke out of the full AFT position.\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":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, single-issue airworthiness directive addressing a specific mechanical defect in a specific aircraft type. It has not expanded beyond its original purpose of mandating a safety modification to prevent elevator control jamming."},"complexity_factors":["Single, clearly defined applicability (specific model and serial number range)","Single requirement referencing an external standard (Piper SB No. 800)","Simple compliance deadline with two alternative triggers (100 hours TIS or next inspection)","No defined terms section","No cross-references to other legislation or regulations","No conditional logic or nested exceptions","Short, single-purpose document (approximately 150 words of substantive content)"],"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:**\nRequires owners and operators of certain Piper PA-38 Tomahawk aeroplanes to carry out a specific modification to the elevator control system.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- All Piper PA-38-112 model aircraft with serial numbers from 38-78A0001 to 38-82A0122\n- Aircraft owners, operators, and maintenance organisations responsible for these planes\n\n**The safety problem:**\nThere was a dangerous design flaw where, if a pilot pulled the control wheel fully back (the \"AFT\" position) and then applied upward-and-forward pressure, the control yoke could get stuck. This meant a pilot might be unable to move the controls out of the full back position — a serious safety risk during flight.\n\n**What must be done:**\nThe modification must be completed following **Piper Service Bulletin No. 800** (a manufacturer's official repair instruction). This must happen within 100 hours of flying time after 28 February 1985, or at the next scheduled inspection for issuing a maintenance release — whichever comes later.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis directive prevents potential loss of aircraft control. If the elevator controls jam in the full back position, the pilot cannot push the nose down, which could lead to a stall or crash. The AD makes the fix legally mandatory, not optional."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based solely on the text of this instrument, the scope is explicit and limited to the stated serial-number range and to the specific corrective action in Piper SB No. 800. The directive sets a compliance deadline (100 hours TIS or next scheduled inspection after 28 February 1985). The document contains no statement that would indicate a change from a prior broader or narrower scope; therefore no change from original intent is apparent within the text provided. [Applicability] [Requirement] [Compliance] [Background]"},"complexity_factors":["Narrow applicability limited to specific serial-number range (38-78A0001 to 38-82A0122) [Applicability]","Single prescribed corrective action referenced (Piper SB No. 800) rather than multiple options [Requirement]","Clear, short compliance window with two explicit alternatives (100 hours TIS or next scheduled inspection) [Compliance]","Safety-critical technical content delegated to an external service bulletin, requiring operators to obtain and follow SB No. 800 [Requirement]","Potential coordination needed between flight hours counting and scheduled inspection timing, creating minor scheduling complexity for operators [Compliance]"],"plain_english_summary":"## What this airworthiness directive does\n\nThis directive requires a specific modification to the elevator control system on a subset of Piper PA-38-112 (Tomahawk) aeroplanes. It mandates that the modification described in Piper Service Bulletin No. 800 be carried out on every affected aircraft listed in the directive. [Requirement]\n\n## Who it affects\n\n- Owners and operators of Piper PA-38-112 aeroplanes with serial numbers 38-78A0001 through 38-82A0122. [Applicability]\n- The maintenance organisations or technicians who perform the work called for in the service bulletin. [Requirement]\n\n## When it must be done\n\n- The modification must be completed within 100 hours time in service after 28 February 1985, or at the next scheduled inspection for issue of a maintenance release after 28 February 1985, whichever is later. This gives two alternative deadlines: a running-hours deadline and the next scheduled inspection. [Compliance]\n\n## Why it was issued (official rationale)\n\n- The background given states that when either control wheel is full aft, and an upward-and-forward pressure is applied, there is a potential for the pilot to be unable to move the control yoke out of that full aft position. The directive is issued to address that reported control-travel restriction. [Background]\n\n## How it works mechanically and what behaviour changes\n\n- Mechanically: operators must implement the change described in Piper SB No. 800. The AD does not include technical steps itself; it references the service bulletin as the required method. [Requirement]\n- Behavioural change for operators: arrange and fund the modification within the stated compliance window; schedule the work either as a discrete maintenance action within 100 hours time-in-service or combine it with the next scheduled inspection for maintenance-release issuance after 28 February 1985. [Compliance]\n\n## Who pays and who decides\n\n- Who pays: the owner/operator of each affected aeroplane will bear the direct costs of complying with the service bulletin (parts, labour, maintenance facility charges). [Requirement] [Compliance]\n- Who decides/controls implementation timing: the regulator has set the mandatory compliance timeframe in the AD; the owner/operator and their maintenance provider decide the actual scheduling within that timeframe (either within 100 hours TIS or at the next scheduled inspection). The AD requires the work to follow Piper SB No. 800. [Requirement] [Compliance]\n\n## Costs, incentives, trade-offs and implementation risk\n\n- Costs: the immediate cost is the parts and labour to carry out the modification per Piper SB No. 800. These costs are concentrated on owners/operators of the affected serial-numbered aircraft. [Requirement]\n- Incentives: owners/operators have an incentive to perform the modification at the next scheduled inspection to reduce incremental downtime and possibly share labour costs with other scheduled tasks. [Compliance]\n- Trade-offs and opportunity costs: choosing to perform the modification outside a scheduled inspection may create additional downtime and incremental maintenance cost; deferring until the next scheduled inspection could delay hazard mitigation until that inspection date, subject to the 100-hour cap. [Compliance]\n- Implementation risk and compliance burden: the AD references the service bulletin rather than prescribing technical steps itself, which places responsibility on operators/maintenance organisations to obtain and follow SB No. 800 correctly; failure to comply leaves the potential control-travel issue unaddressed. [Requirement] [Background]\n\n## Discretion and enforcement\n\n- The directive sets a mandatory requirement (an airworthiness directive under Part 39). It leaves operational discretion on timing within the stated compliance options and on the maintenance provider to carry out the SB work correctly. The text itself does not describe enforcement measures; it specifies applicability, required action, and the compliance window. [Applicability] [Requirement] [Compliance]\n\n## Summary sentence\n\nOwners/operators of the listed PA-38-112 serial numbers must have the elevator-control modification performed, per Piper SB No. 800, within the stated 100-hour or next-inspection timeframe to address a reported restriction in moving the control yoke out of a full aft position. [Applicability] [Requirement] [Compliance] [Background]"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-pa-38-24-elevator-control-travel-modification","history":"/api/acts/ad-pa-38-24-elevator-control-travel-modification/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-pa-38-24-elevator-control-travel-modification/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-pa-38-24-elevator-control-travel-modification/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-pa-38-24-elevator-control-travel-modification/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-pa-38-24-elevator-control-travel-modification/documents"}}