{"id":"F2006B06013","name":"AD/PA-44/7 - Nose Cone Spar - Inspection and Modification","slug":"ad-pa-44-7-nose-cone-spar-inspection-and-modification","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":114411,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B06013-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/PA-44/7 - Nose Cone Spar - Inspection and Modification","content":"COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 \\- 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY\n\nSCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES\n\n![](image.001.png)  \nPiper PA-44 (Seminole) Series Aeroplanes\n\n| AD/PA-44/7     | Nose Cone Spar - Inspection and Modification              | 11/80 |\n| -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | ----- |\n| Applicability: | All model PA-44-180 with S/Nos. 44-7995001 to 44-8095021. |       |\n| Document:      | Piper SB No. 695.                                         |       |\n\nCompliance: 1. Inspect within 50 hours time in service after 15 October 1980 and thereafter at intervals not exceeding 50 hours time in service until modified.\n\n2. Modify within 300 hours time in service after 15 October 1980.\n\nBackground: The manufacturer has received reports of cracking in the nose cone spar in the area of the nose landing gear upper drag brace attach point.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, targeted safety directive addressing a specific manufacturing defect in a limited production run of aircraft. It has not expanded beyond its original purpose of mandating inspection and repair of the nose cone spar cracking issue."},"complexity_factors":["Single, specific aircraft model and serial number range","Only two compliance requirements (inspection and modification)","No defined terms section","No cross-references to other legislation beyond the enabling regulations (CAR 1998 Part 39)","Simple conditional logic: inspect until modified, then stop inspecting","Background explanation is one sentence","Total length is approximately 150 words"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — a mandatory safety order issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) that requires owners and operators of specific Piper PA-44 Seminole aircraft to inspect and repair a potentially dangerous structural defect.\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Requires inspections** of the nose cone spar (a structural beam near the front of the aircraft) every 50 flight hours, looking for cracks around where the nose landing gear attaches\n- **Requires modification** of this area within 300 flight hours\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Owners and operators of Piper PA-44-180 aircraft with serial numbers between 44-7995001 and 44-8095021\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThe manufacturer (Piper) discovered cracks in this critical structural component where the nose wheel attaches. If left unaddressed, this could lead to landing gear failure — a serious safety risk during takeoff and landing. The directive forces operators to find and fix the problem before it causes an accident.\n\n**Key deadlines:**\n- First inspection: within 50 flight hours after 15 October 1980\n- Ongoing inspections: every 50 flight hours until the modification is done\n- Modification deadline: within 300 flight hours after 15 October 1980"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The directive, as presented, sets out a targeted inspection-and-modification requirement for a defined set of PA-44-180 serial numbers and specifies the timing and technical reference (Piper SB No. 695). There is no indication within the instrument that the scope has been broadened or altered from the action it describes."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow, serial-number-limited applicability reduces complexity (Applicability).","Two clear, prescriptive requirements (inspect and modify) with specific time-in-service deadlines (Compliance 1; Compliance 2).","Repeated inspections required until a one-time modification is completed (Compliance 1), which adds ongoing scheduling but is straightforward to implement.","Technical work is defined by an external Service Bulletin (Piper SB No. 695), which adds a dependency on that document for procedural detail (Document).","Dates and hours-based limits tied to a historical compliance date (15 October 1980) could cause minor interpretive issues for record-keeping but do not add substantive legal complexity (Compliance 1; Compliance 2)."],"plain_english_summary":"This AD requires owners/operators of specified Piper PA‑44‑180 (S/N 44‑7995001 to 44‑8095021) to inspect and then modify the nose‑cone spar per Piper Service Bulletin No. 695 after reports of cracking near the nose‑gear attach point. It affects operators and maintenance organisations, imposing safety work, cost, and scheduling/downtime burdens to prevent structural failure."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-pa-44-7-nose-cone-spar-inspection-and-modification","history":"/api/acts/ad-pa-44-7-nose-cone-spar-inspection-and-modification/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-pa-44-7-nose-cone-spar-inspection-and-modification/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-pa-44-7-nose-cone-spar-inspection-and-modification/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-pa-44-7-nose-cone-spar-inspection-and-modification/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-pa-44-7-nose-cone-spar-inspection-and-modification/documents"}}