{"id":"F2019L00124","name":"AD/PZL/5 Amdt 4 Centre Wing to Outboard Wing Attachment Joints","slug":"ad-pzl-5-amdt-4-centre-wing-to-outboard-wing-attachment-joints","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":98747,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2019L00124-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze M18 (Dromader) ","sectionType":"part","heading":"Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze M18 (Dromader) Series Aeroplane","content":"# Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze M18 (Dromader) Series Aeroplane\n\n| AD/PZL/5 Amdt 4 | Centre Wing to Outboard WingAttachment Joints | 4/2019 |\n| --------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ------ |\n\n| Applicability: | All Models of Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze (PZL) M18, M18A, and M18B aircraft. |\n| -------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Requirement: | 1. Inspect the wing attachment joints, including the fore and aft faces of each lug, in accordance with Section 5.4.3 Verifying inspection, verifying inspection scope item 1 of the PZL Mielec Airplane Description and Service Manual (pages 5-14), dated 20 September 2013, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD.(i) For Section 5.4.3 Verifying inspection, verifying inspection of the PZL Mielec Airplane Description and Service Manual (pages 5-14), the non-destructive inspection method used must be the magnetic particle inspection method detailed in Section 4.27 of the PZL Mielec Airplane Description and Service Manual or an alternative magnetic particle inspection approved by CASA in writing.(ii) Perform the following after each inspection:a. Repair any corrosion damage found to the extent allowed in the PZL Service Bulletin E/02.170/2000 dated 3 August 2000, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD, and apply anticorrosion protection whether or not corrosion damage is found;b. Replace the wing attachment joints if found cracked or if the corrosion damage is more than is specified in PZL Service Bulletin No. E/02.170/2000 dated 3 August 2000, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD;c. Eliminate any ovalisation of the wing attachment joint main holes using the procedure specified in PZL Service Bulletin No. E/02.170/2000 dated 3 August 2000, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD.2. Inspect, using magnetic particle method detailed in Section 4.27 of PZL Mielec Airplane Description and Service Manual dated 20 September 2013, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD, or an alternative magnetic particle inspection approved by CASA in writing, the centre wing to outboard wing attachment joints for cracks in the lugs, corrosion in the main holes, faces and surfaces, and ovalisation of the main holes in accordance with PZL Service Bulletin No. E/02.170/2000 dated 3 August 2000, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD, and perform the following after each inspection: |\n\n| | (i) Repair any corrosion damage found to the extent allowed for a repair in the PZL Service Bulletin E/02.170/2000 dated 3 August 2000, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD, and apply anti-corrosion protection;(ii) Replace the wing attachment joints if found cracked or if the corrosion damage is more than is specified in PZL Service Bulletin No. E/02.170/2000 dated 3 August 2000, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD;(iii) Eliminate any ovalisation of the wing attachment joint main holes using the procedure specified in PZL Service Bulletin No. E/02.170/2000 dated 3 August 2000, as in force at the date of commencement of this AD.Note 1: FAA AD 2000-18-12 Amdt 39-11897 refers.Note 2: Aviation NDT Services Pty Ltd procedure titled Eddy Current Testing Procedure for Dromader M18 Centre Section Attachment Joints, Procedure No. QP.00.36(E), Issue 2, dated 8 September 2000, and Australian Aviation NDT Service Pty Ltd procedure titled Eddy Current Testing of M18 Dromader (All Models), Procedure No. QP.00.36(EC) or other revision, have not been approved as an alternative inspection procedure to use in lieu of the non-destructive magnetic particle inspection procedure required by this airworthiness directive. |\n| ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Compliance: | For Requirement 1 - At or before accumulation of 2500 corrected total flight hours and every 2500 corrected flight hours thereafter.For Requirement 2 - After completion of the first 2500 corrected total flight hours inspection of requirement 1, at intervals of 500 corrected flight hours or 12 calendar months, whichever occurs first.Note 3: Corrected flight hours is the total of the flight time that is calculated from each flight’s flying time multiplied by the appropriate factor that relates to the aircraft maximum take-off weight for that flight. (Refer to PZL M 18 “Dromader” Aircraft Repair Manual Model: M18, M18A, M18AS, M18B, Edition 3, dated May 1981, Section 7 as in force at the date of this AD or other approved maintenance data applicable to the aircraft.)Previously approved Alternate Means of Compliance and Exclusions for AD/PZL/5 Amdt 2 can be used with this airworthiness directive. |\n| | This AD commences on 22 February 2019. |\n| Background: | The original issue of this directive was issued because of local reports of cracking of the bore in the joint and the issue of an Airworthiness Directive by the FAA following 2 instances of in-flight wing separations, where severe corrosion and pitting led to high stress concentrations on the wing attachment joints. The FAA AD and PZL Service Bulletin call for the initial inspection at 3000 hours’ time in service (TIS). However, cracks were found in an Australian registered M-18A at only 2776 hours TIS. |\n\n| | Amendment 1 was issued on 15 November 2013 as a review of Aviation NDT Services QP.00.36(E), Issue 2, dated 8 September 2000, found it was not approved, and Australian Aviation NDT Service Pty Ltd procedure titled Eddy Current Testing of M18 Dromader (All Models), Procedure No. QP.00.36(EC) or other revision, was also not approved, as alternative inspection procedures to use in lieu of the non-destructive magnetic particle inspection procedure required by this airworthiness directive. It also included reference to the manufacturer’s required 100 hourly periodic inspection and to require removal of the centre wing and outboard wings to allow better access for inspection of the wing attachment joints every 2500 hours. The repetitive inspection of the attachment joints every 500 hours remained but the wings did not need to be removed from the fuselage.Amendment 2 was issued to reduce the complexity of the airworthiness directive by setting a threshold inspection point for all fittings in service, correcting or updating matters in Amendment 1, namely correcting an incorrect reference to the maintenance manual for the magnetic particle inspection which should have been Section 4.27 not Section 2.7, removing reference to 1.e, to make the reference more generic and amending Note 3 to include reference to other approved maintenance data and allowing an alternative magnetic particle inspection, approved by CASA, to that specified by the manufacturer.Amendment 3 was issued to clarify the repetitive inspection compliance times of the airworthiness directive.Amendment 4 is issued to allow the use of Alternate Means of Compliance and Exclusions issued for Amendment 2 of this AD to be approved for use with this Amendment as there have been no changes made to the magnetic particle non-destructive inspection aspects of this AD that would cause them to be rendered invalid. |\n| --- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n\n![](image.001.jpeg)\n\nPieter van Dijk \nDelegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority\n\n11 February 2019","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/PZL/5 Amdt 4","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/PZL/5 Amdt 4","content":"## AD/PZL/5 Amdt 4","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"Centre Wing to Outboard WingAttachment J","sectionType":"part","heading":"Centre Wing to Outboard WingAttachment Joints","content":"## Centre Wing to Outboard Wing \nAttachment Joints","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"4/2019","sectionType":"part","heading":"4/2019","content":"## 4/2019","sortOrder":3}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: preventing wing separation on PZL M18 aircraft through mandated inspection of wing attachment joints. While Amendment 4 adds flexibility by allowing previously approved alternative compliance methods to carry forward, this does not expand the substantive scope beyond aircraft safety inspection requirements. The directive has not grown to cover unrelated aircraft systems or operational matters."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple nested requirements with sub-clauses (Requirements 1 and 2, each with sub-items i, ii, iii and a, b, c)","Cross-references to four separate external documents: PZL Service Manual (dated 20 September 2013), PZL Service Bulletin E/02.170/2000, FAA AD 2000-18-12, and specific NDT procedures","Defined term 'corrected flight hours' requiring calculation from flight time multiplied by weight factors per separate manual","Conditional compliance timelines with 'whichever occurs first' logic (500 hours OR 12 months)","Multiple amendment history references creating layered context (Amendments 1-4) that affect current interpretation","Specific technical exclusions (explicitly banning two named Eddy Current procedures as alternatives)","Grandfathering clause allowing use of previous Alternate Means of Compliance from Amendment 2"],"plain_english_summary":"CASA’s AD requires regular non‑destructive inspections (magnetic‑particle or approved alternatives) of the wing centre-to-outer wing attachment joints on PZL M18, M18A and M18B agricultural aircraft, with an initial check by 2,500 corrected flight hours and recurring checks and repairs/replacements for corrosion, cracking or ovalisation.\n\nIt affects owners/operators of these crop‑dusting aircraft and was issued after two in‑flight wing separations; Amendment 4 retains previously approved alternative compliance methods."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Amendment 4 does not materially expand the AD’s substantive scope. It preserves the core inspection, repair and replacement obligations (magnetic particle inspection, repair limits per Service Bulletin E/02.170/2000, and the inspection intervals) and merely confirms that Alternate Means of Compliance and exclusions previously approved under Amendment 2 remain available for use. Earlier amendments adjusted procedural details (e.g. correcting references, clarifying intervals, and at one point requiring wing removal to improve access); those changes refined implementation but did not change the AD’s original safety‑focused purpose of preventing corrosion/cracking at the wing attachment joints. Amendment 4 is administrative/confirmatory rather than a substantive scope expansion."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple external references: PZL Mielec Airplane Description and Service Manual (20 Sept 2013), Section 4.27 and Section 5.4.3; PZL Service Bulletin E/02.170/2000 (3 Aug 2000).","Conditional inspection regime: initial at/before 2,500 corrected flight hours, then every 2,500; thereafter additional 500‑hour or 12‑month intervals (nested timing conditions).","Defined technical term requiring calculation: \"corrected flight hours\" (cross‑references to PZL Repair Manual Section 7).","Specified non‑destructive test method with limited alternatives: MPI required, CASA may approve written alternatives; Note 2 explicitly excludes certain eddy‑current procedures.","Multiple corrective action branches: repair within bulletin limits, mandatory replacement if cracked or beyond limits, and mandated anti‑corrosion treatment and hole ovalisation correction.","History of amendments and retained previous AMOCs/exclusions: cross‑referencing to Amendments 1–3 and allowance of AMOCs from Amendment 2 in Amendment 4. ","Operational access consideration: earlier amendment references to possible wing removal every 2,500 hours introduce a maintenance‑planning dependency.","Administrative approvals: CASA discretion to approve alternative MPI methods and AMOCs increases conditionality and paperwork. "],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanically)**\n\n- Requires regular, mandatory inspections of the centre-wing to outboard-wing attachment joints on all PZL (Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze) M18 series aeroplanes (models M18, M18A, M18B).\n- Specifies the non‑destructive inspection method: magnetic particle inspection (MPI) as described in Section 4.27 of the PZL Mielec Airplane Description and Service Manual (20 Sept 2013), or a different MPI method only if CASA (the regulator) approves it in writing (Requirement 1(i), Requirement 2).\n- Directs corrective actions to be taken after each inspection: repair allowable corrosion per PZL Service Bulletin E/02.170/2000, apply anti‑corrosion protection, replace any joint found cracked or with corrosion beyond the bulletin limits, and correct any ovalisation (elongation) of the main holes using the Service Bulletin procedure (Requirement 1(ii)(a–c); Requirement 2(i–iii)).\n- Sets inspection timing: an initial inspection at or before accumulation of 2,500 corrected flight hours and thereafter every 2,500 corrected flight hours for Requirement 1; after that first 2,500‑hour inspection, Requirement 2 requires inspections every 500 corrected flight hours or every 12 calendar months, whichever occurs first (Compliance). \"Corrected flight hours\" is a weighted flight‑time measure tied to the aircraft’s maximum take‑off weight (Note 3).\n- Allows previously approved Alternate Means of Compliance (AMOCs) and exclusions granted under Amendment 2 to remain valid for use with this Amendment (Amendment 4).\n\n**Who is affected**\n\n- Aircraft owners and operators of PZL M18/M18A/M18B aeroplanes registered in Australia.\n- Maintenance organisations and technicians performing non‑destructive testing (NDT) and repairs on these aircraft.\n- CASA, because it must approve any alternative MPI procedures or AMOCs in writing.\n\n**Why it matters (stated rationale and mechanical effect)**\n\n- The AD responds to reports of corrosion and cracking in the wing attachment joints, and to overseas incidents where wing separations occurred after severe corrosion was present (Background). The mechanical effect is to increase mandated inspection frequency and to specify an approved inspection method (MPI) and repair/replacement criteria to reduce the risk of undetected cracking or corrosion at a structurally critical joint.\n\n**Practical consequences, incentives and trade‑offs**\n\n- Who pays: the aircraft owner/operator pays for inspections, NDT services, repairs, part replacements, and aircraft downtime (Requirement & Compliance sections). Costs may include specialist NDT technicians and possible wing removal where needed for access (Background, earlier amendments).\n- Who decides: CASA decides on written approvals for alternative MPI procedures and any AMOCs (Requirement 1(i), Requirement 2, Amendment 4). The aircraft operator/maintenance provider decides when to schedule inspections and carries out repairs within the limits set by PZL Service Bulletin E/02.170/2000.\n- Behaviour change: operators must adopt a scheduled inspection regime tied to corrected flight hours, use MPI (unless CASA approves an alternative), and follow prescribed repair or replacement criteria. Operators may need to plan for more frequent maintenance intervals (every 500 corrected hours / 12 months after the initial 2,500‑hour inspection) and potential wing removal for access at specified points (Background/Amendment history).\n- Compliance burden and implementation risk: MPI requires skilled NDT providers and specific equipment; Note 2 expressly disavows certain eddy‑current procedures as not approved alternatives, narrowing acceptable testing options. Replacement parts or structural repairs may be time‑consuming and reduce aircraft availability. There is some administrative burden in obtaining CASA approvals for any alternative inspection procedures or AMOCs.\n- Trade‑offs and opportunity cost: the AD increases maintenance costs and downtime for operators in exchange for a reduced risk of structural failure at a critical joint. If parts or qualified technicians are scarce, there is risk of grounding or reduced utilisation. Allowing CASA‑approved alternatives provides limited flexibility but shifts the burden of demonstrating equivalence onto the operator/maintenance provider.\n\n**Reference points in the instrument**\n\n- Inspection and repair requirements: Requirement 1 and Requirement 2.\n- Required inspection method and CASA approval of alternatives: Requirement 1(i) and Requirement 2 (MPI per Section 4.27 of PZL manual).\n- Repair/replace/anti‑corrosion instructions and ovalisation correction: PZL Service Bulletin E/02.170/2000 (cited throughout Requirements).\n- Compliance intervals and corrected flight hours definition: Compliance and Note 3.\n- Limitations on alternative NDT procedures (eddy current): Note 2.\n- Authority for alternative approvals and prior AMOCs: Amendment 4."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-pzl-5-amdt-4-centre-wing-to-outboard-wing-attachment-joints","history":"/api/acts/ad-pzl-5-amdt-4-centre-wing-to-outboard-wing-attachment-joints/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-pzl-5-amdt-4-centre-wing-to-outboard-wing-attachment-joints/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-pzl-5-amdt-4-centre-wing-to-outboard-wing-attachment-joints/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-pzl-5-amdt-4-centre-wing-to-outboard-wing-attachment-joints/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-pzl-5-amdt-4-centre-wing-to-outboard-wing-attachment-joints/documents"}}