{"id":"F2006B06860","name":"AD/SD3-60/17 - Nose Landing Gear Main Fitting","slug":"ad-sd3-60-17-nose-landing-gear-main-fitting","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":114738,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B06860-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/SD3-60/17 - Nose Landing Gear Main Fitting","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)  Short SD3-60 Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\nAD/SD3-60/17 Nose Landing Gear Main Fitting 8/86 Applicability:              All model SD3-60 with units referenced in Dowty Service Bulletin No. 32-45SD. Requirement:              Action in accordance with Dowty S.B. No. 32-45SD.\n\nCompliance: As per Requirement Document.\n\n \n\nBackground:  The manufacturer reports premature wear of the ferobestos bearing has caused wear in the bore of the nose undercarriage main fitting.\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 directive’s scope, as stated, is limited to SD3-60 aeroplanes with the nose gear units referenced in Dowty Service Bulletin No. 32-45SD and requires following that service bulletin. The stated purpose (addressing premature wear of the ferobestos bearing causing wear in the bore of the nose undercarriage main fitting) is directly aligned with the mechanical requirement imposed. There is no indication in the text that the AD broadens or narrows that technical scope beyond the manufacturer’s reported issue. (Applicability; Requirement; Background)"},"complexity_factors":["Reliance on an external technical document (Dowty Service Bulletin No. 32-45SD) for all procedural and timing details increases procedural complexity because the AD does not reproduce the remedial steps or intervals (Requirement; Compliance).","Narrow but specific applicability: applies only to SD3-60 aircraft with units referenced in the service bulletin, requiring operators to identify whether their airframes/units match the bulletin (Applicability).","Technical nature of the work (inspection/repair of nose landing gear bearings and bores) requires certified maintenance personnel and possibly parts or replacement units, adding operational and logistical complexity (Background; Requirement).","Unspecified compliance timeline in the AD itself — the timing is delegated to the service bulletin — which creates dependence on the availability and clarity of that bulletin (Compliance).","Enforcement is straightforward (airworthiness directive), but practical compliance can vary by operator capacity (access to parts, maintenance facilities) which affects implementation complexity (header; Requirement)."],"plain_english_summary":"What this instrument does (mechanically)\n\n- Requires operators of certain Short SD3-60 aeroplanes to carry out the maintenance or inspection actions specified by the manufacturer’s Dowty Service Bulletin No. 32-45SD. (Requirement)\n- The directive applies to “all model SD3-60 with units referenced in Dowty Service Bulletin No. 32-45SD.” (Applicability)\n- It makes compliance mandatory by referring to the requirement document for the compliance details: \"Action in accordance with Dowty S.B. No. 32-45SD.\" and \"Compliance: As per Requirement Document.\" (Requirement; Compliance)\n\nWho it affects\n\n- Aircraft operators and maintenance organisations responsible for Short SD3-60 series aeroplanes that have the nose landing gear units identified in Dowty Service Bulletin No. 32-45SD. (Applicability)\n- The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is the issuing authority for the airworthiness directive. (header)\n\nWhy it matters (stated reason and the mechanical effect)\n\n- The manufacturer reported premature wear of the ferobestos bearing, which has caused wear in the bore of the nose undercarriage main fitting. The directive directs operators to follow the manufacturer’s remedial actions to address that wear. (Background; Requirement)\n\nPractical implications, costs and incentives\n\n- Who pays: aircraft operators bear the direct cost of complying with the service bulletin (labour, parts, aircraft downtime). (Requirement)\n- Who decides: the operator or their approved maintenance organisation must carry out the work as specified in the Dowty service bulletin; CASA enforces compliance by issuing the airworthiness directive. (Requirement; Compliance; header)\n- Behaviour change: affected operators must inspect, repair or replace the nose landing gear components as instructed by the service bulletin rather than rely on their prior maintenance schedule. (Requirement)\n- Compliance burden: the AD delegates the technical detail to an external document (Dowty S.B. No. 32-45SD). Operators must obtain, interpret and implement that bulletin; the AD does not reproduce the tasks or timing itself. (Requirement; Compliance)\n\nTrade-offs, implementation risk and organisational effects\n\n- Trade-off: following the service bulletin imposes cost and downtime on operators in exchange for the manufacturer-identified reduction in premature wear risk. (Background; Requirement)\n- Implementation risks and limits: effectiveness depends on correct interpretation of Dowty S.B. No. 32-45SD, availability of specified parts or replacement units, and competent maintenance execution. The AD itself does not specify intervals or detailed procedures; those are in the service bulletin. (Requirement; Compliance)\n- Effects on private choice and competition: the AD raises operating and maintenance costs for affected SD3-60 operators. Those costs are borne privately by operators; larger operators or those with integrated maintenance may absorb them more easily than smaller operators. (Applicability; Requirement)\n\nOther operational notes\n\n- The AD is narrowly framed: it applies only to SD3-60 aircraft with the specific units referenced in the Dowty bulletin, and it relies on that external document for the detailed remedy and compliance timing. (Applicability; Requirement; Compliance)\n\nSource citations (sections of the AD): (Applicability), (Requirement), (Compliance), (Background)."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, targeted Airworthiness Directive addressing a specific mechanical defect in a specific aircraft model. It has not expanded beyond its original purpose of mandating inspection/repair of nose landing gear wear."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short document (approximately 150 words)","Only 1 defined reference (Dowty Service Bulletin No. 32-45SD)","No conditional logic or nested exceptions","Single straightforward requirement: comply with external technical document","No cross-references to other legislation beyond the enabling Civil Aviation Regulations 1998","Simple structure: Applicability, Requirement, Compliance, Background"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive** (a mandatory safety order) issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority for a specific type of aircraft: the **Short SD3-60 Series** (also known as the Short 360, a small regional turboprop plane).\n\n**What it does:**\n- Requires owners and operators of these aircraft to inspect and fix a specific mechanical problem with the **nose landing gear** (the front wheels used for takeoff, landing, and taxiing).\n- The problem involves premature wear in a bearing called \"ferobestos\" (a type of friction material) that has damaged the bore (the hollow interior) of the nose landing gear's main fitting.\n\n**Who must follow this:**\n- Anyone who owns or operates a Short SD3-60 aircraft that has the specific nose landing gear units mentioned in **Dowty Service Bulletin No. 32-45SD** (Dowty is the manufacturer of the landing gear).\n\n**What they must do:**\n- Follow the exact instructions in that Dowty Service Bulletin to inspect and repair the affected parts.\n- Complete the work by the deadlines specified in the Service Bulletin.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nLanding gear failures can be catastrophic. This directive prevents potential accidents caused by worn or damaged nose landing gear components. It's a proactive safety measure based on manufacturer reports of premature wear."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-sd3-60-17-nose-landing-gear-main-fitting","history":"/api/acts/ad-sd3-60-17-nose-landing-gear-main-fitting/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-sd3-60-17-nose-landing-gear-main-fitting/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-sd3-60-17-nose-landing-gear-main-fitting/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-sd3-60-17-nose-landing-gear-main-fitting/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-sd3-60-17-nose-landing-gear-main-fitting/documents"}}