{"id":"F2006B06913","name":"AD/SD3-60/8 Amdt 2 - Elevator Torque Shaft Assembly","slug":"ad-sd3-60-8-amdt-2-elevator-torque-shaft-assembly","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":114793,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B06913-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/SD3-60/8 Amdt 2 - Elevator Torque Shaft Assembly","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/SD3-60/8\n\nAmdt 2\n\n\nElevator Torque Shaft Assembly 6/85 DM\n\n \n\nApplicability:  All Models SD-360 aircraft. Requirement: 1. Shorts SB SD360-27-A06 Rev 1.\n\n2. Shorts SB SD360-27-06.\n\n \n\nCompliance: 1. Prior to 14 March 1985 and thereafter at intervals not exceeding 60 hours time in service or pre-first flight following parking in severe wind gust conditions.\n\n \n\n2. Prior to 15 August 1985.\n\n \n\nBackground: This Directive was issued after loss of elevator control on a SD3-30 aircraft. Rev 1 extended the inspection area and introduced a repetitive inspection. Rev 2 introduces mandatory modification to reinforce the attachment of the elevator torque shaft housings.\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":true,"description":"Yes. The Background records that the original directive was inspection-focused; Revision 1 extended the inspection area and introduced repetitive inspections; Revision 2 changes scope further by introducing a mandatory modification to reinforce the elevator torque shaft housing attachment. This shifts the instrument from inspection measures toward a required physical modification of the aircraft component. (Background; Requirement; Compliance)"},"complexity_factors":["Technical subject-matter (aircraft elevator torque shaft assembly) requiring specialised maintenance skills.","Multiple compliance actions: repetitive inspections plus a mandatory one-off modification (Requirement; Compliance).","Specific timing and deadlines for compliance (prior to 14 March 1985 for initial inspection interval and prior to 15 August 1985 for modification) (Compliance 1 and 2).","Operational judgement required for the ‘‘severe wind gust conditions’’ trigger for pre-first-flight inspections (Compliance 1).","Applicability across all SD-360 aircraft concentrates scope but keeps procedural uniformity (Applicability)."],"plain_english_summary":"What this instrument does (mechanical changes)\n\n- It requires operators of all SD-360 model aeroplanes to carry out inspections of the elevator torque shaft assembly and, under the latest amendment, to carry out a mandatory modification that reinforces the attachment of the elevator torque shaft housings. (Applicability; Requirement 1 and 2; Background)\n- Specifically, the directive refers to two manufacturer's service bulletins as the means of compliance: Shorts SB SD360-27-A06 Rev 1 and Shorts SB SD360-27-06. (Requirement 1 and 2)\n- The inspection requirement must be done prior to 14 March 1985 and then repeatedly at intervals not exceeding 60 hours time in service, or before the first flight following parking in severe wind gust conditions. The mandatory modification must be done prior to 15 August 1985. (Compliance 1 and 2)\n\nWhy the measure is said to be necessary (official rationale and change history)\n\n- The directive states it was issued after a loss of elevator control on an SD3-30 aircraft. It records that Revision 1 extended the inspection area and introduced a repetitive inspection interval, and that Revision 2 makes a modification mandatory to reinforce the elevator torque shaft housing attachments. These are presented as the operational reasons for the inspections and modification. (Background)\n\nHow this works in practice and who is affected\n\n- Who must act: owners/operators of all SD-360 aircraft (Applicability). They must follow the listed service bulletins to inspect and modify the elevator torque shaft assembly. (Requirement 1 and 2)\n- Who pays: the aircraft owner/operator bears the direct costs of carrying out the inspections and the mandatory modification (Requirement; Compliance). This includes labour, materials and any aircraft downtime required to comply.\n- Who decides operationally: operators must schedule and carry out the inspections at the stated intervals or before first flight after certain events, and must complete the modification by the specified date. The directive identifies the specific service bulletins to be used as the compliance method. (Requirement; Compliance)\n\nCosts, incentives, trade-offs and implementation points to note (source-grounded)\n\n- Compliance burden: the directive imposes a recurring inspection burden (every 60 hours time in service or pre-first flight after parking in severe wind gust conditions) and a one-off mandatory modification to be completed by the stated deadline. These impose labour and aircraft-availability costs on operators. (Compliance 1 and 2)\n- Incentives and substitution: because the amendment makes the modification mandatory, operators face a choice only until the modification is completed — after modification the repetitive inspection remains part of the compliance regime only as stated by the applicable service bulletin and directive. The directive mechanically shifts from inspection-only requirements in earlier revisions to mandating a physical reinforcement. (Background; Requirement)\n- Implementation risk and discretion: the directive requires operator judgement in at least one respect signalled in the text — inspection before the first flight following parking in “severe wind gust conditions” — which requires the operator to determine when that condition applies. (Compliance 1)\n- Concentration of benefits and diffuse costs: the stated benefit (reduced risk of elevator control loss) would accrue primarily to aircraft occupants and third parties; the costs (inspections/modification) fall directly and immediately on the individual aircraft owners/operators who must fund and schedule the work. (Background; Requirement; Compliance)\n\nPractical consequences for private enterprise and independent maintenance providers\n\n- The requirement to follow particular Shorts service bulletins ties compliance to the manufacturer’s specified procedures. Operators will typically engage qualified maintenance providers to perform the inspections and modification, so maintenance providers’ work volumes and scheduling may be affected. (Requirement)\n- The directive applies to the whole SD-360 fleet (Applicability), so any effect on competition or maintenance demand is concentrated in that operator/maintenance market segment.\n\nKey references in the instrument: Applicability; Requirement 1 and 2; Compliance 1 and 2; Background."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This Airworthiness Directive maintains its original narrow scope — addressing a specific mechanical defect in a specific aircraft type. The amendments (Rev 1 and Rev 2) progressively strengthened the safety requirements but did not expand beyond the elevator torque shaft assembly issue."},"complexity_factors":["Single, specific aircraft type (Short SD-360)","Only two compliance requirements referencing external manufacturer documents","No defined terms section","Simple temporal compliance structure (fixed dates and hourly intervals)","No nested exceptions or conditional logic","Background explanation provided in plain language","Total length: approximately 200 words"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive** — a mandatory safety order issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for a specific type of aircraft.\n\n**What it does:**\nThis directive requires owners and operators of **Short SD-360 series aircraft** to inspect and modify the **elevator torque shaft assembly** — a critical component that helps control the aircraft's pitch (up and down movement).\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThe directive was issued after an incident where an aircraft lost elevator control. The current version (Amendment 2) makes a **permanent structural modification mandatory** to reinforce how the elevator torque shaft housing is attached, preventing potential control failure.\n\n**Who must comply:**\n- All operators of Short SD-360 aircraft\n- Must follow two specific manufacturer service bulletins (Shorts SB SD360-27-A06 Rev 1 and Shorts SB SD360-27-06)\n\n**When:**\n- Initial inspections had to be done by March 1985, then repeated every 60 flight hours or after severe wind exposure\n- The mandatory modification had to be completed by August 1985\n\n**Key point:** This is a **retrospective safety order** — it applies to aircraft already in service and mandates specific maintenance actions to prevent accidents."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-sd3-60-8-amdt-2-elevator-torque-shaft-assembly","history":"/api/acts/ad-sd3-60-8-amdt-2-elevator-torque-shaft-assembly/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-sd3-60-8-amdt-2-elevator-torque-shaft-assembly/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-sd3-60-8-amdt-2-elevator-torque-shaft-assembly/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-sd3-60-8-amdt-2-elevator-torque-shaft-assembly/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-sd3-60-8-amdt-2-elevator-torque-shaft-assembly/documents"}}