{"id":"F2008L01944","name":"AD/SEATS/29 - Sicma Passenger Seat Inspection","slug":"ad-seats-29-sicma-passenger-seat-inspection","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":74184,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2008L01944-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Seats and Berths","sectionType":"division","heading":"Seats and Berths","content":"### Seats and Berths\n\n| AD/SEATS/29 | Sicma Passenger Seat Inspection | 7/2008 |\n| ----------- | ------------------------------- | ------ |\n\n| Applicability: | Sicma Aero Seat Passenger Seat models 9401, 9402, 9404, 9405, 9406, 9407, 9408 and 9409, all Part Numbers (P/N), except front row and aft facing seats, and those modified to ‘Amendment B’ standard.Note: The affected seats are known to be installed on, but not limited to, ATR 42 series and ATR 72 series aircraft. |\n| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Requirement: | Unless accomplished previously:1. Inspect the affected seats in accordance with the instructions of paragraph (§) A item 1 of Sicma Aero Seat (Sicma) Service Bulletin (SB) 94-25-013;2. Depending on the inspection results, within the criteria as specified in § A-1 Decision Tree of Sicma SB 94-25-013, repeat the inspection as required by Requirement 1 of this Airworthiness Directive; or3. When deficiencies or cracks are found during any of the inspections required by Requirement 1 and 2 of this Airworthiness Directive, repair the affected spreaders in accordance with the instructions of Sicma SB 94-25-011, or modify the seat to ‘Amendment B’ standard, replacing all the spreaders, in accordance with the instructions of Sicma SB 94-25-012;4. No person shall install any Sicma seat affected by this Airworthiness Directive on any aeroplane as a replacement part, unless it has been modified to ‘Amendment B’ standard in accordance with Sicma SB 94-25-012;5. Replacement of all spreaders on any affected seat assembly (modification to ‘Amendment B’ standard) in accordance with Sicma SB 94-25-012 terminates the inspection requirements of this Airworthiness Directive for that seat assembly.Note 1: EASA AD 2008-0097 and Sicma Aero Seat Service Bulletin No.94-25-011 issue 2, No.94-25-012 original issue, and No.94-25-013 issue 4 refer.Note 2: The use of any later approved revision of these documents is acceptable for compliance with the requirements of this Airworthiness Directive.Note 3: The aircraft may only be dispatched with non-repaired or unmodified seats within the provisions of the applicable Master Minimum Equipment List item(s). |\n| Compliance: | 1. Within the next 6 months after the effective date of this Airworthiness Directive.2. At the interval as specified in § A-1 Decision Tree of Sicma SB 94-25-013.3. At the interval as specified in § A-1 Decision Tree of Sicma SB 94-25-013.4. After 13 November 2008.5. As applied. |\n| | This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 3 July 2008. |\n| Background: | Several occurrences of cracked central and lateral spreaders on passenger seats models 9401 and 9402 have been reported to Sicma Aero Seat. This condition, if not corrected, can lead to further cracking of the seat spreaders, causing injury to passengers or crew members during heavy turbulence in flight or in the event of an emergency landing. |\n\n![](image.001.png) \nDavid Villiers \nDelegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority\n\n16 May 2008","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/SEATS/29","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/SEATS/29","content":"## AD/SEATS/29","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"Sicma Passenger Seat Inspection","sectionType":"part","heading":"Sicma Passenger Seat Inspection","content":"## Sicma Passenger Seat Inspection","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"7/2008","sectionType":"part","heading":"7/2008","content":"## 7/2008","sortOrder":3}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The AD is narrowly targeted to address reported cracked spreaders on specific Sicma seat models. It requires inspection, repair or modification and limits installation of unmodified replacement seats. Those measures stay within the original safety‑fix purpose (correcting spreader cracking) and do not broaden the AD to unrelated seat models or additional safety areas. The principal scope extension relative to simple inspection is the installation prohibition (Requirement 4) which increases regulatory control over replacement parts, but this is a direct complement to the safety objective rather than a material expansion beyond it."},"complexity_factors":["References to three Sicma service bulletins (SB 94-25-011, 94-25-012, 94-25-013) with dependence on their decision tree for repeat intervals","Conditional logic driven by the Decision Tree in SB 94-25-013 (repeat inspection intervals depend on inspection outcomes)","Exclusions and exceptions: front-row and aft-facing seats excluded, and seats already modified to ‘Amendment B’ are exempt","Multiple compliance deadlines: initial inspection (within 6 months), decision-tree-based recurring intervals, and a later installation prohibition effective 13 Nov 2008","Termination clause: modification to Amendment B ends inspection obligations for that seat assembly","Cross-reference to Master Minimum Equipment List dispatch rules (Note 3)","Acceptance of later approved revisions of referenced documents (Note 2)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanical effect)**\n\n- Requires operators who have Sicma Aero Seat passenger seats of models 9401, 9402, 9404–9409 (all part numbers) to inspect those seats, unless the seats are front-row, aft-facing, or already modified to ‘Amendment B’ standard. (See “Applicability”.)\n- The inspections must be performed following the procedures in Sicma Service Bulletin (SB) 94‑25‑013 (Requirement 1).\n- Depending on the inspection outcome and the decision tree in SB 94‑25‑013, inspections must be repeated at the intervals specified in that decision tree (Requirement 2 and Compliance item 2–3).\n- If cracks or other deficiencies are found, the seat spreaders must either be repaired under Sicma SB 94‑25‑011 or the entire seat must be modified to ‘Amendment B’ standard (which replaces all spreaders) under Sicma SB 94‑25‑012 (Requirement 3).\n- From 13 November 2008, no person may install an affected Sicma seat as a replacement part unless it has first been modified to the ‘Amendment B’ standard (Requirement 4, Compliance item 4).\n- Once a seat assembly has been modified to ‘Amendment B’ (replacement of all spreaders per SB 94‑25‑012), the ongoing inspection requirements in this AD no longer apply to that seat assembly (Requirement 5).\n\n**Official stated reason**\n\n- The AD is issued because Sicma reported multiple occurrences of cracked central and lateral spreaders on passenger seats (models 9401 and 9402). The stated safety risk is that undetected or uncorrected cracking could propagate and cause injuries to passengers or crew during heavy turbulence or an emergency landing (Background).\n\n**Who is affected and who pays**\n\n- Primary burden falls on aircraft operators/owners that have the affected Sicma seat models installed (Applicability). They must schedule and pay for inspections, any repeat inspections, repairs, or full modification to Amendment B.\n- Maintenance organisations or approved repair stations carrying out the work will bear labour and certification costs; Sicma (the OEM) supplies the service bulletins and replacement parts or instructions.\n- Operators who want to use an affected seat as a replacement after 13 November 2008 must first incur the cost of modification to Amendment B.\n\n**How it changes behaviour**\n\n- Operators will either: (a) implement the recurring inspection regime and repair cracked spreaders when found, or (b) choose to have seats modified to Amendment B to terminate the inspection obligation for those seats.\n- Supply-side actors (Sicma and authorised maintenance providers) will be the source of the repair/modification instructions and replacement parts under the referenced service bulletins.\n- Aircraft dispatch practices must comply with the Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL) if seats are non‑repaired or unmodified at dispatch (Note 3).\n\n**Costs, incentives and trade-offs**\n\n- Cost to operators: inspection labour and downtime; parts and labour for repair; higher upfront cost if opting for full Amendment B modification which eliminates future inspections. The AD forces a choice between recurring inspection costs and one‑off modification costs.\n- Incentive structure: modifying to Amendment B is an upfront cost that removes ongoing inspection burden (Requirement 5). Repair per SB 94‑25‑011 may be cheaper short term but leaves the operator subject to repeated inspections and potential future repairs.\n- Market effects: Sicma (as the author of the service bulletins) will be the technical source for repair/modification instructions and possibly parts. That creates concentrated revenue opportunities for the OEM and approved service providers; operators face limited technical suppliers for the approved solution.\n- Operational trade-offs: inspections and repairs require aircraft downtime, which can reduce utilisation or require short‑term schedule adjustments. If parts or qualified labour are in short supply, operators may delay corrective action subject to regulatory and safety constraints.\n\n**Implementation and compliance risk**\n\n- Compliance depends on availability of Sicma service bulletins, replacement spreaders or modification kits, and suitably authorised maintenance personnel to carry out repairs or modifications to the SB instructions (Requirement 1–3; Note 2 allows later approved revisions of the SBs).\n- Enforcement is by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority via the AD; dispatch with unmodified seats is permitted only under MMEL provisions (Note 3), which creates a conditional operational flexibility but also administrative overhead.\n\n**Effects on choice, competition and ownership**\n\n- Independent maintenance providers can perform the inspections and repairs only if they follow the Sicma SBs and hold appropriate approvals; this constrains technical freedom but is typical for OEM‑specified structural repairs.\n- The AD does not change ownership rights of seats, but it restricts the ability to install affected seats as replacements unless modified (Requirement 4). That restriction increases the effective cost of using second‑hand or spare affected seats.\n\n**Concrete legal cross‑references and timing**\n\n- Initial inspection due within 6 months of the AD effective date (Compliance item 1).\n- Repeat intervals governed by the Decision Tree in Sicma SB 94‑25‑013 (Requirement 2; Compliance items 2–3).\n- Installation restriction effective after 13 November 2008 (Requirement 4; Compliance item 4).\n- The AD accepts later approved revisions of the referenced documents for compliance (Note 2).\n\nSummary conclusion (mechanical): Operators must inspect the specified Sicma seat models per Sicma SB 94‑25‑013 within six months, follow the SB’s decision tree for re‑inspection intervals, repair or fully modify cracked spreaders as directed by Sicma SBs, and may not fit an affected seat as a replacement after 13 November 2008 unless it has been modified to Amendment B. The AD transfers inspection and correction costs to operators and channels repair/modification work through the OEM’s service bulletins and approved maintenance routes (Requirements 1–5; Notes 1–3)."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This AD maintains a focused, narrow scope: addressing a specific mechanical defect (cracked spreaders) in specific seat models. The various requirements (inspection, repair, replacement ban, termination conditions) all serve the original safety purpose without expanding into unrelated regulatory areas."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple cross-references to external technical documents (3 different Sicma Service Bulletins: SB 94-25-011, SB 94-25-012, SB 94-25-013)","Conditional logic requiring operators to follow a 'Decision Tree' in an external document (§ A-1 of SB 94-25-013) to determine inspection intervals","Nested applicability exclusions (front row seats, aft-facing seats, Amendment B modified seats are exempt)","Five distinct compliance deadlines with different triggers (effective date, inspection results, specific calendar date, 'as applied')","Reference to EASA (European) AD 2008-0097 for context, creating implicit international regulatory alignment","Requirement to consult Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL) for dispatching aircraft with unrepaired seats — another external document"],"plain_english_summary":"This CASA Airworthiness Directive mandates inspection and, if necessary, repair or replacement of Sicma passenger seat spreaders on ATR 42/72 aircraft (models 9401, 9402, 9404–9409) to address cracking that could cause injury. It affects airlines and maintenance crews; front-row, rear-facing, and seats already on Amendment B are excluded. Effective 3 July 2008, inspections are due within six months and unmodified replacement parts are banned after 13 November 2008."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-seats-29-sicma-passenger-seat-inspection","history":"/api/acts/ad-seats-29-sicma-passenger-seat-inspection/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-seats-29-sicma-passenger-seat-inspection/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-seats-29-sicma-passenger-seat-inspection/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-seats-29-sicma-passenger-seat-inspection/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-seats-29-sicma-passenger-seat-inspection/documents"}}