{"id":"F2006B06957","name":"AD/SF340/28 - Passenger Door Handle","slug":"ad-sf340-28-passenger-door-handle","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":114855,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B06957-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/SF340/28 - Passenger Door Handle","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)  SAAB SF340 Series Aeroplanes\n\n \n\nAD/SF340/28 Passenger Door Handle 7/91\n\nApplicability: Model SF340A with serial numbers SF340A-004 through -159. Model 340B with serial numbers 340B-160 through -259.\n\n \n\nRequirement: Action in accordance with LFV AD 1-048.\n\n \n\nNote: SAAB-Scania SB 340-52-014 refers.\n\n \n\nCompliance: As specified in the Requirement document with a revised effective date of 11 July 1991 for Australian registered aircraft.\n\n \n\nBackground: Reported cases of cracked spring pins on passenger door handles. This occurrence can make door operation impossible, which could lead to a critical condition in an emergency evacuation. Effective date required by Swedish CAA is extended due to receipt date of directive.\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":{"summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a standalone airworthiness directive that imposes an ongoing airworthiness requirement on the specified aircraft; it does not amend any other legislative instrument."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow applicability: limited to specific Saab 340A and 340B serial numbers","Directly adopts a foreign airworthiness directive with a deadline adjustment","Addresses a single, well-defined mechanical defect (cracked spring pin)","No new compliance actions beyond those in the referenced Swedish directive and service bulletin"],"plain_english_summary":"This is a Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) airworthiness directive (AD) issued under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998. It mandates a specific safety action for certain Saab SF340 series aeroplanes on the Australian register.\n\nThe AD addresses a reported defect: cracked spring pins in passenger door handles. Such cracking can render the door inoperable, which would pose a critical risk during an emergency evacuation. To prevent this, the directive requires owners, operators and maintainers to carry out the actions described in the Swedish airworthiness directive LFV AD 1-048. The associated Saab service bulletin (SB 340-52-014) provides the technical instructions.\n\nThe aircraft affected are Model SF340A with serial numbers SF340A-004 through -159, and Model 340B with serial numbers 340B-160 through -259. Compliance for Australian-registered aircraft was required from 11 July 1991; this date extended the Swedish original to account for the time the directive took to arrive in Australia.\n\nIf you are searching for this instrument, you are likely an operator, maintainer or owner of a classic Saab 340 looking to confirm whether your aircraft is subject to an ongoing airworthiness requirement. The AD remains part of the continuing airworthiness framework: even though the compliance date has passed, the modification or inspection it mandates must be embodied and tracked for any affected aircraft still operating.\n\nIn short, this directive requires a one-time check and rectification of passenger door handle spring pins to ensure emergency egress capability."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, targeted safety directive addressing a specific mechanical defect in specific aircraft models. It has not expanded beyond its original purpose of ensuring passenger door handle integrity for emergency evacuation safety."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (approximately 150 words)","Only 2 defined applicability criteria (serial number ranges)","Single requirement referencing external document (LFV AD 1-048) rather than spelling out technical steps","No nested conditional logic or exceptions","No internal cross-references to other sections of Civil Aviation Regulations","Straightforward compliance deadline with single extension noted"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this is:** This is an **Airworthiness Directive (AD)** — essentially a mandatory safety order issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for specific aircraft.\n\n**What it does:** It requires owners and operators of certain SAAB SF340 aircraft to inspect and fix a problem with the **passenger door handles**. The springs inside these handles can crack, which could jam the doors shut. If passengers can't open the doors during an emergency evacuation, people could die.\n\n**Who it affects:** \n- **SAAB SF340A aircraft** with serial numbers 004 through 159\n- **SAAB 340B aircraft** with serial numbers 160 through 259\n\nThese are regional turboprop planes commonly used by airlines like Regional Express (Rex) in Australia.\n\n**What must be done:** Operators must follow the instructions in a Swedish aviation safety document called **LFV AD 1-048** (Sweden is where SAAB is based). There's also a SAAB service bulletin (SB 340-52-014) that provides technical guidance.\n\n**When:** The fixes must be completed by **11 July 1991** for Australian-registered planes.\n\n**Why it matters:** This is a classic aviation safety intervention. A seemingly small mechanical defect — a cracked spring pin — could trap passengers inside a burning or damaged aircraft. The directive closes this safety gap before an accident happens."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The directive adopts the actions of LFV AD 1-048 for the same affected serial-number groups; the substance of required inspections/repairs is unchanged. The only modification for Australian-registered aircraft is a revised effective date (Compliance; Background), not an expansion or narrowing of the aircraft or technical scope."},"complexity_factors":["Reference to an external foreign airworthiness directive (LFV AD 1-048) as the mandatory Requirement (Requirement).","Cross-reference to a manufacturer service bulletin (SAAB-Scania SB 340-52-014) rather than full technical steps being reproduced (Note).","Narrow applicability defined by specific serial-number ranges for two model variants (Applicability).","Revised effective date for Australian-registered aircraft introduces a timing adjustment from the foreign authority's date (Compliance).","Safety-critical hardware inspection/repair (cracked spring pins on passenger door handles) creates immediate operational urgency and potential parts/labour cost for operators (Background).","Compliance depends on the content of the referenced Requirement document, creating dependency on another instrument for procedural detail (Requirement)."],"plain_english_summary":"This airworthiness directive requires operators of specified SAAB SF340A (S/N SF340A‑004 to ‑159) and 340B (S/N 340B‑160 to ‑259) aircraft to carry out the inspections and corrective actions set out in LFV AD 1‑048 (see SAAB SB 340‑52‑014). It is issued because cracked spring pins were found on passenger door handles, which can make doors inoperable in an evacuation; Australian-registered aircraft have a revised effective date of 11 July 1991. Operators are responsible for compliance and any inspection/repair costs."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-sf340-28-passenger-door-handle","history":"/api/acts/ad-sf340-28-passenger-door-handle/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-sf340-28-passenger-door-handle/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-sf340-28-passenger-door-handle/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-sf340-28-passenger-door-handle/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-sf340-28-passenger-door-handle/documents"}}