{"id":"F2006B06961","name":"AD/SF340/32 - Fuel Tank Access Door Area","slug":"ad-sf340-32-fuel-tank-access-door-area","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":114859,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006B06961-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"AD/SF340/32 - Fuel Tank Access Door Area","content":"COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 \\- 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY\n\nSCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES\n\n![](image.001.png)  \nSAAB SF340 Series Aeroplanes\n\nAD/SF340/32 Fuel Tank Access Door Area 4/92\n\nApplicability: Model SF340A with serial numbers 004 through 159 inclusive.\n\nModel 340B with serial numbers 160 through 299 inclusive.\n\nRequirement: Action in accordance with SAAB Scania AB Service Bulletin SAAB 340-57-020.\n\nNote: Swedish (LFV) AD 1-052 refers.\n\nCompliance: For the inspection, corrosion removal and surface treatment.\n\n    \\- prior to 2 October 1992\n\nFor installation of the protective plates\n\n    \\- prior to 2 April 1993.\n\nBackground: Field experience has shown that corrosion has developed on the wing upper panel in the fuel tank access door area. The corrosion is caused by moisture and contact between the conductive paint on the fuel access door and wing structure. This may lead to reduction of strength of the wing upper panel and possible fuel leakage.\n\nThe compliance times required by the LFV is extended by approximately two months.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The substantive technical requirements (inspect for corrosion, treat and install protective plates per the SAAB service bulletin) remain the same as the referenced LFV action, but the instrument explicitly extends the compliance times required by the LFV by approximately two months. The change is therefore to timing (deadlines) rather than to the set of required actions. (Note; Background; Compliance)"},"complexity_factors":["Narrow applicability limited to two defined serial-number ranges (Applicability).","Simple, discrete technical actions required: inspection, corrosion removal, surface treatment, and installation of protective plates (Requirement; Compliance).","Hard compliance dates create scheduling pressure and require coordination of maintenance resources (Compliance).","Dependence on an external technical document (SAAB service bulletin) means procedural detail is not in the directive itself (Requirement).","Reference to a foreign AD with an explicit change to timing introduces a minor cross-jurisdictional coordination element (Note; Background)."],"plain_english_summary":"What this instrument does (mechanically)\n\n- Requires owners/operators of certain SAAB SF340 aeroplanes to carry out specific inspections and modifications. (Applicability; Requirement)\n- Requires an inspection of the wing upper panel in the fuel tank access door area, removal of any corrosion found, and surface treatment. This inspection and any corrosion remediation must be done by 2 October 1992. (Compliance)\n- Requires installation of protective plates in the same area by 2 April 1993. (Compliance)\n- Specifies that the work must be done in accordance with SAAB Scania AB Service Bulletin SAAB 340-57-020. (Requirement)\n\nWhy it matters (stated purpose and mechanical consequence)\n\n- The stated reason is field experience showing corrosion develops where the conductive paint on the fuel access door contacts the wing structure; the corrosion may weaken the wing upper panel and could lead to fuel leakage. The instrument directs inspections and a modification to address that corrosion mechanism. (Background)\n\nWho is affected and who decides\n\n- Affects operators/owners of SF340A aircraft with serial numbers 004–159 and SF340B aircraft with serial numbers 160–299. (Applicability)\n- The civil aviation authority requires compliance with the SAAB service bulletin; the service bulletin sets the technical steps to be followed. That allocates technical decision-making about how to perform inspections and install plates to the procedures in the manufacturer’s bulletin. (Requirement)\n\nWho pays and what behaviour changes\n\n- The aircraft operator or whoever is responsible for maintenance must arrange and bear the work of inspection, corrosion removal, surface treatment and later installation of protective plates as specified. The instrument itself does not allocate funding; it prescribes the maintenance tasks and deadlines. (Requirement; Compliance)\n- The immediate behavioural change required is scheduling and completing the specified maintenance tasks by the stated dates. Operators will need to plan aircraft downtime, assign maintenance labour, and obtain any parts or materials required to meet the service bulletin instructions. (Requirement; Compliance)\n\nTrade-offs, costs and compliance burden (practical implications)\n\n- Direct costs arise from carrying out inspections, corrosion removal, surface treatment and installing protective plates: labour time, possible replacement parts, and aircraft out-of-service time. The AD prescribes the work rather than providing funding. (Requirement; Compliance)\n- The instrument shortens the window in which operators must act by setting hard compliance dates; it also extends the compliance times previously required by the Swedish authority by about two months, which is an explicit schedule change noted in the instrument. That timing change affects when operators must allocate resources. (Compliance; Background)\n- Compliance relies on following a manufacturer service bulletin for technical detail. That centralises the technical method in the manufacturer’s procedures and limits alternative methods unless the service bulletin allows them. (Requirement)\n\nImplementation risk, incentives and unintended effects\n\n- Implementation risk includes the possibility that operators may need parts or skilled labour not immediately available, which could affect aircraft availability while the work is done. The AD gives fixed deadlines but does not describe contingency processes in this text. (Compliance)\n- The instrument reduces the option for operators to defer the described maintenance beyond the stated dates; it therefore increases near-term maintenance demand for the affected fleet. (Compliance)\n\nOther observations grounded in the text\n\n- The directive applies to a defined set of serial-numbered aircraft only, so the cost and workload are concentrated on operators of those aircraft rather than spread across a broader fleet. (Applicability)\n- The AD references a matching Swedish (LFV) airworthiness directive and explicitly notes the compliance times here are extended by about two months versus the LFV requirement. That is the sole change from the foreign AD reported in this instrument. (Note; Background)\n\nKey source citations: Applicability; Requirement; Compliance; Background; Note."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, time-limited safety directive addressing a specific airworthiness issue. It has not expanded beyond its original purpose of mandating corrosion inspection and repair for the identified aircraft models."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (under 200 words)","Only 2 defined applicability ranges (serial number bands)","Single technical requirement referencing an external service bulletin (SAAB 340-57-020)","Two straightforward compliance deadlines with no conditional logic","No nested exceptions, cross-references to other legislation, or interpretive provisions","Background explanation provided in plain language"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an **Airworthiness Directive** — a mandatory safety order issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for specific aircraft.\n\n**What it does:**\nOrders owners and operators of certain **Saab SF340 aircraft** (a regional turboprop airliner) to inspect and fix a corrosion problem around the fuel tank access doors on the wings.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- **SF340A models** with serial numbers 004–159\n- **340B models** with serial numbers 160–299\n\n**What must be done:**\n1. **Inspection, corrosion removal and surface treatment** — must be completed before **2 October 1992**\n2. **Installation of protective plates** — must be completed before **2 April 1993**\n\n**Why it matters:**\nMoisture and electrical contact between the fuel door's conductive paint and the wing structure was causing corrosion. Left unchecked, this could **weaken the wing** and cause **fuel leaks** — a serious safety risk.\n\n**Key point:** Australia gave operators about **two extra months** compared to the Swedish aviation authority's original deadline, recognising practical compliance challenges."},"summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument is an airworthiness directive that mandates specific inspection and modification actions for a defined set of Saab SF340 aeroplanes to prevent in-service corrosion damage."},"complexity_factors":["Specific aircraft models and serial number ranges","Technical subject matter involving corrosion inspection and structural modification","Reliance on external manufacturer service bulletin"],"plain_english_summary":"This is an airworthiness directive (AD) for Saab SF340 series aeroplanes, issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998. It addresses corrosion that can develop on the wing upper panel around the fuel tank access door area. Moisture and contact between the conductive paint on the fuel access door and the wing structure may cause corrosion, which could weaken the wing and lead to fuel leakage. The AD requires operators to carry out an inspection, remove any corrosion, apply surface treatment, and then install protective plates. All work must be done following the manufacturer's service bulletin (SAAB 340-57-020). The inspection, corrosion removal and surface treatment must be completed before 2 October 1992; the protective plates must be installed before 2 April 1993. The directive applies to Model SF340A with serial numbers 004 through 159 inclusive, and Model 340B with serial numbers 160 through 299 inclusive. This AD is relevant for owners, operators and maintenance organisations responsible for these aircraft; compliance is mandatory to continue operating the aircraft in Australia."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-sf340-32-fuel-tank-access-door-area","history":"/api/acts/ad-sf340-32-fuel-tank-access-door-area/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-sf340-32-fuel-tank-access-door-area/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-sf340-32-fuel-tank-access-door-area/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-sf340-32-fuel-tank-access-door-area/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-sf340-32-fuel-tank-access-door-area/documents"}}