AD/CAP 10/10 - Wing Main Spar Wooden Centre Block

The Directive deploys a handful of interacting regulatory concepts that determine obligations and compliance mechanics.

• Applicability by configuration and serial number. The safety rule attaches to aircraft by type, major change designation and identified wing part number and serial numbers: CAP 10B aircraft fitted with major change 000302 and wing part 11.56.00.010 with serial numbers 001-084 (Applicability). This is a narrow captured cohort, not a blanket rule across all CAP 10 variants.

• Immediate operational restriction as a temporary mitigant. Requirement 1 imposes a prohibition on flick manoeuvres "as of the effective date" until the corrective works are accomplished (Requirement 1; Compliance). The ban functions as an immediate risk-control prior to structural modification.

• Prescriptive, document-normative repairs and modifications. The AD makes Apex Aircraft Service Bulletin No. 060307 and Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766 the operative technical standards (Requirement 2 and 3). It requires filling surface cracks with a specified material type (two component epoxy compound) and installation of specific reinforcement plates (97.56.00.002). The AD also requires that the referenced documents be "at the latest EASA approved revision", thereby incorporating later approved revisions by reference (Requirement 2 and 3).

• Qualified-person requirement. The AD limits who may carry out particular works: "Accomplishment of Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766 may only be carried out by an appropriately qualified/licensed person" (Requirement 2). The AD thus creates a legal constraint on tasking and allocation of maintenance labour.

• Prohibition on future installation without prior modification. The Directive bars anyone from installing a wing with part number 11.56.00.010 on a CAP 10B unless it has been inspected and modified in accordance with the prescribed accomplishment instructions (Requirement 3). This prevents reintroduction of an unmodified part into the fleet.

• Repetitive inspection regime. After the initial fixes, the AD requires recurring inspections at intervals not exceeding 13 months under the Accomplishment Instructions (Compliance). The inspections are the ongoing compliance mechanism to monitor for drying-related cracking.

• Manufacturer contact for damage beyond the scope of the AD. If cracking or damage is detected in the rear or front wing spar web, operators must "contact Apex Aircraft for a repair solution" and must do so before further flight (Requirement 2). That creates a mandatory escalation channel and a "no further flight" trigger pending remedy.

• Cross-reference to EASA. The AD notes that "EASA AD 2007-0015 refers" (Note), indicating that the Australian requirement aligns with or takes technical lead from an EASA directive. The AD also makes the EASA-approved revision of the manufacturer documents the benchmark.

These concepts taken together create a compliance architecture: identify affected aircraft, restrict high-risk operations immediately, perform prescribed repairs and reinforcement using manufacturer instructions approved by EASA, ensure qualified persons carry out specified tasks, repeat inspections on a set interval, and escalate to manufacturer for any cracking beyond routine fills. The Directive is procedural (steps and intervals), technical (materials and part numbers), and normative by reference (service bulletins and EASA approvals).

The Directive addresses a defined set of actors by function and by possession of affected equipment.

• Aircraft owners and operators of CAP 10B aeroplanes that have been fitted with major change 000302 and wood/carbon-made wings part number 11.56.00.010, serial numbers 001-084 (Applicability). Those owners/operators are the primary duty-bearers: they must ensure the immediate prohibition on flick manoeuvres is observed (Requirement 1), that inspections and modifications are carried out within the stated windows (Requirement 2 and 3; Compliance), and that any detected cracking triggers contact with Apex Aircraft and cessation of further flight until a repair solution is provided (Requirement 2).

• Maintenance organisations and appropriately qualified/licensed individuals. The AD requires particular technical work to be completed in accordance with Apex documents and expressly limits the accomplishment of Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766 to "an appropriately qualified/licensed person" (Requirement 2). That affects maintenance providers: they must hold the requisite qualifications or engage personnel who do, and must follow the nominated service documentation at the latest EASA-approved revision.

• Parts suppliers and fitters. The Directive forbids the installation of wing part number 11.56.00.010 on any CAP 10B unless the wing has been inspected and modified per the given instructions (Requirement 3). Suppliers, distributors and maintenance fitters who control parts inventory or carry out installations must therefore ensure wings in inventory and supply chains are either already modified or are not installed until modified.

• Pilots and aircrew. Pilots of affected aircraft must observe the prohibition on flick manoeuvres from the effective date until the modification work is finished (Requirement 1). The restriction is an operational constraint on aerobatic manoeuvres for affected aircraft during the interim period.

• Apex Aircraft. The manufacturer is implicated as the source of technical instructions and as the required point of contact for repairs beyond the AD scope. The AD requires operators to follow Apex Aircraft Service Bulletin No. 060307 and Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766, to install reinforcement plates specified by Apex, and to contact Apex for repair solutions if cracking is detected (Requirement 2 and 3).

• The Civil Aviation Safety Authority. CASA, through its Delegate (David Villiers, signatory), is the issuing regulator and holds the authority to declare the AD effective and require compliance (signature block; effective date). The Directive itself does not provide penalty provisions within the text; CASA would be the regulator to enforce compliance under broader aviation safety laws and administrative regimes , the AD names CASA as the issuer and sets the obligations to be enforced.

In practical terms the economic and operational burden falls on the operators/owners to arrange inspections, materials and modifications, and to prevent certain manoeuvres. Maintenance organisations must meet qualification requirements and adjust work schedules to accommodate immediate and recurring inspections and installation of reinforcement plates. Parts-handling actors must ensure compliance before fitting the specified wing parts.

The Directive creates discrete duties and prescribes limited procedural rights embedded in those duties. The framing is prescriptive: it tells actors what they must do and which technical documents to follow.

Primary duties

• Duty to refrain from specified manoeuvres. Requirement 1: "Flick manoeuvres are prohibited on affected CAP 10B aircraft" and that prohibition applies "as of the effective date of this Directive; until accomplishment of Requirements 2 and 3" (Requirement 1; Compliance). The duty is immediate and continues until the defined corrective actions are completed.

• Duty to inspect and remediate spar web cracks. Requirement 2 directs inspection of the spar web, filling surface cracks with "a two component epoxy compound" in accordance with Apex Aircraft Service Bulletin No. 060307 and Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766, "both at the latest EASA approved revision" (Requirement 2). This duty includes immediate remedial action (filling) and ongoing inspection frequency set out in Compliance.

• Duty to install reinforcement plates. Requirement 3 requires installation of reinforcement plates 97.56.00.002 "in accordance with Apex Aircraft Service Bulletin No. 060307 and Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766, both at the latest EASA approved revision" (Requirement 3).

• Duty to escalate significant damage. Requirement 2 states that "If any cracking or damage is detected during the inspection in either the rear or front wing spar web, before further flight, contact Apex Aircraft for a repair solution." This creates a duty to cease further flight and seek manufacturer repair instructions when damage exceeds routine findings.

• Duty to prevent unmodified installations. Requirement 3 also provides that "As of the effective date of this Directive, no person shall install an Apex Aircraft wing part number 11.56.00.010 on any CAP 10B aircraft unless it has been inspected and modified in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions..." That is a preventive duty affecting installation in the future.

Technical and procedural prerequisites

• Normative-document compliance. The duties to inspect, fill, and install reinforcement plates are explicitly tied to the Accomplishment Instructions of two Apex documents and to the "latest EASA approved revision" of those documents (Requirement 2 and 3). Compliance therefore requires access to and adherence to those documents at their EASA-approved revisions.

• Qualified-person limitation. The Directive specifies that "Accomplishment of Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766 may only be carried out by an appropriately qualified/licensed person" (Requirement 2). That is a duty to ensure competence and credentialing for the particular instruction.

Rights and conditional allowances in the text

• No express enforcement powers stated within the AD. The Directive specifies actions but does not itself state civil or criminal penalties or provide appeal rights in its text. The regulatory authority (CASA) is the issuer and would administer compliance under its general statutory powers; however, the AD text contains no explicit provisions granting procedural rights or specifying enforcement mechanisms.

• Conditional permission to resume manoeuvres after compliance. While not phrased as a "right", the structure implies that the prohibition on flick manoeuvres ceases upon accomplishment of Requirements 2 and 3 (Requirement 1). Completion of the mandated modifications and inspections therefore restores the operational permissibility that the immediate prohibition restricted.

• Manufacturer engagement for repair solutions. The requirement to contact Apex Aircraft when certain damage is found creates a procedural path to obtain a "repair solution" from the manufacturer before resuming flight (Requirement 2). That is a delegated remedial pathway rather than leaving repair scope solely to local judgement.

In sum, the Directive imposes immediate operational limits, prescriptive technical duties tied to manufacturer documentation, repetition obligations, and an escalation duty to the manufacturer for serious damage. It conditions future installations of specified wing parts on prior inspection and modification. It also limits who may perform some work by requiring an appropriately qualified/licensed person for certain instructions.

The AD text itself does not enumerate penalties, fines or specific enforcement steps; it is structured as a mandatory safety directive listing operational prohibitions and technical requirements, effective on a specified date. The only enforcement-relevant facts in the document are procedural: the AD "becomes effective on 25 January 2007" (effective date), and it is issued by the Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (David Villiers) who signed on 22 January 2007 (signature block). The Directive therefore has force as a CASA-issued AD, but the text contained here does not set out sanctions.

What the Directive does state about stopping operations is operational and precautionary: if cracking or damage is detected in the front or rear wing spar web, the operator must "contact Apex Aircraft for a repair solution" and must do so "before further flight" (Requirement 2). That creates an operational no-go condition, but it is framed as a safety imperative rather than a listed penalty.

Enforcement mechanisms, administrative remedies and civil or criminal sanctions would lie in the broader regulatory regime under which CASA operates; they are not specified within this AD text. The document does not set out appeal mechanisms, compliance reporting forms, or specific audit rights. Nor does it specify which CASA office will carry out audits or inspections, what documentation must be furnished to CASA to evidence compliance, or the form in which compliance should be recorded. The AD does, however, make adherence to manufacturer documents at their latest EASA-approved revision a compliance requirement, which in practical terms means inspectors and regulators can check maintenance records against those documents.

Consequences implied by the text

• Immediate grounding of a type of operation. The prohibition on flick manoeuvres is immediate and mandatory "as of the effective date" until the specified corrective measures are done. The AD thus imposes an operational restriction that can be audited against flight logs or pilot reports.

• Mandatory technical works and recurring inspections. The AD mandates specific repairs and a 13‑month inspection interval thereafter. Failure to perform those inspections or to install reinforcement plates as directed would be a non-compliance with the AD's stated requirements.

• Manufacturer consultation before flight after damage. The AD requires contact with the manufacturer in the case of detected cracking; failure to seek and follow such a repair solution before further flight would be a clear breach of the AD's terms.

Absent from the text are explicit monetary fines, suspension processes or criminal provisions. The document’s enforcement scope therefore must be understood as prescribing mandatory safety actions, which CASA would enforce under its broader legislative powers and regulatory procedures outside the AD document itself. The AD does not supply the ancillary administrative mechanics (reporting, proof of compliance to CASA) within this text.

The AD explicitly references external technical and regulatory materials and thereby creates cross-references that affect compliance.

• Normative incorporation of manufacturer and EASA materials. The Directive makes the Apex Aircraft Service Bulletin No. 060307 and Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766 the operative technical standards, but only "at the latest EASA approved revision" (Requirement 2 and 3). That imports into the compliance obligation both the manufacturer's procedural content and the EASA approval status. Operators must therefore track not only the service documents but also their EASA-approved revision history to ensure they are complying with the "latest EASA approved revision" clause.

• Reference to EASA AD 2007-0015. The AD contains a note: "EASA AD 2007-0015 refers." That cross-reference aligns the Australian requirement with an EASA airworthiness directive. The presence of that note indicates the Australian AD is operating in the same technical family as the EASA action. From a legal-document perspective, compliance with the Australian AD will necessarily involve due regard to the corresponding EASA AD and the EASA-approved versions of the Apex documents.

• Relationship with general aviation safety law. Although the AD itself does not set out enforcement penalties, it is an instrument issued under the authority of CASA. Compliance failures are therefore likely to be actionable under the general aviation safety and regulatory framework administered by CASA. The AD text does not, however, specify those mechanisms or cite the primary statutory power used to issue the AD.

• Interaction with maintenance and licensing regimes. The AD limits who may carry out certain instructions by requiring an "appropriately qualified/licensed person" for Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766 (Requirement 2). That ties the AD to the existing maintenance licensing system and its regulatory controls: persons and organisations must ensure their workforce holds the requisite licences under the maintenance regulatory scheme.

• Effect on parts and installations. The prohibition on installing wing part number 11.56.00.010 unless the wing has been inspected and modified per the Accomplishment Instructions (Requirement 3) intersects with laws and obligations governing parts conformity, release to service and maintenance records. Organisations that manage parts inventories must ensure their parts are not fitted in contravention of this directive.

• No explicit mention of insurance, certificates of airworthiness, or other statutory regimes. The AD does not discuss effects on certificates of airworthiness or insurance coverage. Those consequences may nonetheless follow under other legal instruments administratively, but they are not stated within the AD text.

In short, the AD imports and conditions compliance on manufacturer documentation and EASA approvals, ties certain tasks to licensed personnel (thereby intersecting with maintenance licensing law), and is issued under CASA's regulatory authority. The AD does not itself describe enforcement processes or specify how compliance should be evidenced to CASA.

The text provided contains limited material about amendment history. The Directive is labelled in headers as "AD/CAP 10/10", "Wing Main Spar Wooden Centre Block", and coded "3/2007 DM". The AD states that it "becomes effective on 25 January 2007" (effective date) and is signed on 22 January 2007 (signature block). There is no record within this text of prior amendments, repeal, subsequent amendments, or later versions of the directive. No date-stamped history of revisions is included within the AD text supplied.

The Directive requires compliance "in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of Apex Aircraft Service Bulletin No. 060307 and Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766, both at the latest EASA approved revision" (Requirement 2 and 3). That phrasing presumes that those documents may themselves be revised and that later EASA-approved revisions supersede earlier ones as the technical standard for compliance. The AD therefore delegates part of its update mechanism to the EASA approval process for the named documents: operators must implement the latest EASA-approved revision of the Apex documents to be compliant. However, the AD text does not itself list revisions or provide an internal amendment log.

The AD also includes a note: "EASA AD 2007-0015 refers." That indicates that there is a corresponding EASA AD with its own history, but this Australian text does not include any further information about that EASA AD's amendment history or how changes to the EASA AD are to be reflected in Australian enforcement.

In sum, the supplied AD text contains a single effective date and no internal amendment entries. It establishes a mechanism for subsequent technical updates only by reference to "latest EASA approved revision" of the manufacturer's documents, rather than by listing discrete Australian amendment steps within the AD itself.

The AD text does not record any litigation, notices of dispute, administrative appeals, or legal challenges. There are no case citations, no references to judicial review or tribunal proceedings, and no indication within the text of legal challenges either before or after issuance. The only legal or quasi-legal instrument recorded is the AD itself, issued by the Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and dated 22 January 2007 with an effective date of 25 January 2007.

Because the AD is a safety direction with prescriptive remedial and operational measures, any litigation that might arise (for example disputes over interpretation, refusal of an operator to carry out modifications, or disputes about the sufficiency of repairs) would be outside the content of this text and is not documented here. The AD does not provide a channel for appeal or judicial review within its own wording.

Therefore, based solely on the supplied document, there is no litigation history to report.

The AD contains several features and drafting choices that can create compliance pitfalls or operational friction if not closely attended to.

• Narrow applicability but strict scope. Applicability is limited to CAP 10B aircraft fitted with major change 000302 and wing part number 11.56.00.010 with serial numbers 001-084 (Applicability). The tight serial-number range means that determining whether a particular aircraft is within scope requires accurate records of major change and wing serial numbers. Failure to verify serials or change records could result in inadvertent non‑compliance or unnecessary application of the AD.

• Immediate operational prohibition before physical work. The prohibition on flick manoeuvres applies "as of the effective date" until Requirements 2 and 3 are accomplished (Requirement 1; Compliance). Operators must therefore enforce an immediate operational restriction pending technical work. That raises scheduling pressure: operators must prevent flights involving flick manoeuvres immediately, which may be a practical issue for aerobatic pilots or flight schools using affected CAP 10Bs.

• Discrepancy in timing windows. The Compliance column specifies that Requirements 2 and 3 are due "Within 50 hours after 15 March 2007, unless already accomplished" (Compliance). The AD is effective 25 January 2007 and signed 22 January 2007. The 50-hour window that is tied to a date of 15 March 2007 is not explained in the text. Operators should flag the date-driven nature of the compliance window and verify that they understand whether the "50 hours after 15 March 2007" is flight hours or calendar hours and how those hours are to be recorded; the AD does not define the metric of "50 hours" explicitly in its text.

• Dependency on referenced documents and EASA approval. Compliance is tied to Apex Aircraft Service Bulletin No. 060307 and Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766 "both at the latest EASA approved revision" (Requirement 2 and 3). That requires operators and maintainers to obtain and use the EASA-approved revision of those documents. If the operator uses an earlier revision or a non‑EASA-approved variant, they would be non‑compliant. Operators must ensure they have the correct approved revisions and must track EASA approvals.

• Qualified-person restriction. The AD states that the accomplishment of Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766 "may only be carried out by an appropriately qualified/licensed person" (Requirement 2). Operators must ensure their maintenance provider has personnel with the correct licence/qualification. The text does not specify what precise licence is required, so operators must refer to the maintenance regulatory framework or to Apex/EASA guidance to determine required credentials.

• Mandatory manufacturer engagement for certain defects. If cracking is detected in the front or rear spar web, the operator must contact Apex Aircraft for a repair solution and must do so before further flight (Requirement 2). This creates potential downtime and dependency on manufacturer response time for airworthiness repairs. The AD does not indicate a required response timeframe from Apex Aircraft or specify alternative authorised repair instructions pending manufacturer response.

• Prohibition on installing the specified wing unless modified. As of the effective date, "no person shall install an Apex Aircraft wing part number 11.56.00.010 on any CAP 10B aircraft unless it has been inspected and modified" per the Accomplishment Instructions (Requirement 3). This affects parts in stock and spare inventory; organisations must verify that any wing they intend to install has been modified and documented as such. Installing an unmodified wing would breach the AD.

• Ambiguity around "two component epoxy compound". The AD requires surface cracks be filled "with a two component epoxy compound in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions" (Requirement 2). The AD relies on the Accomplishment Instructions for the exact material specification and bonding procedure. Operators who substitute different epoxy systems without reference to the Accomplishment Instructions would risk non-compliance.

• Record-keeping and auditability are not specified. The AD sets obligations and intervals but does not prescribe the form of records or the means by which compliance is to be evidenced to CASA. Operators should assume that maintenance records, logbook entries and parts installation paperwork will be required for audit, but the AD itself does not detail these procedural evidentiary requirements.

Operators and maintainers should therefore pay attention to serial-number verification, immediate operational restrictions, the date-and-hour compliance window, obtaining and following the correct EASA-approved revisions of manufacturer documents, ensuring appropriately qualified personnel perform certain work, and ensuring inventory parts are modified before installation. The requirements to contact Apex for certain damage also create a potential operational bottleneck that should be planned for.

The Directive sets out concrete steps. Below is a practical checklist derived directly from the AD text; each item references the corresponding incorporated requirement or compliance clause.

1. Confirm applicability

   • Verify whether each CAP 10B aircraft is fitted with major change 000302 (wood/carbon-made wing) and whether the wing part number is 11.56.00.010 with serial number between 001 and 084 (Applicability). Maintain documentary proof of major change and wing serial number.

2. Implement immediate operational restriction

   • From 25 January 2007 (effective date), ensure that no pilot conducts "flick manoeuvres" on affected CAP 10B aircraft (Requirement 1; Compliance). Record a standing operational restriction in flight operations documentation until the completion of Requirements 2 and 3.

3. Obtain the correct technical documents

   • Acquire Apex Aircraft Service Bulletin No. 060307 and Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766. Use the versions "at the latest EASA approved revision" referenced in the AD (Requirement 2 and 3). Confirm EASA approval status and revision dates.

4. Schedule and perform spar web inspection and remedial filling

   • Within the required compliance window, perform inspection of the spar web and fill surface cracks with a two component epoxy compound "in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions" of the Apex documents (Requirement 2). Ensure the inspector documents inspection findings, materials used and work performed. If any cracking or damage is detected in the rear or front wing spar web, do not fly the aircraft and contact Apex Aircraft for a repair solution before further flight (Requirement 2).

5. Ensure appropriately qualified personnel perform specified tasks

   • For accomplishment of Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766, ensure the work is carried out "by an appropriately qualified/licensed person" (Requirement 2). Verify licences and qualifications and retain evidence.

6. Install reinforcement plates

   • Install reinforcement plates part number 97.56.00.002 "in accordance with Apex Aircraft Service Bulletin No. 060307 and Apex Aircraft Instruction No. 1001766" (Requirement 3). Record installation details, serial numbers and sign-off.

7. Prevent installation of unmodified wings

   • From the effective date onward, do not install an Apex Aircraft wing part number 11.56.00.010 on any CAP 10B unless it has been inspected and modified per the Accomplishment Instructions ( Requirement 3). Update parts inventory controls to flag unmodified wings and prevent their installation.

8. Meet the timing requirements

   • For Requirements 2 and 3, comply "Within 50 hours after 15 March 2007, unless already accomplished" (Compliance). Clarify the interpretation of "50 hours" (the AD text does not define this) through your maintenance control or regulatory adviser; ensure accurate tracking of flight hours if the intended meaning is flight hours. After initial accomplishment, schedule inspections "in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of Apex Aircraft Service Bulletin No. 060307 at intervals not to exceed 13 months" (Compliance). Maintain a recurrent inspection schedule and notification system to ensure inspections occur on time.

9. Document and retain records

   • Keep full maintenance records of inspections, materials used (e.g., the two component epoxy), reinforcement plate installations (part numbers and serials), qualifications of personnel who performed the work, and any communication with Apex Aircraft regarding repairs. The AD does not specify record forms; use standard maintenance logbooks and organisational quality-control records.

10. Escalation when damage found

    • If inspection reveals cracking or damage in either the rear or front wing spar web, cease further flight for the affected aircraft and contact Apex Aircraft for a repair solution before any further flight (Requirement 2). Record the contact, the repair solution provided by Apex, and any subsequent works done.

11. Align with EASA-approved documents

    • Because compliance is tied to the "latest EASA approved revision" of the Apex documents, implement a process for monitoring EASA approvals and updating maintenance procedures promptly when a new EASA-approved revision is issued. Ensure that when an EASA-approved revision is issued, the organisation reviews it for effect on prior compliance.

12. Liaise with CASA where necessary

    • While the AD does not set out reporting procedures to CASA within its text, consider notifying CASA or your principal inspector of completion of the mandated modifications and inspection schedule as part of good regulatory practice, and retain records in case CASA audits compliance.

Following these steps will align actions to the literal requirements of the Directive: immediate operational restriction (Requirement 1), inspection and epoxy filling by appropriate personnel (Requirement 2), installation of reinforcement plates and prohibition on installing unmodified wings (Requirement 3), and the recurrent inspection schedule "not to exceed 13 months" thereafter (Compliance). All work should be performed in accordance with the Apex Accomplishment Instructions and the latest EASA-approved revisions of those documents.