AD/CIRRUS/4 Amdt 1 - Crew Seats

The instrument rests on a small number of core concepts expressed in the AD text.

Applicability by serial number. The AD applies only to specific serial-number ranges. For Requirement 1 the ranges are "SR20 ... 1005 through 1600" and "SR22 ... 0002 through 1727." For Requirement 2 the ranges are narrower: "SR20 ... 1005 through 1455" and "SR22 ... 0002 through 1044." The AD therefore differentiates obligations according to the aircraft’s serial number.

Mandatory accomplishment of service bulletin work. The AD does not itself describe step-by-step technical modifications. Instead it mandates accomplishing the requirements of named Cirrus Design Corporation Alert Service Bulletins: SB 2X-25-17 (Revised 20 January 2006) for Requirement 1, and SB 2X-25-06 R4 (Revised 5 May 2005) for Requirement 2. The AD operates by reference to manufacturer-issued service bulletins as the technical means of compliance.

Timed compliance windows measured in hours or days. Compliance is required "Within 50 hours time in service or 180 days after" a stated date, "whichever occurs first; unless already accomplished." Two separate start dates are given: 23 November 2006 for Requirement 1 and 13 October 2005 for Requirement 2. The two alternative triggers,hours time in service and calendar days,set a dual temporal constraint on operators.

Retention of earlier actions and replacement of components. The AD states it "retains the action from the original issue of replacing the crew seat recline locks on both seats and adds the action of replacing the crew seat break-over bolts with the new crew seat break-over pins on both seats." It therefore continues prior mandated modifications and adds a further hardware change.

Safety rationale expressed as prevention of seat forward folding. The background states that seats "may fold forward at less than the 26g required by the regulations" under emergency landing dynamic loads. The AD frames the mandated work as "intended to prevent the crew seats from folding forward during emergency landing dynamic loads with consequent occupant injury." The 26g figure is presented as a regulatory benchmark in the AD’s background material.

Interaction with FAA ADs. The AD explicitly references FAA AD 2006-19-10 and notes that this Australian amendment was raised to apply that FAA AD, which "superseded AD 2005-17-19." The AD contains two notes: Note 1: "FAA AD 2006-19-10 Amdt 39-14767 refers." Note 2: "Requirement 2 remains unchanged from the original issue of this Airworthiness Directive and need not be reapplied if previously accomplished."

Formal instrument mechanics. The AD records an effective date, an authority signatory (Delegate of CASA), and the date of signature. It uses an amendment numbering convention: AD/CIRRUS/4 Amdt 1. The text signals that the AD is an amendment to an original issue which became effective on 27 September 2005.

In practical regulatory terms, the AD ties regulatory compliance to discrete technical instructions issued by the manufacturer, constrains the timing of compliance by hours or calendar days, and differentiates obligations by serial-number cohorts. Those are the instrument’s main structural features.

The text identifies a narrow population of affected parties through serial-number ranges and by the object of the AD, the crew seats.

Registered operators and owners of Cirrus Design SR20 and SR22 aeroplanes that fall within the specified serial-number ranges are the immediate subjects of the AD. Specifically, operators or owners of "Model SR20 aircraft, serial numbers 1005 through 1600" and "Model SR22 aircraft, serial numbers 0002 through 1727" are within the Requirement 1 cohort. A subset of those owners or operators, those with "Model SR20 aircraft, serial numbers 1005 through 1455, and Model SR22 aircraft, serial numbers 0002 through 1044," are within Requirement 2 as well.

Maintenance organisations and technicians doing work under the AD will be engaged because the AD requires accomplishing the requirements of the specified Cirrus Design Corporation Alert Service Bulletins. The AD itself does not name particular maintenance organisations or technicians, nor does it prescribe qualification standards. The technical work will necessarily involve parties that implement the service bulletin instructions on the affected aircraft.

Cirrus Design Corporation is implicated as the manufacturer whose service bulletins are mandated. The AD directs compliance with Cirrus-issued SB 2X-25-17 (Revised 20 January 2006) and SB 2X-25-06 R4 (Revised 5 May 2005). The manufacturer’s prior issuance of service bulletins and the later issuance of replacement break-over pins are referenced in the AD’s amendment rationale.

Regulatory decision-makers within CASA and its delegates are affected in an administrative sense because the AD is a CASA instrument bearing a delegate’s signature. The AD is an amendment ("Amdt 1") to an existing instrument, and so CASA’s administrative processes for issuing and amending ADs are operative in the background of the instrument.

Aircraft not within the listed serial-number ranges are not affected by the AD text. The AD’s applicability is strictly confined to specified serial-number cohorts; no broader fleet-wide mandate is expressed in the AD itself.

Finally, while the AD frames its safety objective in terms of occupant injury in emergency landings, the AD text does not identify passengers, insurers, or other third parties as addressees. The text does not set out compensatory arrangements or cost shares. Therefore the practical financial burden and execution of the mandated work will fall on the owners/operators of the affected aircraft unless other arrangements exist outside the AD text.

Duties imposed by the AD are specified verbatim. The primary duties are to "Accomplish the requirements of Cirrus Design Corporation Alert Service Bulletin SB 2X-25-17, Revised 20 January 2006" for Requirement 1, and to "Accomplish the requirements of Cirrus Design Corporation Alert Service Bulletin SB 2X-25-06 R4, Revised 5 May 2005" for Requirement 2, where those requirements apply. The AD repeats the operative duty with the qualification "unless already accomplished" for each requirement. This creates a duty of execution for affected aircraft unless the SB work has already been completed.

Timing duties. Each obligation carries a time-based duty: to be completed "Within 50 hours time in service or 180 days after" an indicated date, "whichever occurs first." For Requirement 1 the reference date is "23 November 2006"; for Requirement 2 it is "13 October 2005." These dual triggers impose an operational duty to monitor both the aircraft’s accrual of time in service and the elapsed calendar time since the specified reference date to determine compliance windows.

Duty to follow the specified service bulletin contents. By mandating accomplishment of the named service bulletins, the AD implicitly requires following the technical instructions contained within those bulletins. The AD text itself does not set out the technical steps; it assigns that content to the Cirrus Design service bulletins.

Rights indicated in the AD text are limited. The AD does not articulate administrative appeal rights, deferral processes, or alternative compliance procedures within the instrument itself. It does state that Requirement 2 "need not be reapplied if previously accomplished," which functions as a right or exemption for operators who can demonstrate prior accomplishment of that requirement. The AD also signals that Requirement 1 applies "unless already accomplished," affording the same practical exemption for prior-compliant operators.

No explicit rights for carve-outs, approvals for alternative methods of compliance, or extensions are stated in the AD text. The instrument likewise does not state any certification or airworthiness release steps that accompany the accomplishment of the SB work. It also does not specify record-keeping requirements in this text or the party responsible for certifying the work. Where the AD refers to manufacturer service bulletins, it thereby delegates the technical specification of the duty to that manufacturer material.

Administrative facts. The AD becomes effective on 24 October 2006 and is signed by a CASA delegate, David Villiers, on 10 October 2006. The text identifies that the amendment was raised because "the manufacturer has developed new crew seat break-over pins to replace the old crew seat break-over bolts," and that the amendment retains the previous action of replacing crew seat recline locks while adding the break-over pin replacement. These statements define the AD’s scope and source of the duty to modify hardware.

In short, the AD places concrete duties on owners/operators of affected serial-number aircraft to accomplish specified manufacturer service bulletin tasks within stated timeframes, and the only explicit exemption in the AD text is where the work has already been accomplished.

The AD text specifies operational requirements and compliance timeframes but does not, within the supplied text, state any penalties, fines, or enforcement procedures. The instrument records its effective date, the specific requirements to "Accomplish the requirements" of specified service bulletins, and the compliance windows; however, it does not set out an enforcement regime or sanctions in the body of the AD as reproduced in the supplied material.

The only enforcement-adjacent detail in the AD text is the formalisation of the requirement in an instrument that is signed by a CASA delegate and given an effective date: "This Amendment becomes effective on 24 October 2006" and is signed "David Villiers Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 10 October 2006." The presence of a signed AD and an effective date indicates the Directive’s formalisation as an instrument, but the AD text provided does not enumerate enforcement steps, monitoring mechanisms, rectification notices, or statutory penalty amounts.

The AD does contain the phrase "unless already accomplished" in relation to each requirement. This creates a practical compliance effect: operators who can demonstrate that the mandated work has already been completed are not required to redo it under the AD. The AD also contains a note that "Requirement 2 remains unchanged from the original issue of this Airworthiness Directive and need not be reapplied if previously accomplished," which functions as an operational exemption for prior-compliant operators.

Because the AD references FAA AD 2006-19-10 and earlier FAA ADs, a reader could infer coordination with other regulatory regimes, but the supplied text does not specify how compliance evidence must be presented or who conducts compliance verification.

In this document there is no textual statement of criminal, civil, or administrative penalties for failing to comply, nor are there procedural steps for enforcement, such as notice periods or appeal channels. The AD therefore supplies mandates and timing but does not itself set out penalty schedules or describe enforcement practices in the text provided.

Users relying on this AD should therefore note that the supplied instrument does not include enforcement details and that any enforcement mechanisms or penalties that apply would have to be sourced from other regulatory instruments or statutory provisions not included in the supplied text.

The AD explicitly interacts with United States FAA airworthiness directives through cross-reference. The text contains Note 1: "FAA AD 2006-19-10 Amdt 39-14767 refers." The amendment statement explains that "This amendment was raised to apply FAA AD 2006-19-10 which superseded AD 2005-17-19." Thus the AD is aligned with, and explicitly tied to, FAA AD 2006-19-10 and its regulatory lineage.

The AD also records that the original issue became effective on 27 September 2005 and that Requirement 2 "remains unchanged from the original issue." This indicates an internal amendment history where the Australian AD references the FAA AD content and retains some original obligations while adding others in light of later manufacturer hardware changes.

The AD operationalises manufacturer service bulletins as the method for meeting regulatory obligations. Each requirement directs operators to "Accomplish the requirements of Cirrus Design Corporation Alert Service Bulletin ..." The AD therefore delegates the technical specifics of compliance to the manufacturer’s service bulletin regime. That means the AD interacts with the body of manufacturer-issued technical material and depends on that material to translate regulatory obligation into concrete technical tasks.

There is no explicit statement in the AD text about how it interacts with civil aviation statutory provisions, maintenance licensing requirements, or airworthiness certification processes in Australia. The AD does not set out whether accomplishment of the service bulletin work must be recorded in specific statutory registers, nor does it reference other Australian Acts or civil aviation regulations in the supplied text.

Because the AD mirrors FAA action, there is a cross-jurisdictional alignment in safety standards and technical solutions. The AD explicitly states that the amendment "was raised to apply FAA AD 2006-19-10 which superseded AD 2005-17-19." This places the Australian AD in direct conceptual linkage to the FAA AD sequence referenced.

The AD does not address interactions with insurance contracts, warranties, or commercial agreements. It also does not define whether accomplishing the SBs affects existing type certificates or other statutory authorisations. The AD’s scope is confined in the text to mandating service bulletin compliance for specified serial numbers and noting the FAA AD cross-references.

Where legal practitioners or compliance officers need to understand the full interaction with Australian aviation law, the supplied AD does not provide further statutory cross-references or procedural guidance; those interactions would need to be confirmed against the broader regulatory framework outside the supplied text.

The supplied text itself is an amendment designated AD/CIRRUS/4 Amdt 1. The AD states that the "original issue of this Airworthiness Directive became effective on 27 September 2005." It further states that "This amendment has been raised because the manufacturer has developed new crew seat break-over pins to replace the old crew seat break-over bolts." Consequently, the amendment "retains the action from the original issue of replacing the crew seat recline locks on both seats and adds the action of replacing the crew seat break-over bolts with the new crew seat break-over pins on both seats."

The AD also explicitly records that this amendment "was raised to apply FAA AD 2006-19-10 which superseded AD 2005-17-19." Note 1 in the requirement table directs readers to "FAA AD 2006-19-10 Amdt 39-14767." Note 2 clarifies that "Requirement 2 remains unchanged from the original issue of this Airworthiness Directive and need not be reapplied if previously accomplished."

The formal dating in the AD displays multiple relevant dates. Requirement 2’s compliance window references 13 October 2005 and the AD indicates the original issue became effective on 27 September 2005. The amendment itself carries an effective date of 24 October 2006 and a delegate signature dated 10 October 2006. The AD header includes the notation "12/2006 DM," suggesting the month-year of the amendment and perhaps an internal designation, and the amendment is labelled "Amdt 1."

The amendment logic is twofold: first, to adopt a later FAA AD (2006-19-10) that superseded an earlier FAA AD, and second, to incorporate a manufacturer hardware change (replacement of break-over bolts with pins) while retaining the previously mandated recline lock replacement. The AD therefore reflects an iterative regulatory update process responding to manufacturer-supplied hardware modifications and to FAA Directive developments.

The AD’s text does not provide an exhaustive chronological log of earlier versions beyond the references to the original issue (effective 27 September 2005) and the superseding FAA AD. The supplied material does not include the prior AD wording in full for comparison, nor does it include an annex listing the specific changes in the manufacturer’s service bulletins, beyond noting the replacement of break-over bolts with pins and the retention of recline-lock replacement.

In summary, the amendment history contained in the AD shows: an original AD effective 27 September 2005; subsequent manufacturer hardware updates; alignment with FAA AD 2006-19-10 (which superseded an earlier FAA AD); and the issuance of this amendment, AD/CIRRUS/4 Amdt 1, effective 24 October 2006.

The supplied text contains no litigation history. It does not mention any court proceedings, appeals, legal challenges, or determinations related to the AD, either in Australia or elsewhere. The AD does reference FAA ADs and manufacturer service bulletins, but it does not report any judicial or administrative litigation surrounding those instruments in the supplied material.

Because the document is a regulatory directive and not a case report, it is common for such instruments to be silent on litigation unless litigation has occurred and is directly relevant. In this AD’s text there is no mention of disputes, enforcement litigation, challenges to the AD’s validity, or rulings interpreting its obligations.

Accordingly, the supplied material does not permit citation of any cases or legal determinations concerning the content, application, or enforcement of this AD. Practitioners seeking litigation history relevant to this AD will need to consult other sources outside the supplied text.

Several practical pitfalls and points of potential misunderstanding are visible within the AD text and merit attention.

Narrow applicability by serial number. The AD applies only to specific serial-number ranges. Failing to check the aircraft serial number against the precise ranges will lead to misclassification of whether the AD applies. Requirement 1 uses ranges "SR20 1005 through 1600" and "SR22 0002 through 1727." Requirement 2 uses narrower ranges "SR20 1005 through 1455" and "SR22 0002 through 1044." Operators must verify exact serial numbers before acting.

Different requirements for overlapping cohorts. Aircraft within the narrower serial-number cohort for Requirement 2 are also within the broader cohort for Requirement 1. Operators must observe that Requirement 2 is a distinct mandate and that the AD text says "Requirement 2 remains unchanged from the original issue ... and need not be reapplied if previously accomplished." In practice, this means an operator must determine separately whether SB 2X-25-06 R4 has been previously accomplished, as that affects whether they must undertake the work again.

Dual triggers for compliance timing. Compliance is required "Within 50 hours time in service or 180 days after" a specified date, "whichever occurs first." Operators must monitor both hours TIS and elapsed calendar days from the reference date to determine the earlier trigger. The two reference dates differ between Requirement 1 and Requirement 2: 23 November 2006 for Requirement 1, and 13 October 2005 for Requirement 2. Failure to apply the correct reference date could lead to missed compliance windows.

"Unless already accomplished" qualification. Both requirements contain the qualification "unless already accomplished." This creates a practical exemption but places the onus on the operator to demonstrate prior accomplishment. The AD does not in this text specify what evidence suffices to prove prior compliance. Operators should therefore retain documentary evidence of prior SB compliance to avoid ambiguity.

AD references manufacturer service bulletins rather than technical steps in the AD. The AD requires accomplishing the requirements of specified service bulletins but does not reproduce them. That means obtaining and following the service bulletins precisely is essential to compliance. The AD does not include the service bulletin contents, so practitioners must procure those documents separately.

Change in hardware described tersely. The amendment notes replacement of "old crew seat break-over bolts" with "new crew seat break-over pins," and retention of recline lock replacement. The AD does not provide technical drawings or parts numbers in this text. Operators must rely on the associated service bulletin for exact parts, installation instructions and any parts-sourcing guidance.

Cross-reference to FAA ADs. The AD includes Note 1 pointing to "FAA AD 2006-19-10 Amdt 39-14767." Practitioners might assume that FAA materials supply further detail. The AD does not import FAA enforcement language, so any inference about FAA penalty regimes or FAA process cannot be drawn solely from this AD text.

Timing of the amendment and signature. The AD is signed on 10 October 2006 but lists an effective date of 24 October 2006, and Requirement 1 references 23 November 2006 as the calendar reference for its 180-day window. Care is needed in interpreting the calendar triggers in relation to signature and effective dates.

No penalties or enforcement specified in the text. The AD does not state penalties or enforcement mechanisms in the supplied material. Users should not assume enforcement processes from this text alone.

Ambiguity about who performs the work. The AD mandates accomplishing the service bulletin requirements but does not specify whether work must be performed by particular categories of certificated maintenance personnel. Operators must ensure their maintenance arrangements conform to applicable maintenance regulatory requirements outside this AD.

In short, the main gotchas are exact serial-number matching, separate and overlapping requirements, dual timing triggers with different reference dates, the necessity of documentary proof for prior accomplishment, and reliance on the service bulletins for technical compliance details that are not reproduced in the AD text.

The AD’s compliance obligations are explicit and limited to accomplishing the requirements of two named Cirrus Design Corporation Alert Service Bulletins within stated timeframes for the aircraft in the specified serial-number ranges. The following steps, expressed strictly in terms of the AD text, set out a compliance path.

1. Confirm applicability by serial number. Verify the aircraft model and serial number. If the aircraft is an SR20 with serial number between 1005 and 1600 inclusive, or an SR22 with serial number between 0002 and 1727 inclusive, Requirement 1 applies. If the aircraft is an SR20 with serial number between 1005 and 1455 inclusive, or an SR22 with serial number between 0002 and 1044 inclusive, Requirement 2 also applies.

2. Obtain the specified service bulletins. For applicable aircraft, the AD directs the operator to "Accomplish the requirements of Cirrus Design Corporation Alert Service Bulletin SB 2X-25-17, Revised 20 January 2006" for Requirement 1, and for the Requirement 2 cohort to "Accomplish the requirements of Cirrus Design Corporation Alert Service Bulletin SB 2X-25-06 R4, Revised 5 May 2005." The AD does not reproduce the service bulletin contents; operators must obtain the current revisions of those Cirrus Design alert service bulletins and follow their technical instructions.

3. Schedule and perform work within the stated time windows. For Requirement 1 the AD requires completion "Within 50 hours time in service or 180 days after 23 November 2006, whichever occurs first; unless already accomplished." For Requirement 2 the AD requires completion "Within 50 hours time in service or 180 days after 13 October 2005, whichever occurs first; unless already accomplished." Operators must track both the airframe’s time in service and the calendar elapsed period from the specified reference date to determine the earlier compliance trigger.

4. Determine whether prior compliance exists. The AD states "unless already accomplished" and specifies that "Requirement 2 remains unchanged ... and need not be reapplied if previously accomplished." Operators who have previously complied with the specified service bulletin tasks should document and retain evidence of that fact, because the AD recognises prior accomplishment as an exemption.

5. Follow the technical instructions in the service bulletins. The AD mandates accomplishment of the service bulletins; the technical particulars, parts changes and installation instructions are contained in those Cirrus Design documents. The amendment rationale indicates that the manufacturer "has developed new crew seat break-over pins to replace the old crew seat break-over bolts," and that the AD "adds the action of replacing the crew seat break-over bolts with the new crew seat break-over pins on both seats" while retaining replacement of the crew seat recline locks. Exact parts, part numbers, torque settings and installation procedures must be taken from the enumerated service bulletins.

6. Document the accomplishment. The AD does not state specific record-keeping requirements in the supplied text, but the AD’s own phrases "unless already accomplished" and "need not be reapplied if previously accomplished" make it operationally important to retain documentary evidence that the service bulletin work has been completed. The form of documentation required is not specified in the AD text, so operators should preserve maintenance records that demonstrate accomplishment.

7. Note the effective date and delegation. The AD becomes effective on 24 October 2006 and is issued by a CASA delegate. Operators should note the effective date and ensure work is scheduled to meet the compliance windows described above.

8. Cross-check FAA AD reference where necessary. The AD contains Note 1: "FAA AD 2006-19-10 Amdt 39-14767 refers," and states that the amendment was raised to apply FAA AD 2006-19-10. While the Australian AD sets the compliance obligation by reference to the Cirrus service bulletins, operators may find it useful for technical context to consult FAA AD 2006-19-10 and the referenced Cirrus service bulletins.

The AD’s operative instruction is to accomplish the manufacturer’s service bulletin work within the specified time limits for the relevant serial-number cohorts, unless the work has already been accomplished. Operators should therefore (a) verify serial number applicability, (b) obtain and follow the stated Cirrus Alert Service Bulletins, (c) schedule the work so that it is completed within the 50 hours TIS or 180-day calendar window from the indicated reference date, and (d) retain clear records of the work performed to demonstrate compliance or prior accomplishment.

The AD does not, in the supplied text, prescribe where or by whom the work must be performed, nor does it specify forms of evidence of compliance, so operators should apply the AD’s explicit requirements and consult other relevant regulatory instruments or their own maintenance governance to determine appropriate certification and record-keeping practices.