AD/DHC-8/140 Amdt 1 - Elevator Overload Bungee

The AD organises around a small set of technical and regulatory concepts, each taken directly from the text. Applicability is narrow: Bombardier Inc. Models DHC-8-400, DHC-8-401 and DHC-8-402 with serial numbers 4003, 4004, 4006 and 4008 through 4159 inclusive. The primary hardware at issue is the elevator overload bungee identified by P/N FE289000000 that, in some production aircraft, was installed with the larger end outboard rather than inboard. The AD distinguishes between two categories of action: inspection and correction of installation and labelling/re-identification (Requirement 1), and a parts installation prohibition (Requirement 2). The AD ties the inspection and corrective actions to Bombardier SB 84-27-30 Revision C (31 October 2007) or later Transport Canada-approved revisions, thereby making compliance dependent upon following the approved service bulletin procedures.

The AD also establishes equivalence and compliance credit: it recognises prior accomplishment of Bombardier SB 84-27-27 (24 May 2005) as satisfying aspects of Requirement 1 (specifically 1a and 1b), and recognises earlier issues/revisions of SB 84-27-30 as satisfying Requirements 1a-1d if previously done. This concept of credit reduces duplication of work for operators who complied with earlier documents. The AD declares steps 1c and 1d to constitute a Modsum (Modsum4-113537), meaning the attachment of the orientation label and the re-identification to FE289000001 are treated as a formal modification summary within maintenance records framework indicated by the AD.

Time-based compliance is central: Requirement 1 must be completed within 5,000 flight hours after the effective date; Requirement 2 is immediately effective. The safety rationale in the Background is deliberately circumspect: the AD notes reversal does not impact normal elevator operation nor increase disconnect probability, but highlights a conditional hazard,if a bungee disconnected at the inboard side, that side of the elevator might not centre, which could adversely affect pitch control. The AD also corrects an earlier P/N error and revises applicability to align with Transport Canada AD CF-2007-30R1, signalling cross-regulatory alignment as a concept in how this instrument operates.

Directly, the AD affects operators and registered owners of Bombardier DHC-8-400 series aeroplanes with the serial numbers listed: 4003, 4004, 4006 and 4008 through 4159 inclusive. Those operators are required to carry out the actions set out under Requirement 1 within 5,000 flight hours of the effective date, unless they already have credit via earlier SB compliance as stated. Aircraft maintenance organisations and licensed engineers authorised to perform work on these aircraft are affected because they must execute the visual inspections, perform reinstallations where necessary before the next flight, attach the specified label P/N FE289006200, and re-identify the bungee identification plate to read FE289000001. Parts suppliers, stores and purchasers of replacement bungees are affected by Requirement 2, which prohibits installation of bungees identified as P/N FE289000000 from the AD’s effective date; only items bearing FE289000001 are permitted.

Regulatory actors are also implicated: the AD requires compliance in accordance with Bombardier SB 84-27-30 Revision C or later revisions "approved by Transport Canada", so Transport Canada’s approval status determines which SB revisions are acceptable. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is the issuing body here,James Coyne signed as Delegate of CASA,and CASA enforces airworthiness in Australia; the AD becomes effective in the Australian regulatory sphere on 28 August 2008.

Indirectly affected parties include operators’ scheduling and rostering units because Requirement 1b imposes a "before next flight" corrective action if an incorrect installation is found, which can interrupt flight operations if corrective maintenance is required during a flight programme. Maintenance record-keeping and traceability functions in operators’ continuing airworthiness management must record the Modsum (Modsum4-113537) actions (1c and 1d) so that parts are correctly identified going forward. The AD also interacts with existing maintenance histories because prior compliance with earlier Bombardier SBs yields credit; thus, records demonstrating such prior compliance transfer obligations away from operators who already completed those steps.

Duties are specified directly in Requirements 1 and 2. Under Requirement 1, operators must carry out the actions "in accordance with Bombardier Service Bulletin SB 84-27-30, Revision C, dated 31 October 2007, or later revisions approved by Transport Canada." The duty set comprises: visually inspecting left and right elevator overload bungees P/N FE289000000 to determine correct installation (1a); removing and reinstalling any incorrectly installed bungee before the next flight (1b); attaching label P/N FE289006200 to both bungees to show correct orientation (1c); and re-identifying the P/N on the identification plate to read FE289000001 on both bungees (1d). The AD states that previous accomplishment of Bombardier SB 84-27-27 dated 24 May 2005 meets the actions detailed in 1a and 1b. It further states that previous accomplishment of Requirements 1a-1d in accordance with the original issue or Revision A or B of SB 84-27-30 meets the AD’s requirements. Steps 1c and 1d are declared to constitute Modsum4-113537.

Requirement 2 imposes an immediate duty from the effective date: no replacement/spare elevator overload bungees P/N FE289000000 are permitted to be installed on any aircraft; only bungees identified with "FE289000001" may be installed. The compliance timeframe is specified: Requirement 1 must be completed within 5,000 flight hours after the AD’s effective date; Requirement 2 is effective immediately.

Rights in the AD are procedural and limited. The AD grants credit where prior compliance has been demonstrated,this operates as a right to avoid repeating actions if the operator has already complied with specified SBs. The AD also implicitly allows the use of later SB revisions, but only when those revisions are "approved by Transport Canada", which is a condition precedent to relying on a later revision. The AD does not create express rights to alternate methods of compliance or exemptions within its text; it confines acceptable compliance methods to the Bombardier SB as referenced or earlier SBs specified for credit. The AD also does not specify appeals or review processes in the text itself; it is an operative airworthiness requirement setting technical duties and timeframes.

The AD text itself does not specify monetary penalties, demerit frameworks or criminal sanctions. It is an airworthiness directive issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) delegate (James Coyne) and becomes effective on 28 August 2008. As an AD, non‑compliance renders the specified aircraft non‑compliant with the AD’s airworthiness requirements, which, in operational terms, will have regulatory consequences administered by the relevant aviation regulator. The AD records the amendment and effective date, but does not, within the text provided, state particular enforcement mechanisms, infringement penalties or administrative sanction procedures.

Enforcement in practice will flow from CASA’s regulatory oversight of continuing airworthiness and operator certificates, but the AD itself limits its scope to specifying required actions, compliance times and parts prohibitions (see Requirement 1, Requirement 2, and the Compliance paragraph). The AD aligns with and references a Transport Canada AD (CF-2007-30R1), and it requires compliance "in accordance with Bombardier Service Bulletin SB 84-27-30, Revision C … or later revisions approved by Transport Canada", which means that approved SB procedures constitute the technical basis for compliance that inspectors would verify. The AD also contains crediting language for prior compliance with specified Bombardier SBs; inspecting authorities would expect documentary evidence of that prior accomplishment if operators claim credit.

Because the document does not set out a penalty schedule, users of this AD should be aware that the AD is an operative regulatory instrument and that regulatory responses to non‑compliance are determined by the enforcing authority’s general civil aviation regulatory powers and enforcement policies, not by the AD text itself. The AD therefore creates mandatory technical obligations and time limits but leaves the specific enforcement response,a matter of regulator discretion and separate statutory/regulatory instruments,outside of its text.

The AD expressly cross‑references Bombardier Service Bulletin SB 84-27-30 Revision C dated 31 October 2007 and allows later revisions only "approved by Transport Canada." That condition links the Australian AD’s acceptability of service bulletin revisions to Transport Canada’s approval process, creating a cross-jurisdictional interaction between CASA’s AD and Transport Canada’s approvals. The AD also refers to Transport Canada AD CF-2007-30R1 in a note and states that this amendment corrects an error in the P/N in line with the revision of the referenced Transport Canada AD. Those explicit references mean the AD’s operative compliance instructions are intended to be implemented in harmony with the Canadian regulator’s determinations and service bulletin revisions.

The AD recognises prior compliance with Bombardier SB 84-27-27 (24 May 2005) and earlier issues/revisions of SB 84-27-30 (original, Rev A, Rev B) as meeting the AD’s requirements. This creates an interaction between an operator’s existing maintenance record and the present AD: if an operator already performed the specified work under the earlier SBs or under SB 84-27-27, that prior legal/technical action is taken as satisfying the AD’s obligations. The AD’s statement that steps 1c and 1d constitute Modsum4-113537 situates the required label and re‑identification within standard modification record frameworks.

The AD does not cite domestic statutes, regulations, or specific CASA enforcement instruments in its text; it is a technical directive implementing continuing airworthiness measures. It therefore functions as an instrument that sits within the continuing airworthiness regime and interacts operationally with maintenance practices and parts management. The AD’s immediate prohibition on installation of P/N FE289000000 parts from the effective date interacts with parts procurement and inventory control; operators must ensure that parts supplied or held in stock are correctly identified as FE289000001 before installation. The legal effect of the AD in any enforcement or dispute context will depend on the broader statutory/regulatory regime governing airworthiness and operator obligations, but those instruments are not cited or discussed in the AD text provided.

The document records an amendment to an original AD. The original issue of this AD became effective on 10 April 2008. This amendment revises the applicability section and corrects an error in the part number (P/N) of the overload bungee to align with a referenced Transport Canada AD. The amendment is signed by James Coyne as Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority on 16 July 2008, and the amendment "becomes effective on 28 August 2008." The AD also documents the evolution of the Bombardier service bulletin references relied upon: the operative requirement in the amendment cites Bombardier SB 84-27-30, Revision C, dated 31 October 2007, and acknowledges earlier issues and revisions of the same SB (original issue dated 8 February 2007, Revision A dated 2 March 2007, Revision B dated 3 May 2007) as capable of conferring compliance credit where their steps were previously accomplished.

The AD also references Bombardier SB 84-27-27 dated 24 May 2005 as an antecedent action that meets parts of the AD (specifically 1a and 1b). In addition, the AD identifies the steps in Requirement 1c and 1d as constituting Modsum4-113537, which is an internal maintenance modification summary identifier and therefore part of the technical record-keeping and amendment trail for configurations. The background paragraph explains the reason for amendment: several production aircraft were found with bungees installed in reverse orientation; the amendment revises applicability and corrects the P/N error to align with Transport Canada AD CF-2007-30R1.

No further historical amendments, rescissions, or subsequent revisions are recorded within the text provided. The AD references the original AD effective 10 April 2008 and sets the effective date for this amendment as 28 August 2008. The document does not record any later changes or revocations.

The AD text contains no references to litigation, court decisions, or appeals. It cites only regulatory instruments and service bulletins: Bombardier Service Bulletin SB 84-27-30 (Revision C dated 31 October 2007 and prior revisions), Bombardier Service Bulletin 84-27-27 (dated 24 May 2005), and Transport Canada AD CF-2007-30R1. The document does not name any cases, nor does it record any judicial review or dispute resolution outcomes relating to this AD.

Given the absence of litigation references in the source, there is no case law recorded in this AD text to show prior judicial treatment of the directive, its interpretation, or enforcement actions. Any litigation history that might exist would therefore be external to the text supplied and is not addressed or enumerated in this document.

Several practical pitfalls and points of potential confusion arise directly from the AD text.

• Applicability narrowness and serial-number list. The AD applies only to Bombardier DHC-8-400, DHC-8-401 and DHC-8-402 aeroplanes with serial numbers listed (4003, 4004, 4006 and 4008 through 4159 inclusive). Operators or maintenance staff who assume a blanket fleet-wide requirement could misallocate resources; compliance obligations are limited to the stated serial numbers.

• Part-number change and installation prohibition. The AD corrects the P/N of the overload bungee and imposes a ban on installing replacement/spare bungees with the old P/N FE289000000 from the effective date. Only bungees re-identified with FE289000001 are permitted. A common error would be to overlook re-identification on stored parts that bear the original P/N plate; the AD requires the identification plate itself to be re-marked (Requirement 1d). Parts inventory systems must be reconciled to ensure that spares physically carry the FE289000001 identification before installation.

• Timing and operational disruption risk. Requirement 1b requires removal and correct reinstallation "before the next flight" if a bungee is found incorrectly installed. That is a strict, flight‑critical timing for corrective action; maintenance planners must be prepared to carry out corrective maintenance at short notice to avoid grounding or flight cancellations. The compliance window for completing the initial inspection and associated labelling/re‑identification is within 5,000 flight hours of the AD's effective date, but the "before next flight" corrective step applies if a defect is found during inspection.

• Reliance on specific service bulletin revision and Transport Canada approvals. The AD mandates compliance "in accordance with Bombardier Service Bulletin SB 84-27-30, Revision C, dated 31 October 2007, or later revisions approved by Transport Canada." Operators intending to rely on any newer SB revision must verify that Transport Canada has approved that revision; use of an unapproved later SB revision would not satisfy the AD as written.

• Crediting prior work. The AD gives credit for prior accomplishment under specified SBs: Bombardier SB 84-27-27 meets Requirements 1a and 1b, and prior compliance with earlier issues/revisions of SB 84-27-30 meets Requirements 1a-1d. Operators must ensure records clearly demonstrate prior accomplishment under those exact documents; informal or undocumented actions will not constitute the credit claimed by the AD.

• Modsum identification. The AD states steps 1c and 1d constitute Modsum4-113537. Maintenance records and continuing airworthiness documentation teams should ensure that the Modsum identifier is recorded against the aircraft’s modification/maintenance history; failing to document the Modsum could create ambiguity about whether the parts re-identification/labelling has been performed.

• Narrow safety description. The Background says the reversed installation "does not impact normal operation of the elevator and would not increase the probability of an elevator disconnect" but that a disconnection at the inboard side could leave the elevator side uncentred and "adversely affect the pitch control of the aircraft." Operators must understand that the AD responds to a conditional safety hazard rather than a demonstrated, systematic failure mode; risk assessment and operational tolerance decisions must align with this described hazard.

• Record and label details. The AD specifies the exact label P/N FE289006200 to indicate correct orientation; substituting a different marking or informal annotation would not meet the AD as written. The re-identification must read "FE289000001" on the identification plate , exact labelling matters.

• Effective date and compliance deadlines. The amendment becomes effective on 28 August 2008; Requirement 1 has a 5,000 flight‑hour compliance window from that effective date, while Requirement 2 is immediately effective from that same date. Misreading the effective date or the different effective windows for the requirements could lead to non‑compliance.

Follow the AD’s operative text and the referenced service bulletin steps precisely. The AD requires the following sequence and record steps.

1. Confirm applicability. Verify whether the aircraft serial number is within the listed set: DHC-8-400, DHC-8-401 and DHC-8-402 with serial numbers 4003, 4004, 4006 and 4008 through 4159 inclusive. The AD only applies to those serial numbers.

2. Use the authorised SB. Carry out the inspection and corrective tasks "in accordance with Bombardier Service Bulletin SB 84-27-30, Revision C, dated 31 October 2007, or later revisions approved by Transport Canada." Do not substitute guidance from an unapproved SB revision.

3. Visual inspection (Requirement 1a). Visually inspect both left and right elevator overload bungees, P/N FE289000000, to determine if they are correctly installed. The AD requires a visual determination of orientation.

4. Corrective action before next flight (Requirement 1b). If any bungee is incorrectly installed (larger end outboard rather than inboard), remove and reinstall it correctly before the next flight. This is an operationally critical action and must be scheduled or performed promptly to avoid flying with non‑conforming installation.

5. Label attachment (Requirement 1c). Attach label P/N FE289006200 to both left and right elevator overload bungees to show the correct orientation of the outboard end. Use the exact label P/N specified; document the label attachment in the aircraft maintenance records.

6. Re‑identification (Requirement 1d). Re‑identify the P/N on the identification plate of both left and right elevator overload bungees to read "FE289000001." The AD treats steps 1c and 1d as Modsum4-113537; therefore record that Modsum identifier in the aircraft’s modification and maintenance records when completing the work.

7. Compliance timing. Complete the actions of Requirement 1 within 5,000 flight hours after the AD’s effective date (effective date: 28 August 2008). For any incorrectly installed bungee found during inspection, the reinstall step must be completed prior to the aircraft’s next flight.

8. Parts prohibition and procurement (Requirement 2). From the effective date, do not install replacement or spare elevator overload bungees identified as P/N FE289000000 on any aircraft. Only install bungees that are identified with the new P/N FE289000001. Update procurement, stores and maintenance inventory systems to reflect the prohibition and to ensure only properly re-identified parts are installed.

9. Apply credits where appropriate. If the operator has prior documented accomplishment of Bombardier SB 84-27-27 dated 24 May 2005, that action meets Requirements 1a and 1b. If the operator previously performed Requirements 1a-1d in accordance with the original SB issue dated 8 February 2007, Revision A (2 March 2007), or Revision B (3 May 2007), those earlier accomplishments meet the AD’s requirements. Maintain documentary evidence showing the specific SB revision and date under which the prior work was performed if claiming credit.

10. Recordkeeping and Modsum entry. Record the inspection, any corrective actions, the attachment of label P/N FE289006200, and the re-identification to FE289000001 in the aircraft’s maintenance log. Specifically note that steps 1c and 1d constitute Modsum4-113537 and record that Modsum against the aircraft modification history. Keep documentation that links the work to the Bombardier SB revision used and any approvals from Transport Canada if a later revision was applied.

11. Verify Transport Canada approvals for later SB revisions. If using a later SB revision than Revision C, ensure that Transport Canada has approved that revision before relying on it for compliance, as required by the AD text.

12. Operational planning. Because Requirement 1b requires correction "before the next flight" if misinstallation is found, ensure maintenance support is scheduled or available to perform immediate corrective work when inspections are conducted in proximity to scheduled flights.

13. Parts and inventory reconciliation. Before installing any overload bungee, verify the identification plate reads FE289000001. Physically segregate any spare parts that retain the old identification P/N FE289000000 and either re-identify them in accordance with the AD (if that is permissible under the SB procedure and Modsum) or remove them from inventory for non‑installation to comply with Requirement 2.

Following the AD’s explicit steps and its cross‑references to SB 84-27-30 Revision C (or Transport Canada-approved later revisions), and recording the Modsum and prior‑work credits where applicable, will allow an operator to satisfy the AD’s stated obligations within the compliance windows set out in the amendment.