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AD/GENERAL/87 Amdt 1 - Primary Flight Control Cable Terminals - Detailed Visual Inspections
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Aircraft - General
| AD/GENERAL/87 Amdt 1 | Primary Flight ControlCable Terminals - Detailed Visual Inspections | 20/2017 |
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| Applicability: | All fixed wing aircraft fitted with primary flight control cable assemblies using swaged terminal fittings specified to have been manufactured from SAE-AISI 303Se or SAE-AISI 304 stainless steel if the cable terminal fittings have 15 years or more time in service (TIS).Cable terminal fittings with unknown TIS are assumed for the purpose of this airworthiness directive (AD) to have more than 15 years TIS.This AD is not applicable to aircraft that:(a) are over 5700 kg MTOW, or(b) have in their approved scheduled maintenance tasks, detailed inspections on cable terminal fittings that are at least equivalent to Requirement 1 of this AD.Note 1: Primary Flight Controls means: For control of the aircraft around the pitch, roll and yaw axis. This AD is not applicable to ‘secondary’ flight controls such as trim cable or flap cable assemblies. |
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| Requirement: | 1. Inspect cable terminal fittings as follows:a. Prepare each cable terminal for inspection by:i. removing rubber sleeves, tape or any coverings on the stainless steel swaged terminals (see Note 2).ii. cleaning the surface of the terminal fittings as necessary to remove any contaminants on the surface prior to their inspection.b. Examine the entire exposed surface of each cable terminal fitting using a 10X magnifier or borescope, looking for any corrosion, pitting or cracking on the terminal fitting.2. Repeat the inspection detailed in Requirement 1 (b) at the intervals mentioned in the Compliance section of this AD.3. Replace any cable assembly which is found to have any evidence of pitting corrosion, or cracking on the cable terminal fitting.4. Report to CASA any defects found during compliance with this AD via the Defect Reporting System. |
| Note 2: Removal of lock-wire/safety clips may be required to perform the detailed inspection adequately. Certain methods of locking such as lock-wire which is wrapped (spiral) around the terminal should be removed. The requirement for the disassembly of the turnbuckle is at the discretion of the maintainer.Note 3: Additional guidance, background and references are provided in CASA Airworthiness Bulletin 27-001, ATSB report AE-2012-028 and FAA SAIBCE-02-05R1. | |
| Compliance: | For requirement 1: Initial Inspection for cables with 15 years or more TIS, or unknown TIS at the effective date of this AD - Before 1 November 2018.For requirement 2: At intervals not to exceed 12 months.Note 4: Where the existing manufacturer’s maintenance schedule has a cable inspection interval that is different from 12 months, this interval is acceptable for compliance with this AD providing that the detailed inspection task is considered to be the equivalent to the requirements of this AD.Requirement 3: Before further flight after the performance of requirement 1 or 2.Requirement 4: Within two working days of the discovery of the defect.Note 5: Where a cable assembly has been previously replaced and with a logbook entry documenting the replacement, this relieves the repetitive inspection of this AD, for that cable only, until such time as that cable assembly has been in service for 15 years. |