Commonwealth legislation

AD/M20/36 - Rear Spar Centre Splice - Inspection

RepealedCTH

This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.

Jurisdiction

Commonwealth

Collection

legislative instrument

Plain English Summary

4/10 complexity

This Airworthiness Directive (a mandatory safety rule) requires owners of specific Mooney M20 aircraft to inspect a critical structural part called the rear spar centre splice — the joint where sections of the main wing spar connect.

Who is affected: Owners of Mooney M20B, M20C, M20D, M20E, M20F, and M20G model aircraft with specific serial numbers listed in the directive (ranging from 1940s-1980s manufacture).

What must be done:

First inspection: Within 10 flight hours if the aircraft has flown 500 or more hours total
Ongoing inspections: Every 500 flight hours thereafter
Stop condition: Continue until the aircraft is modified according to Mooney Service Bulletin M20-217

Why this matters: The rear spar centre splice can develop cracks during normal flight operations. If undetected, these cracks could grow and cause the wing structure to fail, leading to loss of the aircraft.

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Current sections

Direct links to the current provisions in AD/M20/36 - Rear Spar Centre Splice - Inspection.

AD/M20/36 - Rear Spar Centre Splice - Inspection

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY

SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

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Mooney M20 Series Aeroplanes

AD/M20/36 Rear Spar Centre Splice - Inspection 5/79

Applicability: All model M20B with S/Nos. 1701 to 1851, 1853 to 1953. All model M20C with S/Nos. 1852, 1940-3342, 3344-3445, 3447-3466, 670001-670123, 670125-670134,

670136-670149 and 680001-680198. All model M20D with S/Nos. 101-260. All model M20E with S/Nos. 101-1219, 1221, 1223-1308, 670001-670062. All model

M20F with S/Nos. 660002-660004, 670001-670363, 670365-670385, 670367- 670482,670484-670539, 680001-680206. All model M20G with S/Nos.680001 to

Document: Mooney SB No. M20-217.

Compliance: Within 10 hours time in service for those aeroplanes which have achieved 500 hours time in service and thereafter at intervals not exceeding 500 hours time in service until modified in accordance with SB No. M20-217.

Background: There is a possibility of failure of the rear spar centre splice due to cracking and associated crack growth in service.

Source text

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.

1 AD/M20/36 - Rear Spar Centre Splice - Inspection