AD/PA-28/69 - Engine Cowling - Drain Hole Provision - CANCELLED

This directive formally scraps an outdated aircraft maintenance rule.

It cancels Airworthiness Directive AD/PA-28/69, which previously required owners of Piper PA-28 series aeroplanes (light aircraft commonly used for training and private flying) to drill a drain hole in the engine cowling. This was a one-off modification to let moisture escape and prevent engine damage.

Why it matters:

• The original rule required owners to make this modification within 100 hours of flying time after February 1978
• That deadline passed decades ago, meaning the rule has been effectively dead for years—anyone who needed to comply already has, or the aircraft has been retired
• This cancellation simply cleans up the rulebook so operators don’t have to check an obsolete requirement

Who is affected:

• Owners and operators of Piper PA-28 aircraft registered in Australia (though practically speaking, this just tidies paperwork rather than changing what they must do today)