Commonwealth legislation

AD/PA-44/17 - Flap Handle Attach Bolt

In ForceCTH

Jurisdiction

Commonwealth

Collection

legislative instrument

Plain English Summary

3/10 complexity

This airworthiness directive requires owners/operators of specified Piper PA‑44‑180 and PA‑44‑180T aeroplanes to inspect and correct the flap handle cable attachment: measure the cable‑mount hole, enlarge it to 0.316" if required (or replace the lever if oversized), fit a specified bushing, replace the attach bolt with a clevis bolt, and inspect/replace the washer, nut and cotter pin. It aims to stop worn bolts or elongated holes that could allow sudden flap retraction. Compliance is mandated within 2,000 hours TIS or within 100 hours after 15 August 1996; owners pay parts and labour, and the AD requires clevis‑bolt installation regardless of part condition (Note 2).

JSON API

Deep dive

Want the full deep dive?

Zoe can write the in-depth analysis on top of the summary above: how it works, who it affects and what each part actually does.

Current sections

Direct links to the current provisions in AD/PA-44/17 - Flap Handle Attach Bolt.

AD/PA-44/17 - Flap Handle Attach Bolt

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

SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

View image in the official source
Piper PA-44 (Seminole) Series Aeroplanes

AD/PA-44/17 Flap Handle Attach Bolt 9/96

Applicability: Model PA-44-180 with serial numbers 44-7995001 through 44-8195026 and 4495001 through 4495013.

Model PA-44-180T with serial numbers 44-8107001 through 44-8107066.

Requirement: a) Measure the cable mounting attach hole diameter and enlarge the hole to .316 of an inch diameter. If the diameter of the cable mount attach hole is larger than .316 of an inch, replace the flap lever handle (refer to the illustrated parts catalogue for the part number), in accordance with the Instructions section of Piper SB 965.

b) Install a new bushing (using only Piper part number (P/N) 63900-174) into the cable mounting attach hole, in accordance with the Instructions section of Piper SB 965.

c) Replace the flap lever handle attach bolt with a new clevis bolt (Piper P/N 400 673 or standard P/N AN23-11) in accordance with the Instructions section of Piper SB 965.

d) Inspect the washer, nut, and cotter pin, and if damaged, replace washer (Piper P/N 407-564 or standard P/N AN960-10), nut (Piper P/N 404-392 or standard P/N AN320-3), and cotter pin (Piper P/N 424-051 or standard P/N MS24665-132) in accordance with the Instructions section of Piper SB 965.

Note 1: FAA AD 96-10-03 Amdt 39-9608 refers.

Note 2: The Requirement instructions of this Directive do not mirror the instructions in Piper SB 965. This Directive requires installing the clevis bolt, regardless of the condition of the current part.

Compliance: Upon the accumulation of 2,000 hours time in service or within the next 100 hours time in service after 15 August 1996, whichever occurs later.

Background: The FAA received reports of worn flap handle attach bolts and elongated holes in the flap lever to cable mounting attach point. Failure of the flap handle attach bolt could cause a sudden retraction of the flaps, and result in loss of control.

Source text

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

1 AD/PA-44/17 - Flap Handle Attach Bolt