Ad/Cessna 400/116 - Dual Battery Switch (Cth)

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below issues the following Airworthiness Directive (AD) under subregulation 39.001(1) of CASR 1998.  The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.

Cessna 400 Series Aeroplanes

AD/CESSNA 400/116 Dual Battery Switch 10/2008

Applicability:	Model 441 aeroplanes Serial Numbers as follows:
441-0001 through 441- 0172 with Service Kit SK441-37 incorporated, and 441-0173 through 441-0311.
Note 1:  Aeroplanes incorporating SK441-37 Revision 1 or later revision are not affected by this Directive.
Requirement:	1.    Check the aircraft records to determine if Cessna Conquest Service Information Letter (SIL) PJ83-9 dated 22 April 1983 or Revision 1 dated 3 June 1983 has been complied with.
Note 2:  The requirements of this Directive were most likely accomplished prior to the aircraft’s arrival in Australia and the aircraft’s maintenance records may indicate compliance with United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) AD 83-12-03, this is considered acceptable for compliance with this Directive.
2.    If the Requirement 1 determination does not indicate compliance with SIL PJ83-9 or Revision 1, modify the dual battery switch installation in accordance with SIL PJ83-9 Revision 1.
Note 3:  FAA AD 83-12-03 Amdt 39-4669 refers.
Compliance:	For Requirement 1 - At the next scheduled maintenance but no later than 25 September 2009.
For Requirement 2 - Before further flight after the Requirement 1 determination.
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 25 September 2008.
Background:	This Directive follows an internal review of Australian Airworthiness Directives (AD) which indicated an Australian AD was not issued in response to FAA AD 83-12-03.  The FAA AD was originally issued to detect and correct a possible error in battery switch wiring which may contribute to thermal runaway of the nickel-cadmium batteries.

Whilst CASA acknowledges that there have been no incidents of a similar nature reported in Australia and that 31 of the affected aeroplanes are currently on the Australian register, CASA is required to publish State of design ADs which may affect Australian aircraft.  Consequently, given the time since the FAA AD was made and the number of affected aircraft in Australia, the compliance in this Directive is extended from that in the FAA AD of ‘Prior to the next flight’ to ‘At the next scheduled maintenance but no later than 25 September 2009’.

Charles Lenarcic
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority

15 August 2008