AD/DA40/6 Amdt 1 Nose Landing Gear Leg (Cth)

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

On the effective date specified below, and for the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below revokes Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/DA40/6 and issues the following 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.

Diamond DA40 Series Aeroplanes

AD/DA40/6 Amdt 1 Nose Landing Gear Leg 4/2009 DM

Applicability:

Model DA 40, DA 40 D, and DA 40 F aircraft, all serial numbers; except aircraft with a nose landing gear leg part number D41-3223-10-00_1 or higher (_2, _3, etc.) installed.

Requirement:

Inspect the nose landing gear leg in accordance with the instructions of Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH MSB40-046 / MSBD4-046 original issue, or later EASA approved revision.

If cracks are detected during any inspection required by this Directive, before further flight, replace the nose landing gear leg with a serviceable unit in accordance with the instructions of Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH MSB40-046 / MSBD4-046 original issue, or later EASA approved revision.

Inspections and corrective actions accomplished prior to the effective date of this Directive in accordance with the Requirement document at original issue or issue 2, are considered in compliance with the initial requirements of this Directive.  After the effective date of this Directive repetitive inspections and corrective actions must be accomplished in accordance with Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH MSB40-046 / MSBD4-046 at issue 3.

After the optional modification of an aircraft by installing a nose landing gear leg part number D41-3223-10-00_1 or higher (_2, _3, etc.), no person shall install a nose landing gear leg part number D41-3223-10-00 on that aircraft.

Note 1:  After installation on an aircraft of a nose landing gear leg part number
D41-3223-10-00_1 or higher (_2, _3, etc.), the repetitive inspections are no longer required for that aircraft.

Note 2:  EASA AD 2009-0016 refers.

Compliance:

For aircraft that are predominantly (more than 50% of the time) operated from unsealed runways, inspect:

Within 25 flight hours after 1 December 2005 or before 31 December 2005, whichever occurs first; and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 100 flight hours.

For aircraft that are predominantly (more than 50% of the time) operated from sealed runways, inspect:

Within 100 flight hours after 1 December 2005, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 200 flight hours.

The compliance times remain unchanged by this issue of the Directive.

This Amendment becomes effective on 12 March 2009.

Background:

A report was received of nose landing gear failure in the area of the nose gear leg pivot axle.  Investigation revealed a fatigue crack had initiated in the pivot axle.  The aircraft involved was used in training and mostly operated on grass runways.

Amendment 1 is issued in response to a new EASA AD, which excludes aircraft from applicability that have the improved redesigned nose landing gear leg installed.

David Punshon
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority

3 February 2009