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

SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

Beechcraft 65 and 70 (Queen Air) Series Aeroplanes

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 39.1 (1) of CAR 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.

AD/BEECH 65/68 Magnesium Metal Bonded Elevator Assembly 13/2000

Applicability: Model Serial Numbers

A65 LC-265 through LC-272 and LC-325 through LC-335 A65-8200 LC-273 through LC-324

65-B80 LD-349 through LD-511

70 LB-1 through LB-35

Requirement: Action in accordance with Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin 27-3396, Issued May 2000, Revised June 2000.

Note: FAA AD 2000-18-02 Amdt 39-11887 refers.

Compliance: Accomplish, before 28 January 2001, the check to determine whether an affected elevator skin assembly is installed. Replace, before further flight, any elevator skin assembly found to be affected.

This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 28 December 2000.

Background: The FAA received reports that certain elevator skin assemblies did not receive a 250 degree Fahrenheit bake operation after corrosion treatment; thus making the skin susceptible to separation from the elevator assembly. Static strength capability is reduced due to the bond degradation, and continued operation could result in skin separation with potential aircraft flutter, and consequent loss of control of the aircraft.

David Alan Villiers

Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 7 November 2000

The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 22 November 2000.