AD/CESSNA 180/68 - Aileron Hinge Pin

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39, addresses safety directives for aircraft maintenance and airworthiness, including issuing Airworthiness Directives (ADs) for various aircraft models. AD/CESSNA 180/68, enacted to address the potential issue of aileron hinge pin migration and loss in Cessna 180, 182, and Wren 460 series aeroplanes, falls under this regulatory framework. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority, established under the Civil Aviation Act 1988, is responsible for enacting such regulations. The policy objective behind AD/CESSNA 180/68 is to mitigate the risk of aileron hinge pin migration by mandating specific actions in accordance with Cessna S.I.L. SE 83-18, ensuring compliance within 100 hours of time in service after 31 January 1984 or at the next scheduled inspection, whichever is later. This directive aims to enhance flight safety by addressing a specific technical issue that could potentially compromise the structural integrity of the aileron hinge pins.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, addresses airworthiness directives concerning certain models of Cessna aeroplanes, namely the Cessna 180, 182, and Wren 460 series. This legislation applies to specific serial numbers within these models, mandating actions to be taken in accordance with Cessna Service Information Letter S.I.L. SE 83-18, with references to the Federal Aviation Administration's AD 83-22-06. Compliance is required unless the specified actions have already been completed within 100 hours of time in service after 31 January 1984 or at the next scheduled inspection for a Maintenance Release issue after this date, whichever is later. This directive aims to prevent potential issues such as the migration and loss of the aileron hinge pin, which could occur if the retaining split pin holes are incorrectly located. The legislation is enforced under the Commonwealth of Australia and applies to the identified aircraft models and serial numbers within its jurisdictional scope.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, provides an Airworthiness Directive (AD) concerning the Cessna 180, 182, and Wren 460 Series Aeroplanes. The directive AD/CESSNA 180/68 focuses on the aileron hinge pin of these aircraft models. The applicable model and serial numbers are detailed, including the Cessna 180K, 182Q, 182R and T, R182, TR182R, F182Q, and FR182 (paragraph 1). The requirement is that the action must be taken in accordance with Cessna S.I.L. SE 83-18, referencing FAA AD 83-22-06 (paragraph 2). Compliance must be achieved unless the action has already been performed within 100 hours time in service after 31 January 1984, or at the next scheduled inspection for Maintenance Release issue after 31 January 1984, whichever is the later (paragraph 3). The AD imposes specific obligations on the aircraft operators and maintenance personnel. These obligations include ensuring that the aileron hinge pin is correctly installed to prevent migration and potential loss, as incorrectly located retaining split pin holes could cause this issue. Compliance with the directive must be achieved within the specified timeframes, which ensures the continued airworthiness and safety of the aircraft (paragraph 4). There are no explicit offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences mentioned in the AD itself. However, failure to comply with airworthiness directives is generally considered a breach of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority regulations. Such breaches can lead to enforcement actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, which may include fines, suspension or revocation of aircraft certificates, or other regulatory actions as deemed appropriate by the authority (paragraph 5). The specific penalties and consequences would depend on the nature and severity of the non-compliance and would be in accordance with the broader regulatory framework of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998.