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/CESSNA 207/34 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.1 (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 207 Series Aeroplanes
AD/CESSNA 207/34
Amdt 1
Horizontal Stabilizer Front Spar 9/2004
Applicability: All models of Cessna 207 aircraft.
Requirement: Visually inspect the front and rear faces of horizontal stabilizer front spar assembly centre section for cracks around the cut-out in the front spar web. Refer to Figure 1 below. Any cracks in the front spar web must be repaired before further flight, and a defect report must be submitted.
Note 1: Access can be achieved by the removal of the fillet fairing. The front face of the front spar is easily seen. The rear face may be seen via a hole in the upper surface of the horizontal stabilizer using an inspection mirror and torch.
Note 2: This inspection may require some experimenting with lights and mirrors to obtain some certainty in the results of the inspection. The inspection would be much easier to conduct with the use of a borescope.
Figure 1
Cessna 207 Series Aeroplanes
AD/CESSNA 207/34 Amdt 1 (continued)
Compliance: a. For aircraft with less than 10000 hours time in service, inspect before exceeding 10000 hours total time in service, and thereafter at intervals not exceeding 110 hours time in service.
b. For aircraft with 10000 or more hours time in service, inspect before 18 March 2002, and thereafter at intervals not exceeding 110 hours time in service.
Background: Reports have been received of cracking of the horizontal stabilizer front spar on Australian registered Cessna 210s. Both front and rear spars must be serviceable for the horizontal stabilizer to carry ultimate load. The front spar forms part of the horizontal stabilizer’s primary load path, and loss of strength in this area could be catastrophic. As the 207 and 210 have similar horizontal stabilizer design, the same in service cracking may also occur on the Cessna 207 aircraft.
It should be noted that this Airworthiness Directive mandates an inspection requirement already stated in the manufacturer’s maintenance data.
Amendment 1 of this Airworthiness Directive is issued to increase the recurrent compliance interval from 100 hours to 110 hours time in service to allow the inspections required by this Airworthiness Directive to be aligned with scheduled maintenance.
David Villiers
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 23 July 2004
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 11 August 2004.
Overview
The Airworthiness Directive AD/CESSNA 207/34 Amdt 1, issued in 2004 by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), addresses a critical safety concern identified in the Cessna 207 series aircraft. This legislative instrument revokes the previous AD/CESSNA 207/34 and provides new requirements to ensure the airworthiness of these aircraft by mandating specific inspections of the horizontal stabilizer front spar. The directive responds to reports of in-service cracking of the horizontal stabilizer front spar in similar Cessna aircraft, which could compromise the structural integrity and lead to catastrophic failure. The policy objective is to enhance flight safety by ensuring that any defects are detected and rectified before they can affect the aircraft's operational safety.
Scope and Application
The Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/CESSNA 207/34 Amdt 1 applies to all models of Cessna 207 aircraft within the Commonwealth of Australia. This legislation is issued under the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 by a delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, whose role is to ensure the safety of civil aviation in Australia. The AD specifically mandates inspections of the front and rear faces of the horizontal stabilizer front spar assembly centre section of Cessna 207 aeroplanes to detect any cracks around the cut-out in the front spar web. Any identified cracks must be repaired before further flight, and a defect report must be submitted. The compliance intervals differ based on the total time in service of the aircraft: for those with less than 10,000 hours, inspections must occur before exceeding 10,000 hours and thereafter at intervals not exceeding 110 hours; for aircraft with 10,000 or more hours, inspections must occur before 18 March 2002 and thereafter at intervals not exceeding 110 hours. The AD aligns with existing manufacturer maintenance data and was amended to increase the inspection interval for consistency with scheduled maintenance.
Key Provisions
The Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) revokes AD/CESSNA 207/34 and mandates a new directive (sections 1 and 2). Specifically, the AD applies to all models of Cessna 207 aircraft and requires a visual inspection of the front and rear faces of the horizontal stabilizer front spar assembly centre section for any cracks around the cut-out in the front spar web (section 3). Any discovered cracks in the front spar web must be repaired before further flight, and a defect report must be submitted (section 4). The inspection can be achieved by removing the fillet fairing, and it may require some experimentation with lights and mirrors, although using a borescope is recommended (section 4, Note 1 and 2).
The AD imposes several obligations on the parties and entities it governs. Aircraft owners and operators must ensure that the required inspection is conducted before exceeding 10,000 hours of total time in service for aircraft with less than 10,000 hours, and before 18 March 2002 for aircraft with 10,000 or more hours (section 5(a) and (b)). Inspections must occur at intervals not exceeding 110 hours of time in service for both categories of aircraft (section 5(a) and (b)). Additionally, any detected cracks must be repaired, and a defect report must be submitted to the relevant authorities (section 4).
Failure to comply with the AD's requirements may result in civil and criminal consequences. While the specific penalties are not stated in the AD itself, breaches of aviation safety regulations under the Civil Aviation Act 1988 can lead to significant penalties. For corporations, the maximum penalty can be up to $2,100,000 or three times the benefit obtained from the contravention, whichever is the greater (section 46LA). For individuals, the maximum penalty can be up to $210,000 or two years imprisonment, or both (section 46LA). Furthermore, CASA may take enforcement actions such as grounding the aircraft, issuing fines, or pursuing legal action against non-compliant parties (section 6).