AD/GENERAL/87 Amdt 1 - Primary Flight Control Cable Terminals - Detailed Visual Inspections

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Legislation au F2017L01322 In force Legislative Instrument

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Explanatory Statement

Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998

AD/GENERAL/87 Amdt 1 — Primary Flight Control Cable Terminals - Detailed Visual Inspections

Legislation

Under section 98 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 (the Act), the Governor-General may make regulations. Under regulation 39.001 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR), CASA may issue an airworthiness directive (AD) for a kind of aircraft or aeronautical product. Under subsections 98 (5B) and (5BA) of the Act, an AD is a legislative instrument unless it is expressed to apply in relation to a particular person, a particular aircraft or a particular aeronautical product. Therefore, this AD is a legislative instrument.

Under subsection 33 (3) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901, where an Act confers a power to make, grant or issue any instrument of a legislative or administrative character (including rules, regulations or by-laws), the power shall be construed as including a power exercisable in the like manner and subject to the like conditions (if any) to repeal, rescind, revoke, amend, or vary any such instrument.

The State of Registry of an individual aircraft is responsible for its continuing airworthiness. Under Annex 8, the State of Registry must develop or adopt requirements to ensure the continuing airworthiness of aircraft.

CASA issued AD/GENERAL/87 to correct an unsafe situation on various aircraft fitted with primary flight control cable assemblies using swaged terminal fittings made from SAE-AISI 303 Se or SAE-AISI 304 stainless steel in 2015.

Following input from industry as a result of the release of AD/GENERAL/87, as well as additional investigation and risk analysis, CASA has issued AD/GENERAL/87 Amdt 1. This AD repeals the previous AD on this subject in accordance with subsection 33 (3) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 and imposes new requirements.

The new AD removes the requirement for mandatory replacement of applicable primary flight control cables upon reaching 15 years total time in service and instead introduces a requirement for detailed repetitive inspections of cable terminal fittings the specifications of which state that the fittings were manufactured from SAE-AISI 303Se or SAE-AISI 304 stainless steel.

Note 3 of AD/GENERAL/87 Amdt 1 refers to documents that contain further information relevant to the AD but do not impose obligations.  The documents are freely available as follows:

  • CASA Airworthiness Bulletin 27-001 - Control Cable Terminal - Retirement, is viewable at:
    https://www.casa.gov.au/files/awb-27-001-issue-7-control-cable-terminal-retirement
  • ATSB report AE-2012-028 - Aircraft Control Cable Terminal Fittings – ATSB Technical Examination, is viewable at https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2012/aair/ae-2012-028/
     
  • FAA SAIB CE-02-05R1 - Cracking and corrosion problems currently being experienced with terminals made from SAE AISI 303 Se Stainless Steel, is viewable at:
    http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgSAIB.nsf/0/3D2203F4E96914518625721F0052EB4D?OpenDocument&Highlight=ce-02-05.

Consultation

CASA has consulted with the Australian aviation industry and the general public via CASA Proposed Airworthiness Directive PAD/GENERAL/87 Amdt 1 which closed for comment on 28 June 2017.

Regulation Impact Statement

A Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) is not required because ADs are covered by a standing agreement between CASA and the Office of Best Practice Regulation under which a RIS is not required for ADs.

Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

A Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights is at Attachment 1.

Making and commencement

The instrument has been made by a delegate of CASA relying on the power of delegation under subregulation 11.260 (1) of CASR and subsection 94 (1) of the Act.

The instrument commences on 1 November 2017.

[Instrument number AD/GENERAL/87 Amdt 1]


Attachment 1

Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the
Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011

AD/GENERAL/87 Amdt 1 – Primary Flight Control Cable Terminals - Detailed Visual Inspections

This legislative instrument is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

Overview of the legislative instrument

CASA issued AD/GENERAL/87 to correct an unsafe situation on various aircraft fitted with primary flight control cable assemblies using swaged terminal fittings made from SAE-AISI 303 Se or SAE-AISI 304 stainless steel in 2015. Following input from industry as a result of the release of AD/GENERAL/87, as well as additional investigation and risk analysis, CASA has issued AD/GENERAL/87 Amdt 1 to remove the requirement for mandatory replacement of applicable primary flight control cables upon reaching 15 years total time in service and instead introduces a requirement for detailed repetitive inspections of these cable terminals.

The primary purpose of this legislative instrument is to reduce burden on industry by replacing the requirement for mandatory replacement of primary flight control cables with a requirement for repetitive inspections of these cable terminals.

Human rights implications

This legislative instrument does not engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms.

Conclusion

This legislative instrument is compatible with human rights as it does not raise any human rights issues.

Civil Aviation Safety Authority

Interactions

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.