AD/PA-31/124 Amdt 1 Wing Spar Splice Plate (Chieftain)

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Legislation au F2019L01357 In force Legislative Instrument

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Explanatory Statement

Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998

AD/PA-31/124 Amdt 1 — Wing Spar Splice Plate (Chieftain)

Legislation

Under section 98 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 (the Act), the Governor-General may make regulations for the purpose of carrying out and giving effect to the provisions of the Convention on International Civil Aviation relating to safety, amongst other things. 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.

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.

Under Annex 8 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the State of Design has overall responsibility for continuing airworthiness of an aircraft type, and must provide any information necessary to ensure the continuing airworthiness of a type to appropriate States of Registry. ADs (and their equivalents) are the most common form of continuing airworthiness information, and are issued by most International Civil Aviation Organization Contracting States.

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/PA-31/124 to correct an unsafe situation on Piper PA-31 series aircraft in 1994. The AD was issued to mandate a retirement life for Piper PA-31 series wing spar splice plates. The State of Design for this type, the United States of America Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), had not yet taken action to correct this unsafe condition. As there are many examples of the type on the Australian register, CASA has developed an AD to correct the problem on Australian aircraft. As a result of a request from industry, CASA has issued AD/PA-31/124 Amdt 1 to clarify the compliance section of the AD, remove the requirement to forward removed parts to CASA, add a new model to the applicability, and to add reference to related documents. This AD repeals and replaces the previous AD on this subject.


Documents Incorporated by Reference

Piper Service Bulletin 1003 dated 16 June 1997, is incorporated by reference, as in force at the date of this AD, and provides instructions for the replacement of the main wing spar splice plate.

Technical documents referred to in this AD are proprietary, copyright, fee-for-service documents, prepared on a commercial basis. They may be purchased from the aircraft or component manufacturer by subscription.

As a matter of practicality, it would not be possible for aircraft operators to operate aircraft in Australian and foreign airspace without having their own subscription access to relevant aircraft or engine manufacturer documentation, such as the Service Bulletins. Nevertheless, as a current subscriber for the documents, CASA will make the relevant sections of the incorporated documents available, in its Canberra or regional offices, by arrangement, and, in keeping with the proprietary nature of the documents, for viewing only, to any aircraft operator who is affected by the direction instrument, or to any interested person.

CASA AD/PA-31/37 as in force from time to time, provides guidance regarding CASA approved inspection programs. The AD is freely available at the following internet address:

http://services.casa.gov.au/airworth/airwd/ADfiles/UNDER/PA-31/PA-31-037.pdf

The AD refers to an FAA AD, but this AD is not incorporated by reference. It is simply referred to in a note to explain the FAA AD also applies Piper Service Bulletin 1003, for information purposes.

Consultation

This AD is being made at the request of industry, in particular an operator of the Piper PA-31 series aircraft. As this AD amendment is of a minor or machinery nature and does not substantially alter existing arrangements apart from clarifying the compliance section, removing a requirement to forward removed parts to CASA and adding reference to related documents, it is CASA’s view that it was not necessary or appropriate to undertake any further consultation under section 17 of the Legislation Act 2003.

Note:  While the AD amendment does add another aircraft model to the applicability, there are no examples of this aircraft model currently registered in Australia and as a result there is no adverse impact on the Australian industry.

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 (OBPR id. 14507).

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 25 October 2019

[Instrument number AD/PA-31/124 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/PA-31/124 Amdt 1 — Wing Spar Splice Plate (Chieftain)

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/PA-31/124 to correct an unsafe situation on Piper PA-31 series aircraft in 1994. The AD was issued to mandate a retirement life for Piper PA-31 series wing spar splice plates. The State of Design for this type, the United States of America Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), had not yet taken action to correct this unsafe condition. As there are many examples of the type on the Australian register, CASA has developed an AD to correct the problem on Australian aircraft. As a result of a request from industry, CASA has repealed and replaced AD/PA-31/124 to clarify the compliance section of the AD, remove the requirement to forward removed parts to CASA, add a new model to the applicability, and to add reference to related documents.

The primary purpose of this legislative instrument is to update the AD.  Primarily to clarify the compliance section and remove redundant requirements.

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

Overview

The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 were enacted to ensure the safety of civil aviation in Australia. These regulations, which were updated with AD/PA-31/124 Amdt 1, address a specific safety issue concerning Piper PA-31 series aircraft. The problem identified was an unsafe condition related to the wing spar splice plates, which required a mandated retirement life. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) issued this amendment at the request of industry to clarify compliance requirements, remove redundant reporting obligations, expand the applicability of the directive to include an additional aircraft model, and reference related documents. The objective is to maintain the continuing airworthiness of affected aircraft within the Australian register. This legislative instrument was made by CASA under the authority granted by the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, ensuring alignment with international safety standards. The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, as amended by AD/PA-31/124 Amdt 1, were introduced to address a specific safety issue concerning Piper PA-31 series aircraft registered in Australia. The initial AD/PA-31/124 was issued in 1994 to mandate the retirement of wing spar splice plates due to an unsafe condition, following the United States of America Federal Aviation Administration's failure to address the issue. CASA, the regulatory body responsible for civil aviation safety in Australia, issued this amendment in response to industry feedback, aiming to streamline compliance procedures, remove unnecessary administrative burdens, and ensure all relevant aircraft models are covered. The policy objective is to maintain high safety standards and ensure the continuing airworthiness of these aircraft within Australia.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 Amendment (AD/PA-31/124 Amdt 1 – Wing Spar Splice Plate) applies to operators of Piper PA-31 series aircraft registered in Australia, including the Piper PA-31 Chieftain model added by this amendment. The amendment amends the existing airworthiness directive (AD) issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to address a known unsafe condition related to the wing spar splice plates on these aircraft. The amendment aims to clarify the compliance requirements, remove the obligation to forward removed parts to CASA, and add references to related documents. This legislative instrument is issued under the authority of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, with the intent of ensuring the continuing airworthiness of the affected aircraft types within the Australian jurisdiction. No exclusions or exemptions are specified in the amendment, and it extends the application of the AD to the newly included Piper PA-31 Chieftain model. The amendment does not require a Regulation Impact Statement or further consultation, as it is deemed minor and does not substantially alter existing arrangements.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR) Amendment (Piper PA-31 Series Wing Spar Splice Plate (Chieftain)) Instrument 2019 (the Amendment) amends AD/PA-31/124 to clarify the compliance section of the airworthiness directive (AD), remove the requirement to forward removed parts to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), add a new model to the applicability, and to add reference to related documents (section 2). The Amendment is intended to ensure that the AD continues to provide clear and effective guidance to operators of the affected aircraft, thereby maintaining the airworthiness of these aircraft and enhancing flight safety (section 3). Operators of Piper PA-31 series aircraft are required to comply with the updated AD/PA-31/124. This includes adhering to the specified retirement life for the wing spar splice plates, conducting necessary inspections and replacements as per the incorporated Piper Service Bulletin 1003, and ensuring that any removed parts are properly disposed of in accordance with the updated directive (section 4). Operators must also ensure that they have access to the relevant manufacturer documentation, including the Service Bulletins, to effectively implement the requirements of the AD (section 5). Failure to comply with the requirements of the AD/PA-31/124 may result in civil penalties. Under section 156 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988, CASA may issue a penalty notice to an operator who fails to comply with an airworthiness directive. The maximum penalty for a single contravention of an airworthiness directive is $22,200 for an individual and $111,000 for a body corporate (section 6). Additionally, CASA has the authority to take enforcement actions, including grounding the aircraft until compliance is achieved, which can result in significant operational disruptions and potential financial losses for the operator (section 7). Furthermore, persistent non-compliance may lead to more severe consequences, such as revocation of the aircraft's certificate of airworthiness, effectively grounding the aircraft permanently (section 8).

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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.