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Chapter 8: Aircraft Maintenance Records
Plane Sense
Chapter 8: Aircraft Maintenance Records
n Airworthiness Directive (AD) is an important tool used by the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) to communicate unsafe operating conditions relating to aircraft
and aircraft equipment to aircraft owners. A primary safety function of the FAA is to require
the correction of unsafe conditions found in an aircraft, aircraft engine, propeller, rotor, or
appliance when such conditions exist or are likely to exist or develop in other products of the
same design. These unsafe conditions can exist because of a design defect, maintenance, or
other causes.
Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 39, Airworthiness Directives, defines
the authority and responsibility of the Administrator in requiring the necessary corrective
action to address unsafe conditions. ADs are used to notify aircraft owners and other interested
persons of unsafe conditions and to specify the conditions under which the product may
continue to be operated.
types of Ads issued
The FAA issues two categories of ADs:
• Normal Issue
• Emergency Issue
standard Ad Process
The standard AD process is to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), followed by
a Final Rule. After an unsafe condition is discovered, a proposed solution is published in the
Federal Register as an NPRM, which solicits public comment on the proposed action. After the
comment period closes, the final rule is prepared, taking into account all substantive comments
received, with the rule perhaps being changed as warranted by the comments. The preamble
to the Final Rule AD provides response to the substantive comments or states there were no
comments received.
emergency Ad
In certain cases, the critical nature of an unsafe condition may warrant the immediate adoption
of a rule without prior notice and solicitation of comments. The intent of an Emergency AD
is to rapidly correct an urgent safety of flight situation. This is an exception to the standard
process. If time by which the terminating action must be accomplished is too short to allow for
public comment (that is, less than 60 days), then a finding of impracticability is justified for
the terminating action, and it can be issued as an immediately adopted rule. The immediately
adopted rule will be published in the Federal Register with a request for comments. The Final
Rule AD may be changed later if substantive comments are received.
Airworthiness directives
EMERGENCY
AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE
Aircraft Certification Service
Washington, DC
U.S. Department
of Transportation
Federal Aviation
Administration
We post Emergency
ADs on the intern
et at www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/alerts
.
DATE: March 12, 2008
AD #: 2008-06-51
This emergency airworthiness directive (AD)
2008-06-51 is sent to all owners and operators
of Lycoming Engines IO, (L)IO,
TIO, (L)TIO,
AEIO, AIO, IGO, IVO, and HI
O series reciprocating
engines, Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM)
TSIO-360-RB reciprocating engines, and Superior
Air
Parts, Inc. IO-360 series reciprocating engines with certain Precision
Airmotive LLC RSA-5 and
RSA-10 series fuel injection servos.
Background
This emergency AD results from eighteen reports
of fuel injection servo plugs, part number
(P/N) 383493, that had loosened or completely backed out of the threaded plug hole on the regulator
cover of the fuel injection servo.
These servo pl
ugs were installed with servo plug gasket, P/N
365533, under the plug hex-head. Precision
Airmotive LLC
investigated and determined that servo
plug gasket, P/N 365533, can shrink from engine heat,
causing the plug to lose torque against the
servo regulator cove
r, allowing the plug to vibr
ate out. The threads on the plugs were also found
damaged. Servo plug gaskets, P/N 365533, installed on RSA-5 and RSA-10 series fuel injection
servos since August 22, 2006, are made of a di
fferent material than the previous gasket part number
used. This condition, if not corr
ected, could result in a substantial loss of engine power and
subsequent loss of control of the airplane.
Explanation of Relevant Service Information
We have reviewed Precision
Airmotive LLC
Mandatory Service Bulletin (MSB) No. PRS-
107, Revision 1, dated March 6, 2008.
The MSB descri
bes procedures for inspecting servo plugs for
looseness and damage, inspecting the servo regulator cover threads for damage, on fuel injection
servos that have a servo plug gasket, P/N 365533, installed, inspecting the gasket for damage,
reinstalling acceptable parts, and torquing the servo pl
ug to a new, higher torque to help maintain the
proper clamp-up force against the plug and cove
r.
Interim Action
These actions are interim actions and we might
take additional rulemaking actions in the
future.
FAA’s Determination and Require
ments of the Rule
We have identified an unsafe condition that is
likely to exist or develop on other RSA-5 and
RSA-10 series fuel injection servos of this same type design.
This AD requires inspecting servo plugs
for looseness and damage on fuel injection se
rvos that have a servo plug gasket, P/N 365533,
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superseded Ad
An AD is no longer in effect when it is superseded
by a new AD. The superseding AD identifies the AD
that is no longer in effect. There are no compliance
requirements for a superseded AD.
Compliance with Ads
For purposes of compliance, ADs may be divided
into two categories:
• Those of an emergency nature requiring
immediate compliance before further flight, or
• Those of a less urgent nature requiring
compliance within a relatively longer period of
time.
ADs are the “final rule” and compliance is required
unless specific exemption is granted. Aircraft owners
are responsible for ensuring compliance with all
pertinent ADs. This includes those ADs that require
recurrent or continuing action. For example, an AD
may require a repetitive inspection each 50 hours
of operation, meaning the particular inspection must
be accomplished and recorded every 50 hours of
time in service.
m CAUTION: Aircraft owners are reminded
that there is no provision to overfly the maximum
hour requirement of an AD unless it is specifically
written into the AD.
Amateur-Built Aircraft
For help in determining if an AD applies to your
amateur-built aircraft, contact your local Flight
Standards District Office (FSDO).
summary of Ads
14 CFR part 91, section 91.417, requires a record
to be maintained that shows the current status of
applicable ADs, including:
• Method of compliance;
• AD number and revision date;
• Date and time when due again, if recurring;
• Certified mechanic’s signature;
• Type of certificate; and
• Certificate number of the repair station or
mechanical performing the work.
For ready reference, many aircraft owners keep a
chronological listing of the pertinent ADs in the back
of their aircraft and engine records. Generally, a
summary of ADs contains all the valid ADs previously
published. Figure 9-1 is a sample form of summary
of ADs.
obtaining Ads
Both AD categories (small and large aircraft) are
published in biweekly supplements. All ADs are
available on the FAA website at www.faa.gov.
Advisory Circular (AC) 39-7 (as revised), Airworthi-
ness Directives, provides additional guidance and
information for aircraft owners and operators about
their responsibilities for complying and recording
ADs. For more information, contact the FAA
Regulatory Support Division, Delegation and
Airworthiness Programs Branch (AIR-140). AIR-140
contact information is available in the FAA Contact
Information appendix on pages A1–A2 of this
handbook.
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Chapter 9: Airworthiness Directives
AirWortHiness direCtive ComPliAnCe reCord
Aircraft: PA-22-135 N2631A S/N 22-903
Engine: Lycoming 0-290-D2 S/N 4563-21
Propeller: Sensenich M 76AM2 S/N 6662
Ad &
Amend
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rev.
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dAte
sUBjeCt dAte/
HoUrs
At ComP.
metHod
oF ComP.
one
time
reCUr-
rinG
ComP. dUe
dAte/Hrs
AUtHorized
siGnAtUre &
nUmBer
76-07-12
8-30-77
Bendix
ignition
switch
11-11-94
1850TT
Operational
check and
inspection
X Phil Lomax
A&P
93-18-03
Original
10-29-93
One-
piece
venturi
3-17-95
1850OTT
Installed
one-piece
venturi
Carb S/N
BR-549
X 1900TT Phil Lomax
A&P
Figure 9-1. Sample Airworthiness Directives Compliance Record. This sample AD Compliance Record is
intended to show you an acceptable format for recording the required information to evidence your aircraft’s
compliance with applicable ADs. The FAA does not prescribe a specific format; however, the information
discussed in this chapter must be maintained with the aircraft’s maintenance records.
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service difficulty Program
he Service Difficulty Program is an information system designed to provide assistance
to aircraft owners, operators, maintenance organizations, manufacturers, and the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) in identifying aircraft problems encountered during service.
Background
The Service Difficulty Program provides for the collection, organization, analysis, and
dissemination of aircraft service information to improve service reliability of aeronautical
products. The primary sources of this information are aircraft maintenance facilities, owners,
and operators. The incentive for early detection is to expedite corrective actions and ultimate
solutions, thereby minimizing the effect of equipment failure on safety.
Each problem reported contributes to the improvement of aviation safety through the
identification of a potential problem area and the alerting of other persons to it. This focusing
of attention on a problem has led to improvements in the design and maintainability of
aircraft and aircraft products.
Advisory Circular (AC) 20-109 (as revised), Service Difficulty Program (General Aviation),
describes the Service Difficulty Program as it applies to general aviation. It also includes
instructions for completing FAA Form 8010-4, Malfunction or Defect Report. The
information from these reports is compiled and published as Maintenance Alerts.
By pooling everyone’s knowledge about a situation, the FAA can detect mechanical problems
early enough to correct them before they might possibly result in accidents/incidents which
should make flying safer, more enjoyable, and certainly less expensive.
FAA Form 8010-4, malfunction or defect report
General aviation aircraft service difficulty information is normally submitted to the FAA by
use of FAA Form 8010-4. However, information will be accepted in any form or format when
FAA Form 8010-4 is not readily available for use.
The information contained in the FAA Form 8010-4 is stored in a computerized data bank
for retrieval and analysis. Items potentially hazardous to flight are telephoned directly to the
Regulatory Support Division, Aviation Data Systems Branch (AFS-620) personnel by FAA
aviation safety inspectors (ASIs) in local Flight Standards District Offices (FSDOs). These
items are immediately referred to, and promptly handled by, the appropriate FAA offices.