8KCAB Airworthiness Directives and Airworthiness Limitations

B

Bob Turner

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Apr 4, 2018
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Sometimes I think these are written for attorneys, not mechanics. My Decathlon has a complete list in the logbooks, and I have done the same for Super Cubs, J3s, and early Mooneys with IO 360 engines.

It is really important to have these things summarized in some readable way - this forum is probably a great place to post such things. As always, the original FAA documents govern what is done/required, but opinions as to what they say or intend can be useful. I will start - give me a couple weeks to organize my Decathlon and AEIO 360 summaries, and I will post them in a new properly labeled thread.

Josef has illuminated a major "gotcha" for newer ACA airplanes. As soon as we figure out effective dates and requirements we should post them. This thread might be a good place to at least start that.
 
Decathlon 8KCAB Applies to my 1977 bird

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Airworthiness Directives summary


72-18-03 – Inspection of battery and surrounding structure – emphasis on control cables. Terminating action required – approved battery box with overboard vent. Not sure how this works with sealed batteries. Nobody uses vented batteries any more?

72-20-06 – Flight Controls –N/A by Serial # (aerobatics restriction)

74-23-04 – Fatigue cracks and distortion of wing ribs – N/A by Serial #

75-09-02 – Superseded by 75-17-16

75-17-16 - Carburetor AD – N/A by Serial #

76-22-01 – One time check for front seat rail cracks – N/A by Serial #

79-22-01 – Exhaust system inspection – one time. Applies through Serial # 79-550.

80-21-06 – Exhaust inspection – recurrent. Remove muffler and inspect. Applies through Serial # 120-74.

80-25-07R1 – Stewart Warner oil coolers.

81-16-04 – Inspection of competition seat belt harness. This one deals with floor attachment of shoulder harness.

89-18-06 – Front seat inspection – recurrent. STC front seat is terminating action.

90-15-15R1 - Front spar strut attach fittings – recurrent. This one is wood spar steel fittings Heavy duty parts are terminating action (p/n 3-1658 or Safe Air equivalent with STC).

96-03-11 – Superseded by 96-18-02

96-18-02 – there are several lift strut bracket problems. Univair does not list this AD. I may have a hard copy in my Decathlon pile. I think this one is the metal spar parts. No longer sure.

2000-25-02R1 – Recurrent wood spar wing inspection – Bend-A-Light and mirror must be used.

2005-24-10 – Control cable swage inspection. Applies only to cables with under 250 hours total time and installation in the 2005 vicinity.

2006-03-08 - Vacuum pump.

2006-12-07 – ECI cylinders. This one is an engine AD, and it is surprising that it would appear in the FAA airframe list. The engines used in the Decathlons have over 40 ADs against them and various accessories.

2009-22-02 – Rear seat back inspection – requires 10x magnification and elongation measurement. Recurrent at 100 hours.

2017-07-10 – Applies to aileron brackets manufactured 2012 or later – S/N 1116-2012 and up, and all aileron p/n 4-2142. Superseded by 2018-14-06

2018-14-06 – replaces 2017-07-10
 
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Got a question about AD 89-18-06. This is my 3rd annual since I've owned this '96 7GCBC and the first time this has been an issue. I am using a new IA and he believes I need to do this inspection, however the last annuals it says N/A. This AD also refers to American Champion Aircraft Service Letter No. 401, dated June 14, 1989, which I can not find. I can't find a part number on my seat, does anyone have an knowledge with this AD/ service letter. Thanks
 
I don't know. That notation was for my bird, which has a Marples seat. The AD is recurrent on the factory seat, so I suspect your IA is correct.
 
The AD says that in the next 150 hours you have to replace the seat. That is terminating action. Look for an entry verifying the seat was replaced after 1989, and you are done. If no entry, you need a new seat.
Probably 401 became useless shortly after the AD - how many airplanes exist with less than 150 hours since that AD?
 
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Bob Turner said:
I don't know. That notation was for my bird, which has a Marples seat. The AD is recurrent on the factory seat, so I suspect your IA is correct.
Click to expand...
I would think ACA would remedy the issue after '89, my plane was built it 1996 so I'm hopping its not a problem. Unfortunately I believe the AD is sorta vague since it refers to a service letter (401) I can't find. There is a letter on ACA's website 437, but I can't verify its the same as called out in the AD.
 
As your aircraft was built after the AD 89-18-06 +150 hrs. came out the AD is not applicable to your aircraft. Unless your factory installed seats have been replaced with older seats of course...
Chris
 
Just did a deep dive into the ADs for that 150 bird I just sold. I swear, even though I have gone through these things with a fine tooth comb, it still took four hours to make sure.
I shall post an update.
On the seat - I may have uncovered more info - not sure.
 
I may have 90-15-15R1 - Front spar strut attach fittings to thank for owning my Decathlon at an affordable price. The broker picked it up in a trade for a twin Aerostar. He was going to unload it to a guy on his airfield who runs a flight school with several Citabrias and Stearmans. The buyer saw large 2x2' cutouts in the fabric on the underside of the wing where the front spars attach and freaked out. He assumed it was repairs due to an undocumented accident, with possible wood spar implications, and backed out of the deal. I think that may have spooked the broker and made him receptive to a quick cash sale. I looked at it, did the research, and realized the fabric repairs were from compliance with this AD.
 
Yes. An owner who does not go through these things carefully is making a mistake.

Actually, glad I re-checked the seat AD. Fortunately, Cynthia's Decathlon had the seat replaced almost the day that AD came out. I had made a note stating that it only applied to 120-74 and earlier - not sure where I got that, but since corrected. it applies to all 7 and 8 series aircraft except early Aeroncas.

Found an entry by an FAA repair shop for six ADs - four of them are not found by the FAA search function, one of them deals with Brackett filters on O-540 engines, and one on the Bombardier Variant. All signed off as complied with. As an owner, I would have questioned that, and whatever charges were made for the research and actions taken.

I am going to update this thread using the 8KCAB 150 C/S work I just did. Remember, my comments may be inaccurate, so trust but verify. Also remember that anything I type is opinion only, and not meant as any sort of legal or AI-type advice.

I will include prop, mags, and engine ADs. Be prepared - the engine ADs are like reading an act of Congress or a before takeoff factory checklist - many pages.
 
A/D Summary for Lycoming 320/360 engines Feb 11, 2022




Blue means O-320 only. Red means IO360 only. Black means both, and probably all. Only some apply to the AEIO (underlined) – one in italics applies only to AEIO

55-02-02 - Accessory Drive Gasket – not an engine out there that needs this now.

59-10-07 - Baffle Clamps

63-23-02 - Exhaust Valve stems – some camshafts.

64-16-05 - AC Fuel Pumps – modify to prevent loss of oil.

66-06-03 - Connecting Rods – related to manufacture date.

66-20-04 - Oil filter gasket & length of attach screws.

67-22-06 - Bendix injector diaphragms –

71-05-02 - Lubrication system – earlier engines modified with straight pin in main bearing area, N/A by manufacture date?

71-11-02 - Tappets – Applies only to remanufactured engines 1965-1987.

73-23-01 - Piston pins – applies to s/n 9409 and up. N/A by S/N. (cracks due to factory grinding process)

75-08-09 - Oil pump impeller and drive shaft replacement. This one re-appears later for
all Lycoming engines, and is usually C/W at overhaul.

75-09-15 - Injector flow divider gasket – usually C/W at overhaul.

78-12-08 - Oil Pump

78-12-09 - Crankshaft

78-23-10 - Center body bellows seal and tube bushing replacement (injection system)

79-04-05 - Injector regulator diaphragm

79-10-03R2 - Mounting Bracket Bolts

79-21-8 - lock nut on injector c/w

79-26-3 - lock nut - N/A

79-26-3 - Exhaust system c/w

80-04-03R2 - Exhaust Valve lifters and springs

80-14-07 - Exhaust Valve spring seats

81-18-04 - S/S by 96-09-10

84-13-05 - The famous Crankshaft Flange AD – Aerobatic aircraft only. AEIO 360 only.

87-10-06 - Rocker arms – check S/N and model suffix. N/A by s/n.

90-04-06 - Governor oil line and aluminum fittings

91-08-07 - Fuel Pumps on turbocharged engines – N/A

91-14-22 - S/S by 2004-10-14

92-12-05 - Piston Pin recall – see Lycoming SB#501 for S/N. Applies only to pins
supplied by Lycoming between Jun 19, 1991 and Aug 5 1991. Lycoming P/N LW 14077. N/A

93-02-05 - S/S by 2002-26-01

93-11-11 - Fuel Pump – applies to AAI corp. overhauls – N/A

93-14-15 - Manifold pressure gauge – turbocharged engines only – N/A

95-07-01 - Connecting rod bolts – looking for bogus parts installed on or after Feb 15, 1994.

95-26-02 - Low octane damage – N/A by N-Number (believe it or not!)

96-09-10 - Oil pump impeller – hardened steel shaft and impeller – Signoff of 81-18-04 is sufficient for this AD

96-23-03 - Fuel pump Diaphragms – applies to pumps installed after July 18, 1995, and before Aug 14, 1996.

97-01-03 - S/S by 97-15-11

97-15-11 - Piston pins again – S/Ns in Lycoming bulletin, but applies only to engines repaired after Dec 15, 1995.

98-02-08 - Crankshaft corrosion; applies to fixed-pitch installations 160 HP and above.

98-17-11 - Crankshaft cracks – applies only to cranks balanced by Nelson Balancing. N/A

98-18-12 - S/S by 2003-14-03

00-18-33 - S/S by 2002-12-07

02-12-07 - Lycoming oil filter gaskets supplied after Apr 1999.

02-06-01 - Injector lines – this one is simple, but must be done annually. Simple visual check; takes about two minutes. Superseded.

03-14-03 - Lear Romec rotary fuel pumps. This is N/A by pump type.

04-10-14 - Prop strike A/D – this one is famous.

05-19-11 - Crankshafts supplied after Mar 1’99

05-26-10 - S/S by 2006-12-07

06-06-16 - Crankshafts supplied after Mar 1’99

06-10-21 - ECI Connecting rods –

06-12-07 - ECI Cylinder Assemblies –

06-20-09 - Crankshafts supplied after March 1’97 –

07-04-19 - Superior Cylinder assemblies – Not installed –

08-06-51 – Applies only to fuel injector servo plugs installed after Aug 22, 2006.

2009-02-03 - Fuel servo gasket installed after Aug 2006

2009-26-12 – Supersedes 2008-19-05 – ECI Cylinders

2012-03-06 – Diaphragm – part # specific – N/A on 44ZW

012-19-01 – Crankshaft installed after 1/1/97

2015-02-07 – Front mounted prop governor – NA 44ZW

2015-19-07 – Supersedes previous injector line inspection ADs – same procedure – MSB 342G

2017-16-11 - Defective piston pins – NA by engine type, serial no, and overhaul date.

Adding two for Feb 2026:

2020-25-12 - applies to Superior Air engines

2024-21-02 - This one is for engines delivered between certain dates with bad bearing materials. I have the dates somewhere -
 
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Sully said:
SL 401
Click to expand...
Thanks. Been looking everywhere for this SL. Somewhere way back, I saw something from ACA that showed picture of the bottom seat frame and the truss example for the updated seat. Still looking again for that one.
 
Looking to verify that picture #2 is the strut fitting to terminate AD 90-15-15R1. IMG_20221126_152813.webpIMG_20221126_162322.webp
 
Hello, I have a 1972 Citabria to which ad 72-20-06 is applicable, so acorbatic flight is not allowed on it?
 
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