AD/SWSA226/55 - Landing Gear Control Assembly (Cth)

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

Fairchild (Swearingen) SA226 and SA227 Series Aeroplanes

AD/SWSA226/55 Landing Gear Control Assembly 10/87 DM

Applicability: Model SA-226-T all S/No Model SA-226-T(B) all except S/No. T-276, and S/Nos. T- 283 through T-297. Model SA-226-AT all except S/No. AT-062E through H AT-069. Model SA-226-TC all except S/No. TC-247 through TC-279.

Requirement: 1. Modify the landing gear selector lever in accordance with Fairchild Aircraft Corporation Service Bulletin No. 226-32-048.

2. Visually inspect the sides and end of the centre pedestal for installation of brackets, holders, or any sort of provision for the storage of maps, charts, and approach charts, and remove any such devices for which approval cannot be demonstrated.

Note: FAA AD 87-13-11 Amendment 39-5668 refers.

Compliance: Prior to 1 December 1987.

Background: FAA investigations into accidents involving inadvertent landing gear actuation revealed that the landing gear selector lever detents are subject to wear, & once worn, the selector lever can easily be displaced from the selected position. The FAA found that storage provisions to the sides of the centre pedestal are not part of the approved Fairchild type design, and when used for storage of charts, maps, etc, block the clear view of pedestal controls and switches, and can also cause the inadvertent actuation of various controls and switches on the pedestal.