EASA AD US-2020-18-51
[Final Rule] SANDIA AEROSPACE - Airplane Flight Manual - Section Limitations - Amendment
Summary
The Final Rule titled '[Final Rule] SANDIA AEROSPACE - Airplane Flight Manual - Section Limitations - Amendment' is an airworthiness directive issued by the FAA addressing Sandia attitude indicators with part numbers 306171-10 and 306171-20, which may be marked as BendixKing Model KI-300 or Sandia Model SAI-340A. This directive applies to airplanes equipped with these attitude indicators and mandates revisions to the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) to prohibit operation under instrument flight rules (IFR) or night visual flight rules (VFR) and to prohibit coupling the autopilot with the affected attitude indicators.
What Changed
This new airworthiness directive requires operators to revise their existing AFM to include operational limitations that restrict IFR and night VFR operations and disallow autopilot coupling with the affected Sandia attitude indicators. It was issued in response to reports of 54 failed attitude indicators that provide erroneous attitude data, posing a safety risk. The directive formalizes the requirements initially introduced by Emergency AD 2020-18-51.
Why It Matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals because the failure of these attitude indicators can lead to pilots receiving incorrect attitude information, potentially resulting in loss of aircraft control. Operators, maintenance organizations, and compliance teams must ensure that affected aircraft are operated within the new limitations to maintain safety and regulatory compliance. The directive also allows pilots holding at least a private pilot certificate to perform the AFM revision, which is an exception to standard maintenance rules.
What To Do
Affected operators must revise the Airplane Flight Manual before further flight to prohibit IFR and night VFR operations and prevent autopilot coupling with the affected attitude indicators. Compliance must be recorded in the aircraft maintenance records as specified by FAA regulations. Comments on the directive are invited by October 26, 2020, but the rule is effective from September 28, 2020.
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