Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2014L01167:body:0:p2
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2014L01167
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 2802–4855

2. The action in Requirement 2 must be taken within 10 flight hours of the effective date of this AD.
             The effective date of this AD is 28 August 2014.
Background:  A recent in-flight break-up of a Tiger Moth DH 82A aircraft off South Stradbroke Island on 16 December 2013 has highlighted the risk associated with fatigue cracking leading to failure of lateral tie rods.  The lateral fuselage tie rods on a Tiger Moth are a safety-critical component. The accident report revealed that both tie rods were Australian-manufactured J&R Aerospace JRA-776-1 parts.
             The JRA-776-4 parts that are authorised for the DH 60M series aircraft had been subject to the same manufacturing process as the JRA-776-1 parts.
             All Moth variant aircraft lateral tie rods currently have a retirement life of 2,000 flight hours or 18 years, whichever occurs first, as detailed in British Aerospace Technical News Sheet CT (Moth) No. 29 and mandated by CASA AD/DH60/4.
             The lateral tie rods fitted to the accident aircraft were fitted as newly-manufactured items in 2006 and had accumulated 1,300 hours in service at the time of the accident.
             In addition to the design and manufacturing aspects, the initiation and propagation of lateral tie rod fatigue cracking can be strongly influenced by aircraft utilisation and operational events that generate elevated rod loads.  Aerobatic flight, flight in turbulent or adverse weather, heavy or rough landings and other undercarriage trauma could all prove contributory.  The accident aircraft had been frequently used for aerobatic activities since the JRA-776-1 lateral tie rods were fitted.
             This AD is issued to mandate the removal from service of lateral tie rods and nuts that are not defined as acceptable.
             This AD is reissued due to an administrative problem with the tabling of the earlier version and to correct an error in the relevant company's title name.

Nicholas Ward
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
28 August 2014