AOPA tackles the ADs
An ounce of prevention is worth...well, when it comes to aircraft safety, it depends on whether you're an aircraft owner flying on the margin of affordability, a manufacturer covering its assets, or the FAA issuing an airworthiness directive that could affect thousands of aircraft.
You've just opened the letter notifying you that safety-related repairs and/or a schedule of inspections for your aircraft are required, and probably the first rush of feeling that gets through the shock is the "back-pocket blues." How much is this going to cost?
It's a good question, and one that is part of the equation that determines AOPA's response on behalf of its more than 400,000 members, says Craig Brown, senior technical specialist for AOPA's Aviation Services department.
"It can be anywhere from a couple of bucks to thousands of dollars. It can be something that requires a one-time inspection each year, or a wing, or a major item such as that," says A&P mechanic Brown. "There's no average."
Cost is one of the factors AOPA considers when determining the stance it should take on any given proposed AD, called a notice of proposed rulemaking, or NPRM. But, says Brown, "Some members get in their minds that if an AD is going to be expensive that we'll oppose it. We don't just oppose ADs because they're expensive or affect a lot of members. We oppose them because there's not enough evidence to prove there's a problem that exists. It's based on real data, real statistics — it's safety."
ADs are issued for many reasons, not all of them safety-related. A manufacturer, for instance, may request consideration from the FAA in an attempt to minimize its liability, essentially passing the responsibility off to the aircraft owner. In some cases, there hasn't been a single accident or incident to warrant an AD, and AOPA takes a stand against it for lack of evidence of its necessity. ADs are a precise tool, one that should be used to address specific safety-related issues — not liability or market issues, Brown says.
AOPA opposed a recent NPRM for the twin-engine cabin-class Cessna 400-series aircraft that would require wing spar modifications costing between $40,000 to $70,000 per aircraft. The chief rationale for the association's opposition was a lack of evidence of any operational problems associated with defective wing spars, according to AOPA's Government and Technical Affairs division.
AOPA and the Cessna Pilots Association have requested that the FAA extend the proposed AD's comment period for an additional 180 days. The FAA is reviewing this request, and a final decision is pending. (Emergency ADs, which are implemented without an opportunity to submit comments, are rare.)
While it hopefully won't be this particular AD, longtime aircraft owners stand a good chance of receiving notice of an AD in the mail at some point. It's part of owning an aircraft.
"The responsibility for compliance rests solely with the owner. We all know that it's the mechanic that does the work, but it's the owner who's responsible for seeing that the work is done," Brown says. Make sure the address you've filed with the FAA is up to date, so you can stay current on any required maintenance or inspections. If you have questions about an AD, AOPA is here to help.
As an AOPA member, you have access to the best resources anywhere for information and answers for pilots. AOPA provides information for its members through a vast array of communications technologies. You can reach experts in all fields of aviation via AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/members/), the AOPA Pilot Information Center (800/USA-AOPA), and e-mail ( [email protected]). Aviation technical specialists respond promptly to member requests while AOPA Online provides members with access to information and resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The toll-free AOPA Pilot Information Center gives you direct access to specialists in every area of aviation. The center is available to members from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
AOPA Web resources
This subject report includes a selection of AOPA Pilot and AOPA Flight Training magazine articles about ADs.
www.aopa.org/members/files/topics/airworthiness.html
This August 1985 Pilot article, "Defective Directives," addresses the issue of manufacturer-requested ADs: "Manufacturers increasingly are pressing the Federal Aviation Administration to issue ADs on their own products. This...can be traced to concerns among manufacturers about the high costs of product liability litigation."
www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/1985/def8508.html
