Output Number
Approval Date
Organisation
Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Published Date Time
Recommendation type
Status
Mode
Date released

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority note the safety deficiency
identified in this report relating to single-engine Cessna aircraft
seat stops and, as a matter of some urgency, alert aircraft owners,
aircraft maintenance engineers and pilots to the potentially
dangerous consequences of using other than the specified seat stops
and to the importance of correctly locating those seat stops and
ensuring that the seat pin securely engages a locating hole on the
rail.

Organisation Response
Date Received
Organisation
Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Response Text

I refer to your letter of 18 October 2001 enclosing a copy of
draft Aviation Occurrence Brief 200104684, concerning an accident
involving Cessna 172 VH-ECT. CASA has the following comments on the
report.



CASA conducted a desktop audit following the accident in order to
determine if there had been any regulatory breaches leading up to
the accident. All documentation available to the inspectors
concerning the aircraft, flying school and the particular flight
appeared to be in order.



Following the accident brief of VH-ECT being released on the ATSB
website, CASA inspectors contacted local maintenance organisations
to make them aware of the possible use of non-approved methods to
secure Cessna 100/200 series seat stops.



AD/Cessna/170/53/Amdt2 Issue 13/88 concerns the seat adjustment
mechanism in Cessna 172 aircraft. There is a Cessna modification
kit available to enable the rear stops to be moved rearwards to
provide easier rear access to the aircraft.

Maintenance organisations have reported that there has been
evidence of the rear stops being unofficially relocated aft. It
appears that the maintenance organisations are in the habit of
reversing such unofficial relocations, but are not in the habit of
reporting the practice to help prevent its recurrence. No problems
with the forward stops were reported.



CASA undertakes to provide further publicity on the problems and
consequences of using other than serviceable, specified seat stops
on these types of aircraft.

Thank you for bringing this matter to the attention of the
Authority.



ATSB Note: CASA published an article "Not so Merry Go-around" in
Nov-Dec 2001 edition of Flight Safety Australia.