Airworthiness Directive 04-13499
recurringAirworthiness Directives; Aerospatiale Model ATR42-500 and ATR72-212A Series Airplanes
What this AD requires
This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to certain Aerospatiale Model ATR42-500 and ATR72-212A series airplanes, that requires repetitive inspections for cracking of the upper closing rib of the vertical fin, related investigative actions, and corrective actions if necessary. This action is necessary to prevent interference between the upper closing rib and the rudder, which could result in a rudder jam and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.
Which aircraft AD 04-13499 applies to
Whether AD 04-13499 actually applies to your aircraft (by serial and installed parts) and whether it’s already complied with comes from that aircraft’s records.
How AD compliance is recorded
A valid compliance record (14 CFR 43.9) states:
Tailplate reads a tail number’s logbooks and matches every applicable AD — including this one — to its compliance evidence, with recurring next-due dates computed.
Look up a tail number →Read the full directive (Federal Register)Applicability is derived from the FAA directive corpus and is advisory, not a legal airworthiness determination. Compliance is established only from an aircraft’s actual records.