The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can issue several types of Airworthiness Directives (ADs).
These legally enforceable rules apply to correct an unsafe condition in a product. “Product” here means aircraft, engines, propellers and appliances.
In addition to an unsafe condition existing in the product, the condition is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same design.
The legal framework for ADs can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The specific reference is 14 CFR Part 39. Although they are part of the CFR, they are published in full in the Federal Register as amendments to § 39.13.
The directives issued as ADs specify inspections to carry out, conditions and limitations to comply with, and any actions that must be taken to resolve an unsafe condition.
The types of ADs include:
- Emergency Airworthiness Directives (EAD)
- Airworthiness Directives (AD Rules)
- AD Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (AD NPRMs)
- AD Biweekly
ADs are delivered by email to those who sign up on the FAA website.
