# AD 61-16-06: Fuel Selector Valve Handles

- Type: Airworthiness directive
- Status: Current
- Products: Piper PA-24 and PA-24-250 with STC SA4-1235 or SA4-1351
- Effective: August 31, 1961
- Published: July 29, 1961
- Issued: July 24, 1961
- Superseded by: Nothing supersedes this AD
- Product type: Aircraft, Small airplane
- Registered aircraft: 1,567 may be affected, by airframe or engine model (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/77AF1AB1264B898B8625699900507D08.0001
- DRS record last changed: November 21, 2025
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ad/61-16-06

## The airworthiness directive

61-16-06 PIPER: Amdt. 314 Part 507 Federal Register July 29, 1961. Applies to All PA- 24 and PA-24 "250" Aircraft Modified to Incorporate Brittain Wing Tip Fuel Tanks (Supplemental Type Certificates Nos. SA4-1235 and SA4-1351).

Compliance required within the next 150 hours' time in service after the effective date or at the next disassembly of fuel selector valves, whichever occurs first.

The fuel selector valve handles of aircraft equipped with Brittain wing tip fuel tanks can easily be reinstalled with incorrect indexing after the valves have been disassembled for servicing and lubrication. Incorrect indexing can cause serious fuel system malfunctioning and one accident resulting from this condition has been reported. To preclude future incorrect indexing of the fuel selector valve handles, the following must be accomplished:

  (a) Remove any valve shafts with four flat sides at the handle end and replace with Brittain P/N 4018-15 shafts, or equivalent. The Brittain P/N 4018-15 shaft is identical to the original except that one of the four sides at the handle end has been modified to a convex shape.

  (b) After reassembly and reinstallation of the selector valves, determine that the valve handles are properly indexed with respect to the selector valve placard.

(Brittain Aircraft Enterprises Service Letter No. 4000-1 dated April 26, 1961, covers this same subject.)

This directive effective August 31, 1961.

## Affected data sheets (1) (OpenAirDocs)

The type certificate data sheets whose models the AD names.

- [TCDS 1A15](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/1A15): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 2 of 4 models: PA-24, PA-24-250

## Registered aircraft it may apply to (OpenAirDocs)

Matched by airframe and engine model; the AD's applicability may narrow it by serial number, part number or equipment.

- Aircraft: 1,567 (1,567 by airframe model, 0 by engine model)
- Makers: Piper 1,567

Models with the most aircraft:

- [Piper PA-24-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250): 1,222 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Piper PA-24](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24): 345 aircraft (airframe model)

All 2 models: https://openairdocs.org/ad/61-16-06/models.md
Every aircraft: https://openairdocs.org/ad/61-16-06/aircraft.md

## Related documents

- [STC SA4-1235](https://openairdocs.org/stc/SA4-1235): Installation of 15-gallon wing tip fuel tanks.. General Aviation Modifications Inc., Named in the applicability
- [STC SA4-1351](https://openairdocs.org/stc/SA4-1351): Wing tip fuel tanks installed.. General Aviation Modifications Inc., Named in the applicability

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