# AD 76-17-03: Delaminations in Bonded Skin

- Type: Airworthiness directive
- Status: Current
- Products: True Flight Holdings AA-1, AA-1A, AA-1B, AA-5, AA-5A and AA-5B
- Effective: August 30, 1976
- Superseded by: Nothing supersedes this AD
- Product type: Aircraft, Small airplane
- Amendment: 39-2699
- Registered aircraft: 2,346 may be affected, by airframe or engine model (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/15ABBB4154F287DA86256A38005E36C8.0001
- DRS record last changed: May 30, 2024
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ad/76-17-03

## The airworthiness directive

76-17-03 GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVIATION CORPORATION: Amendment 39- 2699. Applies to

Model Serial Number AA1, AA1A 0001 and up AA1B 0001 thru 0641 AA5 0001 and up AA-5A 0001 thru 0173, 0176 thru 0196 AA-5B 0001 thru 0309, 0311 thru 0324 airplanes certificated in all categories.

Compliance required within the next 25 flight hours' time in service after the effective date of this AD, unless already accomplished.

To detect delaminations in bonded skins and prevent any possible further delaminations, accomplish the following: Inspect and perform rework as prescribed by the instructions of Grumman American Aviation Corporation Service Bulletin No. 155, dated July 30, 1976, or an equivalent inspection and modification approved by the Chief, Engineering and Manufacturing Branch, Great Lakes Region.

This amendment becomes effective August 30, 1976.

## Affected data sheets (2) (OpenAirDocs)

The type certificate data sheets whose models the AD names.

- [TCDS A11EA](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A11EA): True Flight Holdings LLC; names 3 of 4 models: AA-1A, AA-1, AA-1B
- [TCDS A16EA](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A16EA): True Flight Holdings LLC; names 3 of 4 models: AA-5B, AA-5A, AA-5

## 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: 2,346 (2,346 by airframe model, 0 by engine model)
- Makers: Grumman American Avn. 1,518, American 513, Gulfstream American 315

Models with the most aircraft:

- [Grumman American Avn. AA-5B](https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-5b): 643 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Grumman American Avn. AA-5A](https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-5a): 386 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Grumman American Avn. AA-5](https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-5): 257 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Grumman American Avn. AA-1B](https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-1b): 231 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Gulfstream American AA-5B](https://openairdocs.org/model/gulfstream-american-aa-5b): 216 aircraft (airframe model)
- [American AA-1A](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-aa-1a): 207 aircraft (airframe model)
- [American AA-1](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-aa-1): 153 aircraft (airframe model)
- [American AA-5](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-aa-5): 127 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Gulfstream American AA-5A](https://openairdocs.org/model/gulfstream-american-aa-5a): 99 aircraft (airframe model)
- [American AA-1B](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-aa-1b): 26 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Grumman American Avn. AA-1A](https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-american-avn-aa-1a): 1 aircraft (airframe model)

All 11 models: https://openairdocs.org/ad/76-17-03/models.md
Every aircraft: https://openairdocs.org/ad/76-17-03/aircraft.md

Its text cites no advisory circulars or STCs.

## NTSB investigations that cite this AD (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA21LA106](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA106), Jan 19, 2021: American AA5 (N5880L), Leesburg, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The weakened structure of the left horizontal stabilizer, which resulted in elevator flutter and subsequent partial separation of the left elevator in flight. Contributing to the accident were the…

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