# AD 78-05-05: Cabin Door Latch

- Type: Airworthiness directive
- Status: Current
- Products: Piper PA-31, PA-31-300, PA-31-325 and PA-31-350
- Effective: March 8, 1978
- Published: March 6, 1978
- Issued: February 22, 1978
- Superseded by: Nothing supersedes this AD
- Product type: Aircraft, Small airplane
- Amendment: 39-3148
- Registered aircraft: 565 may be affected, by airframe or engine model (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/C3535B49365F3BF48625699D004F67DB.0001
- DRS record last changed: November 21, 2025
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ad/78-05-05

## The airworthiness directive

78-05-05 PIPER AIRCRAFT CORPORATION: Amendment 39-3148. Applies to PA-31 and PA-31-325 and PA-31-300 aircraft, S/N 31-2 through 31-7512029, and PA-31-350 aircraft, S/N 31-5001 through 31-7552052 certificated in all categories, except airplanes modified to incorporate all three kits denoted in Piper Aircraft Corporation Service Letter 739, dated June 2, 1975.

Compliance required within the next 50 hours in service after the effective date of this AD, unless already accomplished.

To assure proper latching and thereby prevent inadvertent opening of the cabin door in flight, accomplish the modification excepting the compliance time paragraph described in Piper Aircraft Corporation Service Letter No. 803A, dated November 3, 1977, or an equivalent method approved by the Chief, Engineering and Manufacturing Branch, FAA Eastern Region.

Upon request, with substantiating data, submitted through an FAA maintenance inspector, the compliance time specified in this AD may be increased by the Chief, Engineering and Manufacturing Branch, FAA Eastern Region.

This amendment is effective March 8, 1978.

## Affected data sheets (1) (OpenAirDocs)

The type certificate data sheets whose models the AD names.

- [TCDS A20SO](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A20SO): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 4 of 4 models: PA-31, PA-31-325, PA-31-300, PA-31-350

## 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: 565 (565 by airframe model, 0 by engine model)
- Makers: Piper 565

Models with the most aircraft:

- [Piper PA-31-350](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350): 399 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Piper PA-31-325](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-325): 137 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Piper PA-31](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31): 26 aircraft (airframe model)
- [Piper PA-31-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-300): 3 aircraft (airframe model)

All 4 models: https://openairdocs.org/ad/78-05-05/models.md
Every aircraft: https://openairdocs.org/ad/78-05-05/aircraft.md

Its text cites no advisory circulars or STCs.

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