# AD 78-10-03: Fuel Venting - Type: Airworthiness directive - Status: Current - Products: FS 2001 AE-1, HE-1, J5A-80, J5A (Army L-4F), J5B (Army L-4G), J5C, PA-14, PA-12, PA-12S, J-3, J3C-40, J3C-50 and 57 more - Effective: May 23, 1978 - Published: May 18, 1978 - Issued: May 9, 1978 - Superseded by: Nothing supersedes this AD - Product type: Aircraft, Small airplane - Amendment: 39-3212 - Registered aircraft: 10,029 may be affected, by airframe or engine model (OpenAirDocs) - FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/630BE8A9A4B719538625699D004F69E2.0001 - DRS record last changed: November 21, 2025 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ad/78-10-03 ## The airworthiness directive 78-10-03 PIPER: Amendment 39-3212. Applies to all J-3, J-4, J-5, PA-11, PA-12, PA-14, PA-16, PA-18, PA-20 and PA-22 type aircraft. Compliance required within the next 10 hours in service after effective date of this AD unless already accomplished. In order to prevent inadequate fuel venting, accomplish the following: (a) Modify fuel caps and inspect fuel tank inlet rubber seal in accordance with Piper Service Bulletin No. 522 dated September 28, 1976, (former AD 77-09-09 Sketch 1) or approved equivalent. AD 78-10-03 (b) Drill 2 additional vent holes .098 inch diameter through locking cam of fuel cap (Sketch 2) in accordance with instructions of Piper Service Bulletin No. 573 dated February 8, 1978, or approved equivalent. (c) Upon compliance with (b), vibro-etch Part No. 60707-04 as shown in Sketch 2. (d) Equivalent alterations must be approved by Chief, Engineering and Manufacturing Branch, FAA Eastern Region. (Piper Service Bulletins Nos. 522 and 573 pertain to this subject.) Amendment 39-3212 cancels AD 77-09-09. This amendment is effective May 23, 1978. ## Affected data sheets (16) (OpenAirDocs) The type certificate data sheets whose models the AD names. - [TCDS 1A2](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/1A2): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 13 of 18 models: PA-18-105 (Special), PA-18S-105 (Special), PA-18-125 (Army L-21A), PA-18S-135, PA-18AS-135, PA-18S, PA-18S-150, PA-18… - [TCDS 1A6](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/1A6): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 8 of 8 models: PA-22S-135, PA-22S-150, PA-22-108, PA-22-160, PA-22-150, PA-22, PA-22S-160, PA-22-135 - [TCDS A-691](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A-691): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 7 of 7 models: J3C-65 (Army L-4; L-4A; L-4B (Navy NE-1); L-4H; L-4J (Navy NE-2)), PA-11, J3C-40, PA-11S, J3C-65S, J3C-50, J3C-50S - [TCDS 1A4](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/1A4): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 6 of 6 models: PA-20, PA-20S-135, PA-20-135, PA-20S-115, PA-20-115, PA-20S - [TCDS A-692](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A-692): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 6 of 6 models: J3F-60S, J3F-50S, J3F-65S, J3F-65 (Army L-4D), J3F-50, J3F-60 - [TCDS A-725](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A-725): FS 2001 Corp.; names 6 of 6 models: J5B (Army L-4G), AE-1, J5A-80, J5A (Army L-4F), HE-1, J5C - [TCDS A-698](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A-698): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 4 of 4 models: J3L-65S, J3L, J3L-S, J3L-65 (Army L-4C) - [TCDS A-703](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A-703): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 3 of 3 models: J4A, J4A-S, J4 - [TCDS 1A1](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/1A1): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 2 of 2 models: PA-16, PA-16S - [TCDS A-780](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A-780): FS 2003 Corp.; names 2 of 2 models: PA-12S, PA-12 - [TCDS A-740](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A-740): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 1 of 1 models: J4E (Army L-4E) - [TCDS A-797](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A-797): FS 2002 Corp.; names 1 of 1 models: PA-14 - [TCDS ATC 660](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/ATC%20660): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 1 of 1 models: J-3 - [TCDS TC 695](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/TC%20695): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 1 of 1 models: J3P - [TCDS TC 708](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/TC%20708): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 1 of 1 models: J4B - [TCDS TC 721](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/TC%20721): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 1 of 1 models: J4F ## 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: 10,029 (10,029 by airframe model, 0 by engine model) - Makers: Piper 9,944, Piper/Cub Crafters 46, Cub Crafters 16, Piper-Dahl 2, Cubs Unlimited/Piper 1, David B Piper 1, Kurt Lepping 1, Piper / Harris 1, Piper Whitaker 1, Piper-Carter 1 Models with the most aircraft: - [Piper PA-18-150](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150): 2,065 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-12](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-12): 1,242 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-22-150](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-150): 1,200 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-22-108](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-108): 587 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-18](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18): 477 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-22-160](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-160): 456 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-11](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-11): 438 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-22-135](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-135): 409 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-18A 150](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18a-150): 382 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-22](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22): 277 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-16](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-16): 276 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-20](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-20): 276 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper J5A](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j5a): 268 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-18-135](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-135): 220 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper J3L-65](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3l-65): 179 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-18A](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18a): 152 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper J3F-65](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3f-65): 127 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper J4A](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j4a): 125 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper J-3](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j-3): 104 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-14](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-14): 100 aircraft (airframe model) All 84 models: https://openairdocs.org/ad/78-10-03/models.md Every aircraft: https://openairdocs.org/ad/78-10-03/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 CHIB1FEM14](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHIB1FEM14), Apr 18, 1981: Piper J5A (N35697), Covert, MI, substantial damage --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.