# AD 81-23-05: Seat Springs and Battery Box - Type: Airworthiness directive - Status: Current - Products: Piper PA-28-151 and PA-28-161 - Effective: March 8, 1982 - Published: March 1, 1982 - Issued: February 18, 1982 - Superseded by: Nothing supersedes this AD - Product type: Aircraft, Small airplane - Amendment: 39-4333 - Registered aircraft: 2,502 may be affected, by airframe or engine model (OpenAirDocs) - FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/ECD89359561DC878862569A6005CE051.0001 - DRS record last changed: November 21, 2025 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ad/81-23-05 ## The airworthiness directive 81-23-05 PIPER AIRCRAFT CORPORATION: Amendment 39-4333. Applies to Piper Aircraft Models PA-28-151 (S/N 28-7415001 through 28-7715314), and PA-28-161 (S/N 28-7716001 through 28-8216066) airplanes certificated in any category. COMPLIANCE: Required prior to further flight and as indicated in the body of this AD. To prevent possible inflight fire, accomplish the following: A) On Piper Models PA-28-151 (S/N 28-7415001 through 28-7715314) and PA-28-161 (S/H 28-7716001 through 28-7916210) airplanes: (1) Remove the rear seat base and check for any broken springs or evidence of electrical contact between the seat springs and the battery. Check the battery box and cover for any evidence of damage, especially wear of the battery box cover caused by contact with the seat springs. If the seat spring or the battery box cover is damaged, repair or replace with serviceable items. If not, reinstall the battery box cover and ensure that all fasteners lock and that the cover is secure. (2) Install the seat base, ensuring that the saddle clamps at the rear of the seat, left and right, are engaged. When the seat base is lowered into position, the forward edge of the seat legs must be at least 0.80 inch aft of the forward vertical face of the wing spar box. (3) Install a placard in clear view of the pilot stating "DO NOT USE REAR SEAT FOR PASSENGERS OR CARGO" and operate the airplane in accordance with this limitation. The placard may be made from any convenient durable material with contrasting color letters at least 1/4 inch high. (4) The requirements of paragraphs A)(1), (2) and (3) may be complied with by a person authorized to perform preventive maintenance in accordance with Federal Aviation Regulation 43.3(h), except that repair or replacement must be accomplished by appropriately rated persons. (5) The placard required by paragraph A) (3) may be removed after the rear seat has been modified in accordance with the instructions contained in Piper Aircraft Corporation Service Kit No. 764, 303V, SEAT AFT BOTTOM MODIFICATION, dated October 29, 1981, and Piper Service Bulletin 631B, dated October 29, 1981. B) On Piper Models PA-28-161 (S/N 28-7916211 through 28-8216066) airplanes: (1) Remove the rear seat base and check for any broken springs or evidence of electrical contact between the seat springs and the battery. Check the battery box and cover for any evidence of damage, especially wear of the battery box cover caused by contact with the seat springs. If the seat spring or the battery box cover is damaged, repair or replace with serviceable items. If not, reinstall the battery box cover and ensure that all fasteners lock and that the cover is secure. (2) Install the seat base, ensuring that the saddle clamps at the rear of the seat, left and right, are engaged. Ensure that the forward legs on the rear seat base are aft of the reference line established by the placard (Piper P/N 35669-194) on top of the spar box, reference Piper Service Bulletin 631B dated October 29, 1981. (3) Before each flight, check that the rear seat base is properly positioned as indicated by the placard. (4) The requirements of paragraphs B)(1), (2) and (3) may be complied with by a person authorized to perform preventive maintenance in accordance with Federal Aviation Regulation 43.3(h), except that repair or replacement must be accomplished by appropriately rated persons. (5) Within the next 50 hours time-in-service after the effective date of this AD, modify the rear seat base in accordance with the instructions contained in Piper Aircraft Corporation Service Kit No. 764 3O3V, SEAT AFT BOTTOM MODIFICATION, dated October 29, 1981, and Piper Service Bulletin 631B, dated October 29, 1981. The repeat preflight checks of paragraph B)(3) may be discontinued after this modification. C) An equivalent method of compliance may be approved by Chief, Engineering and Manufacturing Branch, FAA, Southern Region, P.O. Box 20636, Atlanta, Georgia 30320. This amendment becomes effective on March 8, 1982, to all persons except those to whom it has already been made effective by priority letter from the FAA dated November 3, 1981, and is identified as AD 81-23-05. ## Affected data sheets (1) (OpenAirDocs) The type certificate data sheets whose models the AD names. - [TCDS 2A13](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/2A13): Piper Aircraft Inc.; names 2 of 18 models: PA-28-161, PA-28-151 ## 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: 2,502 (2,502 by airframe model, 0 by engine model) - Makers: Piper 2,487, New Piper 15 Models with the most aircraft: - [Piper PA-28-161](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161): 1,526 aircraft (airframe model) - [Piper PA-28-151](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-151): 961 aircraft (airframe model) - [New Piper PA-28-161](https://openairdocs.org/model/new-piper-pa-28-161): 15 aircraft (airframe model) All 5 models: https://openairdocs.org/ad/81-23-05/models.md Every aircraft: https://openairdocs.org/ad/81-23-05/aircraft.md Its text cites no advisory circulars or STCs. ## NTSB investigations that cite this AD (2) 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 FTW02LA205](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA205), Jul 14, 2002: Piper PA-28-161 (N96PF), Purcell, OK, destroyed. Probable cause: The in-flight cabin fire as result of non-compliance with an AD and a Service Bulletin. A contributing factor to the accident was night conditions. - [NTSB DEN99LA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN99LA020), Nov 11, 1998: Piper PA-28-161 (N8236Z), Erie, CO, destroyed. Probable cause: The shorting of the aluminum battery wire and the subsequent failure of the fuel line. Factors were the weak/deteriorated battery, the insufficient information in the airplane's POH about charging an… --- 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.