# AD 89-18-06: Front Folding Seats - Type: Airworthiness directive - Status: Current - Products: American Champion 7ECA, 7GCAA, 7GCBC, 7KCAB, 8GCBC and 8KCAB - Effective: September 21, 1989 - Superseded by: Nothing supersedes this AD - Product type: Aircraft, Small airplane - Amendment: 39-6306 - Registered aircraft: 3,626 may be affected, by airframe or engine model (OpenAirDocs) - FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/9A81C1BF13C9B6F8862569AF00767881.0001 - DRS record last changed: May 30, 2024 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ad/89-18-06 ## The airworthiness directive 89-18-06 AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT (BELLANCA, CHAMPION): Amendment 39-6306. Applicability: Models 7ECA, 7GCAA, 7GCBC, 7KCAB, 8GCBC, and 8KCAB (all serial numbers) airplanes certificated in any category, when equipped with front folding seats. Compliance: Required as indicated in the body of the AD, unless already accomplished. To prevent failure of the seat back which could result in loss of control of the airplane, accomplish the following: (a) Within the next 25 hours time-in-service after the effective date of this AD and, thereafter at intervals not to exceed 25 hours time-in-service from the last inspection until the actions specified in paragraph (b) below are accomplished, accomplish the following: (1) Magnetic particle or dye penetrant inspect the left and right sides of the welded lower seat frame side-tube/side-brace junction and seatback hinges for evidence of cracks. If any cracks are found, prior to further flight repair, in accordancewith the recommended procedures in Advisory Circular (AC) 43.13-1A, the crack or replace the cracked part with a serviceable part. (2) Fabricate and install on the instrument panel in clear view of the pilot a placard with letters of minimum 0.2 inches in height which reads as follows: "Warning: Do not pull or push on upper seat back." (b) Within the next 150 hours time-in-service after the effective date of this AD, replace the front folding seat frame with an exchange unit in accordance with American Champion Aircraft Service Letter No. 401, dated June 14, 1989. The repetitive inspections and the placard specified in paragraph (a) above are no longer required after the actions specified in this paragraph have been accomplished. (c) Airplanes may be flown in accordance with FAR 21.197 to a location where this AD may be accomplished. (d) An equivalent means of compliance with this AD may be used if approved by the Manager, Chicago Aircraft Certification Office,ACE-115C, 2300 East Devon Avenue, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018. All persons affected by this directive may obtain copies of the documents referred to herein upon request to American Champion Aircraft, P.O. Box 37, Rochester, Wisconsin 53167, or may examine these documents at the FAA, Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel, Room 1558, 601 East 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. This amendment (39-6306, AD 89-18-06) becomes effective on September 21, 1989. ## Affected data sheets (2) (OpenAirDocs) The type certificate data sheets whose models the AD names. - [TCDS A-759](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A-759): American Champion Aircraft Corp.; names 4 of 22 models: 7KCAB, 7GCAA, 7GCBC, 7ECA - [TCDS A21CE](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A21CE): American Champion Aircraft Corp.; names 2 of 2 models: 8GCBC, 8KCAB ## 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: 3,626 (3,626 by airframe model, 0 by engine model) - Makers: Bellanca 1,735, American Champion 1,056, Champion 834, Aeronca 1 Models with the most aircraft: - [Bellanca 7GCBC](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-7gcbc): 487 aircraft (airframe model) - [American Champion 8KCAB](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-champion-8kcab): 449 aircraft (airframe model) - [Champion 7ECA](https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7eca): 419 aircraft (airframe model) - [Bellanca 8KCAB](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-8kcab): 371 aircraft (airframe model) - [Bellanca 7ECA](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-7eca): 347 aircraft (airframe model) - [American Champion 7GCBC](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-champion-7gcbc): 232 aircraft (airframe model) - [Bellanca 7KCAB](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-7kcab): 230 aircraft (airframe model) - [American Champion 8GCBC](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-champion-8gcbc): 218 aircraft (airframe model) - [Bellanca 8GCBC](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-8gcbc): 182 aircraft (airframe model) - [Champion 7KCAB](https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7kcab): 151 aircraft (airframe model) - [Champion 7GCBC](https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7gcbc): 144 aircraft (airframe model) - [American Champion 7GCAA](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-champion-7gcaa): 119 aircraft (airframe model) - [Bellanca 7GCAA](https://openairdocs.org/model/bellanca-7gcaa): 118 aircraft (airframe model) - [Champion 7GCAA](https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7gcaa): 114 aircraft (airframe model) - [American Champion 7ECA](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-champion-7eca): 38 aircraft (airframe model) - [Champion 8KCAB](https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-8kcab): 5 aircraft (airframe model) - [Aeronca 7GCBC](https://openairdocs.org/model/aeronca-7gcbc): 1 aircraft (airframe model) - [Champion 7GCAA (CONV)](https://openairdocs.org/model/champion-7gcaa-conv): 1 aircraft (airframe model) All 19 models: https://openairdocs.org/ad/89-18-06/models.md Every aircraft: https://openairdocs.org/ad/89-18-06/aircraft.md ## Related documents - [AC 43.13-1B CHG 1 Ed Update](https://openairdocs.org/ac/43.13-1): Acceptable Methods, Techniques, and Practices—Aircraft Inspection and Repair. Cited as AC 43.13-1A in the AD's requirements --- 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.