Airworthiness Directives; Cessna Aircraft Company 180 and 185 Series Airplanes

This amendment supersedes Airworthiness Directive (AD) 80-10- 01, which applies to certain Cessna Aircraft Company (Cessna) 180 and 185 series airplanes that have either Airglas Engineering Company, Inc., (AECI) Model LW3600-180 (single position) or Model LW3600-180A (two position) fixed penetration wheel skis installed in accordance with Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SA213AL. AD 80-10-01 requires modifying the ski bungee assemblies, safety cables, and check cables, and their attachments to the airplane and the skis; limiting the maximum airspeed to 160 knots with skis installed; and installing an airspeed limitation placard. This AD is the result of field reports of incidents occurring on the affected airplanes that were in compliance with AD 80-10-01, and the fact that Cessna Model 180K airplanes were inadvertently left out of the existing AD. This AD retains the actions required by AD 80-10-01; requires re-marking the airspeed indicator to display the reduced airspeed limits and placing a certain airplane flight manual (AFM) supplement in the cockpit; and adds Cessna Model 180K airplanes to the Applicability section of the AD. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent one or both wheel skis from rotating into a nose-down position during flight, which could result in loss of control of the airplane and/or possible airplane damage during flight or landing operations.