AN ACFT MECH WITH INSPECTION AUTHORIZATION FOUND THAT AN AD SUBSCRIPTION SVC IS NOT PROPERLY INDEXING THEIR ADS. HE MENTIONED THIS TO HIS LCL FSDO AND WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE.

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IN LATE 1990; AD 90-XX-YY WAS ISSUED; REGARDING LNDG GEAR STRUTS ON SMT TWINS AT ABOUT THAT TIME I HAD AN SMT XB TO INSPECT. I SUBSCRIBE TO A MICROFICHE AD LIBRARY PUBLISHED BY COMPANY Z. TO RESEARCH AN ACFT SUCH AS THIS SMT XB; I CHK THE INDEX UNDER 'SMA X SERIES' FOR THOSE ADS WHICH MIGHT APPLY TO ANY SMT X; AND ALSO UNDER 'SMT XB' FOR THOSE PARTICULAR TO THAT MODEL. THIS IS THE CORRECT ROC AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO REVEAL ALL APPLICABLE ADS. BUT AD 90-XX-YY DOES APPLY TO THE SMT XB; AND IT IS NOT INDEXED UNDER EITHER SMT X SERIES OR SMT XB; OR FOR THAT MATTER UNDER SMT XA OR SMT XC; EVEN THOUGH IT ALSO APPLIES THERE. INSTEAD; IT'S INDEXED ONLY UNDER SMT X (THE EARLIEST MODEL; BEFORE THE SMT XA). I LATER DISCOVERED THIS APPLICABILITY WHILE READING THE AD TEXT ITSELF; AND TOOK CARE OF THE AIRPLANE I HAD INSPECTED. THE SAFETY PROBLEM IS; THERE ARE PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF THESE PLANES OUT THERE; TO WHICH THIS AD APPLIES; ON WHICH IT HAD NOT BEEN COMPLIED WITH BECAUSE OF THIS INDEXING ERROR. I RPTED THIS TO COMPANY Z IN 90; BUT AS TODAY THE INDEX HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED. ATP SAYS 'WE PUBLISH ONLY WHAT THE FAA TELLS US' AND THIS FAA (MR Y AT ALBANY FSDO) SAYS 'WE HAVE NO CTL OVER WHAT THEY PUBLISH.'!