AD/ATR 42/25 Wire Bundles in the Rear Baggage Zone (Cth)

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below issues the following Airworthiness Directive (AD) under subregulation 39.001(1) of CASR 1998.  The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.

Avions de Transport Regional ATR 42 Series Aeroplanes

AD/ATR 42/25 Wire Bundles in the Rear Baggage Zone 3/2009

Applicability:

ATR 42-500 aircraft, with Manufacturer Serial Numbers (MSN) 667, 669 and 671.

Requirement:

1.    Verify the installation of the appropriate protection sleeves and the correct routing and clamping of the wire bundles in accordance with the accomplishment instructions of ATR Service Bulletin ATR42-92-0020 dated 17 October 2008 or later revision approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

2.    If any discrepancy is found during the Requirement verification, accomplish all corrective actions as instructed in the ATR Service Bulletin ATR42-92-0020 or later revision approved by the EASA.

Note:  EASA AD 2008-0218 refers.

Compliance:

For Requirement 1 - Within 550 hours time in service after the effective date of this Directive.

For Requirement 2 - Before further flight after the Requirement 1 verification.

This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 12 March 2009.

Background:

Identification of an unsafe condition related to the loss of the fail-safe design criteria for the rudder trim, pitch trim and stick pusher control functions after a reported event led in April 2008 to the release of AD/ATR 42/23 (EASA AD 2008-0062) to mandate ATR modification 05780.

It has appeared that some aircraft manufactured and delivered before the 1 April 2008 may have received on the production-line a partial or incorrect implementation of the required ATR modification 05780.  This Directive requires an inspection of the identified aircraft to verify and, finalize when necessary, the complete and correct implementation of the ATR modification 05780.

James Coyne
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority

27 January 2009