AD/BAe 146/107 Amdt 3 Forward Fuselage Skin (Cth)

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

On the effective date specified below, and for the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below revokes Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/BAe 146/107 Amdt 2 and issues the following 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.

British Aerospace BAe 146 Series Aeroplanes

AD/BAe 146/107 Amdt 3 Forward Fuselage Skin 5/2009

Applicability:

All Model BAe 146 and AVRO 146-RJ aircraft, all serial numbers.

Requirement:

Action in accordance with the requirements of EASA AD 2009-0070.

Note:  BAE Systems (Operations) Limited Inspection Service Bulletin ISB.53-167 Revision 2, or later EASA approved revision, refers.

Compliance:

As specified in the Requirement document, with a revised effective date of
7 May 2009.

This Amendment becomes effective on 7 May 2009.

Background:

The manufacturer received reports of cracking along the edges of the chemi-etched pockets in the front fuselage canopy skin panels adjacent to the butt joint forward of frame 19.  This Directive requires external eddy current inspections for cracks in the forward fuselage skin area.

Amendment 1 deleted Appendix 3 from the Requirement document and re-wrote Appendix 2; with no additional inspections required until next scheduled repeat inspection.

Amendment 2 required compliance with Revision 1 of the Requirement document (MSB 53-167).  There are no additional requirements mandated by this issue.

Amendment 3 is issued in response to a new EASA AD, which was prompted by a report received by BAE Systems of a 13.78-inch crack in an AVRO 146-RJ aircraft that occurred 514 flight cycles short of the next 4,000 flight cycle repetitive inspection interval.  This Directive retains the requirements of UK CAA AD
G-2005-0002, which is superseded, and requires the implementation of revised repetitive inspections, including inspection of additional areas of the forward fuselage skin panels for cracking and follow-on repair action(s), depending on findings.

David Villiers
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority

27 March 2009