Ad/SF340/107 Amdt 1 - Fuel System - Refuel/Defuel Illuminated Placard (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/SF340/107 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.

SAAB SF340 Series Aeroplanes

AD/SF340/107 Amdt 1 Fuel System - Refuel/Defuel Illuminated Placard 10/2008

Applicability:	SF340A and 340B aircraft, all serial numbers.
Requirement:	1.    If not previously accomplished in accordance with the original issue of this directive, inspect the refuel/defuel panel illuminated placard Vibrachoc Part Number (P/N) C4FL5031C001 in accordance with the instructions of SAAB Service Bulletin (SB) 340-28-027 dated 30 April 2008.
2.    If signs of heat and/or burn marks are found during the Requirement 1 inspection, replace refuel/defuel panel illuminated placard P/N C4FL5031C001 in accordance with the instructions of SB 340-28-027.
3.    If signs of heat and/or burn marks are not found during the Requirement 1 inspection, replace refuel/defuel panel illuminated placard P/N C4FL5031C001 with a unit having a manufacturing date before 31/97, or with a unit having a manufacturing date of 37/07 or higher and marked ‘Amdt: A’, in accordance with the instructions of SB 340-28-027.
4.    Refuel/defuel panel illuminated placard P/N C4FL5031C001 may not be installed as replacement part on any aircraft, unless it has a manufacturing date before 31/97, or a manufacturing date of 37/07 or higher and is marked ‘Amdt: A’.
Later revisions of SB 340-28-027, approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), are acceptable for compliance with the relevant parts of this Directive.
Note 1:  Compliance with Requirement 4 may be accomplished by having an entry in the operator’s System of Maintenance requiring that the part numbers manufacturing date combination be checked before installation on an aircraft and/or procedures in place to check part number manufacturing date combination of spares on receipt at the operator’s maintenance facility.
Note 2:  EASA AD 2008-0127R1 refers.
Compliance:	For Requirement 1 - Within three months after the effective date of this Directive.
For Requirement 2 - Before the next flight after the Requirement 1 inspection.

For Requirement 3 - Within 12 months after the Requirement 1 inspection.
For Requirement 4 - After 28 November 2009.
This Amendment becomes effective on 25 September 2008.
Background:	During refuelling, the ground crew detected smoke from the refuel/defuel panel illuminated placard 160VU.  The design of the refuel/defuel panel illuminated placard was changed during 1997 from its original specification, to fill the cavity inside the placard with silicone to avoid moisture/fluid ingress.  SAAB has reviewed the working procedure and has developed a placard filled with a bi-component silicone-based material to minimize the cavity inside the panels.
The original issue of this Directive required the identification of the manufacturing date of the affected placard, a visual inspection of the placard for heat and/or burn marks and the installation of a new placard.
Following a request from an Australian operator and SAAB, EASA has revised AD 2008-0127 to identify the affected Vibrachoc (the part manufacturer) placard with P/N C4FL5031C001, instead of the corresponding SAAB P/N 9303719-001, which was (also) quoted inaccurately.  In addition, EASA recognised that the original Directive did not allow installation of placards with a manufacturing date before 31/97; that has now been corrected.  This Amendment reflects the EASA changes and recognises prior compliance with Requirement 1 of the original issue.
The original issue of this Directive became effective on 28 August 2008.

Charles Lenarcic
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority

15 August 2008