AD/A109/11 - Emergency Float Assembly P/N 109-0715-01

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, were established to ensure the safety and efficiency of civil aviation operations within Australia. Part 39 - 105 of these regulations includes Airworthiness Directives (AD) designed to address specific safety issues identified in aircraft operations. AD/A109/11 specifically pertains to Agusta A109 Series Helicopters and mandates action regarding the emergency float assembly P/N 109-0715-01. The directive was introduced to address the problem of damaged and deteriorated emergency floats, which have been reported to the float manufacturer and are most likely caused by operation in high temperature and humidity conditions. The policy objective behind this AD is to ensure the continued airworthiness and safety of the helicopters by requiring regular inspections and maintenance of the float assemblies. The enacting body for these regulations is the Australian Parliament, which ensures that the Civil Aviation Regulations are consistent with the overarching goal of maintaining high safety standards in civil aviation. Compliance with AD/A109/11 involves regular inspections of the emergency float assemblies, with specific intervals depending on the service history of the float. For new float assemblies, inspections must occur before initial installation and at intervals not exceeding six months thereafter. For assemblies in service for two or more years, inspections must occur at the next inspection for Maintenance Release issue after 25 February 1988 and then at six-month intervals. This directive aims to mitigate the risk of in-flight emergencies due to compromised float assemblies, thereby enhancing overall aviation safety.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s Airworthiness Directive AD/A109/11 applies to Agusta A109 Series helicopters equipped with emergency float assemblies identified by part number 109-0715-01 and serial numbers up to 0092. This directive is concerned with ensuring the integrity of emergency float assemblies that have been reported to suffer from damage or deterioration, including delamination and blistering, primarily due to operation in high temperature and humidity conditions. The directive mandates actions in accordance with Agusta Bollettino Tecnico 109-64 and references RAI AD 87-162 for compliance. Specifically, new float assemblies must be inspected prior to initial installation and at intervals not exceeding six months thereafter. For float assemblies already in service for two or more years, inspection must occur at the next maintenance release issue after 25 February 1988, followed by inspections at intervals not exceeding six months. This regulation is applicable throughout the Commonwealth of Australia, under the authority of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (Cth) contain specific provisions for ensuring the airworthiness of aircraft, particularly concerning Agusta A109 Series Helicopters. In Part 39 - 105, under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, there is a directive pertaining to the Emergency Float Assembly for Agusta A109 Series Helicopters (AD/A109/11). This directive applies to float assemblies up to serial number 0092, which must be inspected and maintained according to the specifications provided by Agusta Bollettino Tecnico 109-64. A related reference is RAI AD 87-162. The regulation mandates specific actions to be taken to ensure the float assemblies are airworthy. Compliance with this directive is critical and requires adherence to several timelines and conditions. For new float assemblies, they must be inspected prior to initial installation and at intervals not exceeding six months thereafter. Float assemblies that have been in service for two or more years must be inspected at the next scheduled inspection for maintenance release after 25 February 1988, with subsequent inspections occurring at intervals not exceeding six months. These requirements are aimed at preventing issues such as delamination and blistering, which can result from high-temperature and humidity conditions, and which have been reported to the manufacturer. Entities and individuals governed by these regulations have specific obligations to ensure compliance. They must follow the prescribed inspection and maintenance schedules strictly to avoid non-compliance, which could lead to severe consequences. It is essential for operators and maintenance personnel to document all inspections and maintenance activities meticulously to provide evidence of compliance when required by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Failure to comply with the airworthiness directives stipulated in these regulations can result in significant penalties and consequences. Non-compliance may be viewed as a breach of safety regulations, potentially leading to enforcement actions by CASA. In the most severe cases, this could result in the grounding of the affected aircraft until compliance is achieved, which can have severe operational and financial repercussions. While the Civil Aviation Regulations do not specify maximum penalties for each breach, the potential for substantial fines, legal action, and damage to reputation is considerable.