COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
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 39.1 (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.
Agusta A109 Series Helicopters
AD/A109/43 Passenger Compartment Sliding Doors
Installation
7/2003
Applicability: Model 109E helicopters fitted with passenger compartment sliding doors, serial numbers up to and including 11150 (for those aircraft fitted with PW206C engines), and serial numbers 11501 through 11509 (for those aircraft fitted with TM2K1 engines).
Requirement: Action in accordance with Agusta Service Bulletin No. 109EP-33, dated 19 March 2003.
Note: ENAC AD 2003-109 refers.
Compliance: Before 31 July 2003, unless already accomplished.
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 10 July 2003.
Background: Reports were received of inadvertent in- flight opening of passenger compartment sliding doors. Investigation revealed that the close tolerance of the closing mechanism may not allow the mechanism to reach the stowed position even with the locking pins engaged. This Directive requires installation of kit part number 109- 0823-25-101/-102 to fix this problem.
David Villiers
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 23 May 2003
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 18 June 2003.
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Overview
The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR 1998), specifically Part 39 - 105, addresses safety concerns related to aircraft and aeronautical products, and is administered by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). The Regulations were enacted to ensure the safety of civil aviation operations within Australia. One of the significant components of these Regulations is the issuance of Airworthiness Directives (ADs) to rectify identified safety issues. The AD for Agusta A109 Series Helicopters, specifically AD/A109/43, was issued to address the issue of inadvertent in-flight opening of passenger compartment sliding doors. This problem arose due to the close tolerance of the closing mechanism, which may not reach the stowed position even with the locking pins engaged. The policy objective of this AD is to enhance the safety of passengers and crew by mandating the installation of a specific kit to rectify the identified issue, thus ensuring compliance with safety standards set forth by CASA.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, particularly Part 39 - 105, establish the framework within which Airworthiness Directives (AD) are issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) under the legislative instrument F2006B01829. This specific AD applies to Agusta A109 Series Helicopters, more precisely to the 109E model helicopters with serial numbers up to 11150 (for those equipped with PW206C engines) and serial numbers 11501 through 11509 (for those equipped with TM2K1 engines). The AD mandates corrective action to address the unsafe condition of inadvertent in-flight opening of passenger compartment sliding doors, a problem arising from the close tolerance of the closing mechanism. The directive requires the installation of a kit part number 109-0823-25-101/-102 as specified in Agusta Service Bulletin No. 109EP-33 dated 19 March 2003. This directive applies to all relevant aircraft within the specified serial numbers and must be completed before 31 July 2003, unless already accomplished, and it became effective on 10 July 2003. The AD is issued under subregulation 39.1 (1) of the CASR 1998, and its implementation is overseen by the delegate of CASA, David Villiers.
Key Provisions
The Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) under section 39.1(1) of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, specifically targets the Agusta A109 Series Helicopters model 109E, with serial numbers up to and including 11150 (for those fitted with PW206C engines) and serial numbers 11501 through 11509 (for those fitted with TM2K1 engines). This AD mandates the installation of a corrective action to address an unsafe condition identified in the passenger compartment sliding doors, as detailed in Agusta Service Bulletin No. 109EP-33 dated 19 March 2003. The action must be taken before 31 July 2003, unless already completed, and the directive becomes effective on 10 July 2003.
The AD imposes specific obligations on the operators of the affected Agusta A109 Series Helicopters. These obligations include ensuring that the corrective action specified in the Agusta Service Bulletin No. 109EP-33 is implemented, which involves installing kit part number 109-0823-25-101/-102 to rectify the issue of inadvertent in-flight opening of the passenger compartment sliding doors. The directive specifies that this action must be taken before the compliance deadline to maintain the airworthiness of the aircraft. Operators must also ensure that the aircraft are inspected and any required modifications are performed by appropriately qualified personnel in accordance with the instructions provided.
Failure to comply with the requirements of this AD may result in civil and criminal consequences. Under section 93 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988, non-compliance with an AD can be considered an offence, leading to potential criminal penalties. Additionally, CASA can take enforcement actions under section 94 of the Act, which includes issuing fines and other penalties. The maximum penalties for contravening the AD can be substantial, reflecting the seriousness of non-compliance with airworthiness requirements designed to ensure the safety of air travel.