COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Airbus Industrie A319, A320 and A321 Series Aeroplanes
AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE
For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below revokes Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/A320/105 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.1 (1) of CAR 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.
AD/A320/105
Amdt 1
Emergency Escape Slide Frangible Link 3/2001
Applicability: All Model A319, A320, and A321 aircraft, equipped with escape slides part numbers D31516-103, -105, -107, -109, D31517-103, -105, -107, and -109, without Airbus
Industrie modification 28103 in production or without Service Bulletin A320-25-1215 in service.
Requirement: Replace the emergency escape slide Velcro restraint with a frangible link in accordance with Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin (SB) A320-25-1215 or SB A320- 25-1215 Revision 1.
Note: DGAC AD 2000-359-152(B) R1 refers.
Compliance: Before 31 March 2002, unless already accomplished. This amendment becomes effective on 22 March 2001.
Background: The DGAC received a report of an escape slide deployment test, where the slide did not completely inflate due to ingestion of material into the aspirator; caused by Velcro restraint separation during packing. Failure of an escape slide to deploy could hamper the egress of passengers in the event of an emergency evacuation.
Amendment 1 is issued in response to a revision of the related DGAC AD which reduces the compliance date to 31 March 2002 due to reports of additional deployment failures. This amendment does not present any further technical requirements.
The original issue of this Airworthiness Directive became effective on 2 December 1999.
David Alan Villiers
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 9 February 2001
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 21 February 2001.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, administered by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and enacted by the Australian Parliament, address the need for maintaining airworthiness standards to ensure public safety in civil aviation. This legislative instrument focuses on enhancing safety measures for specific aircraft models, particularly the Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 series aeroplanes. The problem addressed is the potential for emergency escape slides to fail during deployment, which can critically hamper passenger egress during an emergency. The policy objective is to mandate corrective actions to prevent such unsafe conditions, thereby safeguarding passengers and crew.
In response to identified safety concerns, the CASA delegate issued Airworthiness Directive AD/A320/105, effective from 2 December 1999, requiring the replacement of Velcro restraints with frangible links on affected aircraft models to ensure the reliable deployment of emergency escape slides. This directive was subsequently amended to tighten the compliance deadline, underscoring the urgency and importance of addressing this safety issue.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically PART 39 - 105, pertains to the regulation of civil aviation safety and applies to all relevant aircraft and aeronautical products within the Australian jurisdiction. This legislative instrument focuses on ensuring the safety of Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 series aeroplanes by mandating specific actions to address identified safety issues. The Airworthiness Directive AD/A320/105, as amended, applies to all model A319, A320, and A321 aircraft equipped with certain escape slide part numbers, excluding those that have already incorporated specific modifications or service bulletins. The directive requires operators to replace the emergency escape slide Velcro restraint with a frangible link, in accordance with specified Airbus Industrie service bulletins, to prevent the ingestion of material during deployment, which could hinder passenger egress in an emergency. Compliance with this directive must be achieved before 31 March 2002, unless the required actions have already been taken. The directive is issued under the authority of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and is effective from 22 March 2001.
Key Provisions
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically under Part 39 - 105, detail an Airworthiness Directive (AD) concerning the Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 Series Aeroplanes (section 39.105). This directive mandates the replacement of the emergency escape slide Velcro restraint with a frangible link to ensure the slides deploy correctly in emergency situations. The AD applies to all specified aircraft models equipped with certain escape slide parts and lacking specific modifications or service bulletins in place (section 39.105(1)). The requirement is that the Velcro restraint be replaced following the instructions in Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin (SB) A320-25-1215 or its revision (section 39.105(2)). Compliance with this directive must be achieved before 31 March 2002, unless already completed (section 39.105(3)).
The AD imposes obligations on aircraft operators and maintenance personnel to ensure that the specified modifications are carried out on the affected aircraft. This includes identifying the applicable aircraft and escape slide parts, obtaining the necessary service bulletins, and executing the replacement of the Velcro restraint with the frangible link as instructed. Operators must also keep records of the modifications performed in accordance with the directive to demonstrate compliance and ensure ongoing airworthiness.
Failure to comply with the AD can result in significant consequences. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) may take enforcement actions against non-compliant aircraft operators. Potential penalties can include fines, enforcement notices, and in severe cases, grounding of the aircraft until compliance is achieved. The exact penalties are not specified in the AD but are determined under the broader regulatory framework of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 and other related legislation. Non-compliance not only risks safety but also legal repercussions that can impact the operational status of the aircraft.