Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, under Part 39, were enacted by the Australian Parliament to ensure the safety and airworthiness of aircraft operating within Australian airspace. This particular legislation, specifically the Airworthiness Directive AD/A320/128 dated 11/2001, was introduced to address the issue of airspeed fluctuations in Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 series aeroplanes, which were found to be caused by the presence of ice crystals and/or water in the pitot probes. The policy objective of this directive is to enhance the safety of these aircraft by replacing the Thales pitot probes P/N 50620-10 with new Thales pitot probes P/N C16195AA, thereby improving the de-icing and rain capabilities of the probes and preventing further airspeed indication issues during extreme meteorological conditions. This directive was issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and became effective on 1 November 2001, with a compliance deadline of 18 August 2003.

Scope and Application

This Airworthiness Directive issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) applies specifically to Airbus Industrie A319, A320 and A321 series aeroplanes that have not been fitted with Airbus Industrie Modification 25998, either during production or while in service. This applies to all such aircraft unless they are equipped with BFGoodrich pitot probes part number 0851HL in accordance with Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin A320-34-1170 (Airbus Industrie Modification 25578), which are excluded from this directive. The requirement is to replace Thales pitot probes part number 50620-10 with new Thales pitot probes part number C16195AA in accordance with Service Bulletin A320-34-1127. This action is necessary to address the unsafe condition of airspeed fluctuations caused by ice crystals and/or water in the current Thales pitot probes when flying through extreme meteorological conditions. The directive requires compliance by 18 August 2003, becoming effective on 1 November 2001.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, include an Airworthiness Directive (AD) aimed at ensuring the safe operation of certain Airbus Industrie aeroplanes. This AD, identified as AD/A320/128, targets Model A319, A320, and A321 series aeroplanes that do not have Airbus Industrie Modification 25998 incorporated (section 1). The directive is pertinent to aircraft equipped with Thales (formerly Sextant) pitot probes P/N 50620-10, which must be replaced with new Thales pitot probes P/N C16195AA. Aircraft equipped with BFGoodrich pitot probes P/N 0851HL are exempt from this directive (section 2). The directive necessitates compliance by replacing the specified pitot probes in accordance with Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin A320-34-1127 and must be completed before 18 August 2003 (section 3). The AD imposes several obligations on the entities it governs. Primarily, it mandates the replacement of specific pitot probes in Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 series aeroplanes. This requirement is intended to address an identified unsafe condition where ice crystals or water in the pitot probes cause airspeed indication fluctuations during extreme weather conditions. Compliance with the AD involves following the instructions provided in Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin A320-34-1127 and ensuring the replacement is completed before the specified deadline. Non-compliance with this directive could lead to unsafe conditions that compromise the safety of the aircraft during flight. Failure to comply with the AD/A320/128 may result in civil and criminal consequences. Under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, non-compliance with an Airworthiness Directive can be considered an offence. Such offences could lead to penalties, with the specifics of these penalties depending on the nature and severity of the non-compliance. The regulations may impose fines or other civil penalties, and in severe cases, criminal charges could be brought against individuals or entities responsible for ensuring compliance. The exact penalties are not specified in the AD itself but are determined by the regulatory framework under which the Civil Aviation Regulations operate.