AD/A320/40 - Centre Fuselage - Belly Reinforcement

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, encompass the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, which is a legislative instrument designed to ensure the safety and airworthiness of aircraft operating in Australian airspace. One such directive, AD/A320/40, pertains to Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 series aeroplanes, addressing the reinforcement of the centre fuselage belly to prevent structural failure. Enacted by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, this directive aims to mitigate the risk of damage identified in the keel beam and belly-fairing support frames through the replacement of angle brackets and shear plates, as specified in Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin A320-53-1014. The policy objective is to enhance the structural integrity of these components, ensuring compliance before the aircraft reaches 12,000 flights, thereby safeguarding against potential in-flight failures. This Airworthiness Directive was introduced to address a critical safety issue identified through fatigue testing, which revealed potential damage in the affected area as early as 6,000 simulated flights. The enactment by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority under the Civil Aviation Act 1988 underscores the regulatory body's commitment to maintaining the highest safety standards in civil aviation. The directive mandates that all A320 aircraft with serial numbers ranging from 3 to 92 inclusive must comply with the specified modifications to ensure continued airworthiness and safety. The directive is effective from 18 August 1994, providing a clear timeline for compliance by the affected operators.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, as amended, include a specific regulation concerning the airworthiness of Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 series aeroplanes, outlined in PART 39 - 105 of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority schedule of airworthiness directives. This directive pertains specifically to aircraft within the aforementioned series and serial numbers 3 to 92 inclusive, requiring the replacement of angle brackets and shear plates between the keel beam and the right and left belly-fairing support frames. This directive is in line with the Accomplishment Instructions provided in Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin A320-53-1014. The requirement to comply with this directive must be met before the aircraft reaches 12,000 flights, as the manufacturer's fatigue tests have indicated potential damage in the specified area after approximately 6,000 simulated flights. The directive became effective from 18 August 1994, and its implementation is crucial to enhancing the structural integrity of the affected components, ensuring the safety and compliance of the aircraft in operation.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, mandates the issuance of airworthiness directives to ensure the safety of aircraft in operation. For the Airbus Industrie A319, A320 and A321 series aeroplanes, the Airworthiness Directive AD/A320/40 (paragraph 39-105-1) pertains to the reinforcement of the centre fuselage, particularly the belly area. This directive applies to all A320 aircraft with serial numbers ranging from 3 to 92 inclusive (paragraph 39-105-2). The key requirement of this directive is the replacement of angle brackets and shear plates between the keel beam and the right and left belly-fairing support frames. This must be performed in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions outlined in Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin A320-53-1014 (paragraph 39-105-3). The directive references DGAC AD 92-201-030(B) for additional guidance (paragraph 39-105-4). The compliance deadline for this modification is before the aircraft accumulates 12,000 flights (paragraph 39-105-5). The directive came into effect on 18 August 1994 (paragraph 39-105-6). The Civil Aviation Regulations impose several obligations on the parties governed by this directive. Operators of A320 aircraft within the specified serial number range must ensure that the mandated reinforcement of the centre fuselage is carried out before the aircraft reaches 12,000 flights. This involves closely monitoring flight hours and scheduling the necessary maintenance work in a timely manner. Additionally, operators must adhere to the instructions provided by Airbus Industrie and any referenced documents such as the DGAC AD 92-201-030(B). Ensuring compliance with these obligations is critical to maintaining the airworthiness of the aircraft and the safety of all passengers and crew on board. Failure to comply with the requirements of the airworthiness directive can result in serious legal and safety consequences. Under the Civil Aviation Act 1988, non-compliance with an airworthiness directive is an offence. The penalties for such offences can include substantial fines and, in severe cases, imprisonment. Specifically, for non-compliance with an airworthiness directive, a person can be liable to a fine of up to $210,000 for an individual offence and up to $1,050,000 for a corporate offence (section 98). Furthermore, continued operation of an aircraft that does not comply with these directives can result in the aircraft being declared unairworthy, leading to potential grounding of the aircraft and further legal repercussions. It is imperative that all parties governed by this directive strictly adhere to the requirements to avoid these severe consequences.