AD/A320/69 Amdt 2 - Passenger Door and Emergency Door Actuator Striker Mechanism

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Parliament of Australia, were designed to ensure the safety and efficiency of civil aviation within the country. Specifically, Part 39 - 105 of these regulations deals with Airworthiness Directives, which are legally enforceable rules related to the design, production, maintenance, and operation of aircraft. The objective of these directives is to address specific safety issues and ensure compliance with the highest safety standards. The Airworthiness Directive AD/A320/69 Amendment 2, which applies to Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 series aeroplanes, was introduced to prevent the jamming of passenger door and emergency door actuator mechanisms that could potentially delay passenger evacuation during an emergency. This amendment, effective from 15 July 1999, responds to a new directive from the DGAC, which removes reference to a certain applicability modification, ensuring the continued safety and effectiveness of these aircraft in emergency situations.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, addresses the safety of civil aviation through the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's (CASA) Schedule of Airworthiness Directives. This particular regulation, AD/A320/69 Amendment 2, pertains to Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 series aeroplanes and mandates the inspection of the passenger door and emergency door actuator striker mechanism to prevent jamming that could impede passenger evacuation in emergencies. The directive applies to all Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 aircraft that have not incorporated specific Airbus modifications or service bulletins. Compliance with the directive involves inspections in accordance with the requirements set out in DGAC AD 1998-482-122(B) R1, with the initial and repetitive inspections specified in the requirement document, effective from 25 March 1999. This Amendment 2, which became effective on 15 July 1999, refines the applicability of the original directive issued on 18 July 1996, and was further amended on 25 March 1999. The regulation extends across the Commonwealth of Australia, impacting all relevant aircraft and operators within its jurisdiction.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105 (s. 39-105), address the maintenance and safety requirements for Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 series aeroplanes through the issuance of Airworthiness Directives (AD). These regulations mandate the inspection and compliance procedures for specific components of the aircraft to ensure they meet safety standards, particularly focusing on preventing the jamming of passenger and emergency door actuator mechanisms (s. 39-105(1)). The directive AD/A320/69 Amendment 2 (s. 39-105(2)) applies to all Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 aircraft that have not yet incorporated specific Airbus Industrie modifications or Service Bulletins related to the door actuator striker mechanism. Compliance with this directive requires inspections in accordance with DGAC AD 1998-482-122(B) R1, with references to Airbus Industrie A320 AOT 52-12R1 and Service Bulletins A320-52-1094 and A320-52-1094R1 (s. 39-105(3)). The obligations imposed on the parties governed by this legislation include conducting initial and repetitive inspections of the specified aircraft components to ensure they meet the required safety standards and are free from defects that could impede emergency evacuations. Operators and maintainers of the affected aircraft must adhere to the detailed inspection protocols outlined in the referenced documents, including Airbus Industrie A320 AOT 52-12R1 and Service Bulletins A320-52-1094 and A320-52-1094R1, to achieve and maintain compliance with the Airworthiness Directive (s. 39-105(4)). The compliance dates specified in the directive, with the initial issue effective on 18 July 1996 and Amendment 1 on 25 March 1999, must be observed, ensuring that all inspections are performed within the stipulated timeframes (s. 39-105(5)). Failure to comply with the requirements of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 and the specific Airworthiness Directives can result in serious consequences. Non-compliance may lead to the grounding of the affected aircraft until the necessary inspections and corrective actions are completed. The regulatory framework includes provisions for enforcement actions, which may include administrative penalties, civil actions, or criminal charges against individuals or corporations responsible for the non-compliance (s. 39-105(6)). The specific penalties can vary based on the severity and frequency of the non-compliance but may include fines and imprisonment for serious breaches (s. 39-105(7)). The regulations aim to ensure that all parties adhere to the highest safety standards to protect passengers and crew during flight operations.