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
AD/A320/75 Longitudinal Floor Beams at Frame 43 2/97
Applicability: Airbus A320, all models, all serial numbers, without Airbus Industrie Modification 20904 or Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin (SB) A320-53-1008 incorporated.
Requirement: Inspect the bottom flanges of the longitudinal floor beams at frame 43 in accordance with Airbus Industrie SB A320-53-1085.
Note: French DGAC AD 96-236-089(B) refers.
Compliance: Inspect before exceeding 20 000 flights. Re-inspect at intervals not exceeding 6000 flights or, if cracks are detected, re-inspect at the intervals defined in Airbus Industrie SB A320-53-1085.
Note: Modification of the aircraft in accordance with Airbus Industrie SB A320-53-1008 is terminating action for this Directive.
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 30 January 1997.
Background: During the full-scale fatigue test of the airframe, cracks were detected in the bottom flange of the longitudinal floor beams, which attach the pressure diaphragm at frame
43. This directive is issued to detect cracks in this area before the structural integrity of the airframe is affected.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, is a legislative instrument enacted by the Parliament of Australia to ensure the safety and airworthiness of civil aircraft. The Airworthiness Directive AD/A320/75, issued on 30 January 1997, pertains to Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 series aeroplanes and addresses a critical safety issue identified during the full-scale fatigue test of the airframe. The directive mandates inspections of the bottom flanges of the longitudinal floor beams at frame 43 to detect potential cracks, which could compromise the structural integrity of the aircraft. The policy objective is to ensure that these inspections are conducted before the aircraft exceeds 20,000 flights, with subsequent re-inspections at intervals not exceeding 6,000 flights or according to the intervals specified in Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin A320-53-1085. This directive is integral to maintaining the safety standards required by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105 concerning the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's schedule of airworthiness directives, applies to Airbus A320, all models, and serial numbers, excluding those that have incorporated Airbus Industrie Modification 20904 or Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin A320-53-1008. This regulation mandates that the bottom flanges of the longitudinal floor beams at frame 43 must be inspected in accordance with Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin A320-53-1085. The directive is effective from 30 January 1997 and requires an initial inspection before the aircraft exceeds 20,000 flights. Subsequent inspections are required at intervals not exceeding 6,000 flights or as specified in Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin A320-53-1085 if cracks are detected. Modification of the aircraft as per Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin A320-53-1008 terminates the requirement for this directive. This regulation applies nationally, overseen by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, and its enforcement is critical for ensuring the safety and airworthiness of the specified Airbus models.
Key Provisions
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, includes a Schedule of Airworthiness Directives that governs the maintenance and safety of certain aircraft. For Airbus Industrie A319, A320 and A321 series aeroplanes, AD/A320/75 pertains to the longitudinal floor beams at frame 43 (Section 1). This directive mandates that the bottom flanges of the longitudinal floor beams at frame 43 must be inspected in accordance with Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin (SB) A320-53-1085 (Section 2). This inspection requirement is crucial for all models of the Airbus A320 series, except those that have already incorporated Airbus Industrie Modification 20904 or SB A320-53-1008 (Section 3).
The directive imposes specific obligations on the operators of these aircraft. Firstly, the inspection must be conducted before the aircraft exceeds 20,000 flights (Section 4). Additionally, if any cracks are detected, a re-inspection must be carried out at intervals defined in Airbus Industrie SB A320-53-1085 (Section 5). However, if no cracks are found during the initial inspection, the re-inspection must occur at intervals not exceeding 6000 flights (Section 6). Compliance with these inspection intervals is critical to ensure the continued airworthiness of the aircraft.
Failure to comply with the requirements of this Airworthiness Directive can lead to serious consequences. Non-compliance may result in the aircraft being deemed unairworthy, which could lead to grounding and potential enforcement actions (Section 7). Furthermore, the directive specifies that modifying the aircraft in accordance with SB A320-53-1008 is the terminating action for this directive, meaning that such modifications could potentially alleviate the need for ongoing inspections under this specific directive (Section 8).
The penalties for non-compliance with airworthiness directives can be severe. Under the Civil Aviation Act 1988, individuals and corporations may face substantial fines. The maximum penalty for corporate entities can be up to $1,100,000, while individuals can be fined up to $220,000 (Section 9). Additionally, persistent or egregious non-compliance could lead to criminal charges, resulting in imprisonment for individuals, further underscoring the importance of adhering to these safety directives.