Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically under Part 39 - 106, contains a legislative instrument known as Airworthiness Directives (ADs) issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). One such AD is AD/ALF/20, effective from 29 January 2003, which pertains to the inspection of flow divider fuel tubes in Allied Signal (Lycoming) Turbine Engines of the ALF502 series. This directive was introduced to address the problem of inadequate clamping leading to fatigue failure of primary fuel supply tubes, which had caused an engine fire. The policy objective behind this directive is to ensure that all inspections and subsequent corrective actions are carried out in compliance with the instructions detailed in FAA AD 2003-02-01, Amdt 39-13017, within 100 flight hours after the effective date of the directive. This legislative instrument aims to enhance the safety standards of civil aviation by mandating specific actions to rectify identified unsafe conditions in aircraft engines.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 106, pertain to airworthiness directives issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) under the authority granted by the Civil Aviation Act 1988. This particular Airworthiness Directive (AD) applies to the Allied Signal (Lycoming) Turbine Engines of the ALF502 and LF507 series, necessitating inspections on the flow divider fuel tube to prevent potential engine fire due to fatigue failure caused by inadequate clamping. This directive mandates that the inspection be carried out in accordance with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) AD 2003-02-01, Amendment 39-13017, within 100 flight hours from the effective date of the directive, which is 29 January 2003. The directive is applicable to all Honeywell ALF502 Series engines as identified in the requirement document. The directive was issued by a CASA delegate, James Coyne, and is binding under the regulations of the Commonwealth of Australia. This AD is intended to ensure the continued safe operation of the specified engines and is a necessary measure in response to identified safety concerns.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (CAR 1998) contain various provisions to ensure the safety of aviation activities in Australia. One such provision is the Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) under subregulation 39.1(1) (section 39.1(1) of CAR 1998). This specific AD, AD/ALF/20, pertains to the inspection of flow divider fuel tubes in Allied Signal (Lycoming) Turbine Engines of the ALF502 and LF507 series (section 3). The directive was issued due to an incident where inadequate clamping led to a fatigue failure of the primary fuel supply tube in an ALF502 engine, resulting in an engine fire (section 1). The AD mandates that an inspection, as detailed in FAA AD 2003-02-01, Amendment 39-13017, must be carried out on the specified engines (section 4). The AD imposes specific obligations on the entities it governs. Owners or operators of the identified Honeywell ALF502 Series engines must ensure that the required inspection is conducted according to the detailed instructions provided in FAA AD 2003-02-01, Amendment 39-13017 (section 4). This inspection must be completed within 100 flight hours after the effective date of the directive, which is 29 January 2003 (section 5). Failure to comply with these requirements may result in safety risks, as the directive was issued to address an identified unsafe condition related to the fuel tubes in these engines. Failure to comply with the AD can lead to serious consequences. The AD does not explicitly state the penalties for non-compliance; however, under CAR 1998, non-compliance with airworthiness directives can result in enforcement actions by CASA. Such actions may include fines, grounding of the aircraft, or other regulatory measures. The exact penalties are not specified in this AD but can be severe, reflecting the critical nature of ensuring airworthiness in aviation. CASA has the authority to take necessary steps to enforce compliance and ensure that the safety measures outlined in the AD are adhered to.