Overview

The Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued under the Civil Aviation Act 1988 aims to ensure the continued airworthiness of specific aircraft within the Australian aviation industry. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) issued AD/AMD 50/23 on 9 October 2001 to address an issue identified in Mystère Falcon 900 aeroplanes, serial numbers 1 to 178 inclusive, except 169, equipped with an SPZ 8000 avionics system. This AD responds to concerns raised by the Direction Générale de L’Aviation Civile of France about potential data processing saturation in the Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) Symbol Generators, which could result in display malfunctions during certain phases of flight. The policy objective of this AD is to mitigate the identified unsafe condition by requiring modifications to the aircraft's EFIS Symbol Generators and updating the Aircraft Flight Manual to ensure continued safe operation of the affected aircraft.

Scope and Application

This Airworthiness Directive (AD) applies specifically to Mystère Falcon 900 aeroplanes, serial numbers 1 to 178 inclusive, excluding serial number 169, that are equipped with an SPZ 8000 avionics system. The AD was issued under the authority of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and is effective from 17 October 2001. It requires the identification of the part numbers and modification status of the Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) Symbol Generators, followed by a series of corrective actions if certain specified generators are identified without the required modifications. The corrective actions include inserting a Temporary Change in the Aircraft Flight Manual and modifying the Symbol Generators in accordance with a specified Service Bulletin. These actions must be completed within specified timeframes, with some requirements needing immediate attention and others within 18 months from the effective date of the AD. The directive aims to address an unsafe condition identified in the EFIS Symbol Generators, which can lead to display malfunctions during certain phases of flight.

Key Provisions

The Airworthiness Directive AD/AMD 50/23, issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) under subregulation 39.1(1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, applies specifically to Mystère Falcon 900 aeroplanes with serial numbers ranging from 1 to 178, excluding serial number 169, and must be equipped with an SPZ 8000 avionics system (Applicability). This AD mandates that the action set out in the requirement section must be taken in the specified circumstances and according to the instructions set out, by the dates mentioned in the compliance section. The main requirement of the directive is to identify the part numbers and modification status of the Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) Symbol Generators (Requirement 1). If certain Symbol Generators without specific modifications are identified, the directive requires the insertion of Temporary Change No 86 into the Aircraft Flight Manual and the modification of the Symbol Generators in accordance with Dassault Aviation Service Bulletin F900-281 dated 21 March 2001 (Requirement 2). The AD imposes specific obligations on the operators and maintainers of the Mystère Falcon 900 aeroplanes covered by this directive. Firstly, they must identify the part numbers and modification status of the EFIS Symbol Generators before 14 November 2001 (Compliance for Requirement 1). Once the specific Symbol Generators without required modifications are identified, the operators must immediately insert Temporary Change No 86 into the Aircraft Flight Manual (Compliance for Requirement 2.a). Additionally, within 18 months after the effective date of this directive, the operators must modify the Symbol Generators in accordance with the Dassault Aviation Service Bulletin F900-281 (Compliance for Requirement 2.b). Failure to comply with the requirements of this AD may lead to safety issues, including potential processor saturation and subsequent display malfunctions, as identified by the Direction Générale de L’Aviation Civile of France. The AD does not explicitly state any specific offences, penalties, or consequences for non-compliance within the text. However, non-compliance with CASA directives can generally lead to enforcement actions by the CASA, including potential fines, grounding of the aircraft, and other regulatory measures to ensure compliance with aviation safety standards. The severity of the penalties may depend on the nature and extent of the non-compliance, as well as any resulting safety implications.