COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Eurocopter AS 355 (Twin Ecureuil) Series Helicopters
AD/AS 355/1
Amdt 8
Retirement Life - Fatigue Critical Components 13/88
Applicability: All models.
Requirement: All Service Life Limited components shall be retired from service at or before the times shown in the AS 355E/F/F1/F2 Master Servicing Recommendations , Section 5.99, First Issue, Revision 15 for AS 355E; First Issue, Revision 15 for AS 355F/F1; and First Issue, Revision 5 for AS 355F2; with the following exceptions and additions:
Retire items listed in Aerospatiale SB 01-16 before achieving the component time in service listed therein, or within 1000 hours aircraft time in service after 1 January 1988, whichever occurs first.
Note: The Issues and Revisions quoted above refer to the Airworthiness Limitations section 5.99 only, rather than the M.S.R. as a whole. Since there are three versions of section 5.99, care must be taken to ensure use of the version appropriate to the particular model.
Compliance: Effective forthwith.
Background: This Amendment has been raised to incorporate the manufacturer’s latest retirement lives, and to correct an error in the Issue number for the F2 manual.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Parliament of Australia, serve to regulate the safety and efficiency of civil aviation within the country. Within this regulatory framework, Part 39 - 105 addresses the specific airworthiness directives for various aircraft, including the Eurocopter AS 355 (Twin Ecureuil) Series Helicopters. The legislative instrument F2006B02468, specifically Amendment 8, targets the retirement life and fatigue critical components of these helicopters, aiming to ensure their continued safe operation by adhering to updated service life limitations. The problem it addresses is the need to mandate the timely retirement of service life limited components to prevent potential safety issues related to fatigue. The policy objective is to maintain the highest standards of airworthiness and safety for civil aviation, ensuring that all aircraft operate within the parameters set by the manufacturer's servicing recommendations.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority's Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, specifically Part 39 - 105 of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, mandates the application of AD/AS 355/1 Amendment 8 concerning the retirement of fatigue critical components for Eurocopter AS 355 (Twin Ecureuil) Series Helicopters. This directive applies universally to all models within the specified helicopter series and requires that all Service Life Limited components be retired from service at or before the specified times delineated in the AS 355E/F/F1/F2 Master Servicing Recommendations, Section 5.99. The directive includes specific exceptions and additional stipulations, such as the retirement of items listed in Aerospatiale SB 01-16 before reaching the prescribed component time in service or within 1000 hours of aircraft time in service following 1 January 1988, whichever comes first. Compliance with these requirements is mandatory and effective immediately. It is crucial for operators and maintenance personnel to ensure that the correct version of the Master Servicing Recommendations is used for the respective model, as there are multiple versions of section 5.99 that must be correctly identified and applied.
Key Provisions
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, mandate that all models of the Eurocopter AS 355 (Twin Ecureuil) Series Helicopters must adhere to specific Airworthiness Directives (AD/AS 355/1 Amendment 8) concerning the retirement of fatigue critical components (section 13/88). These provisions require that all Service Life Limited components be retired from service at or before the times outlined in the AS 355E/F/F1/F2 Master Servicing Recommendations, Section 5.99. The directive refers to specific issue numbers and revisions of the master servicing recommendations to ensure compliance with the correct documentation for each model. An exception is noted for items listed in Aerospatiale Service Bulletin 01-16, which must be retired before achieving the specified component time in service, or within 1000 hours of aircraft time in service after 1 January 1988, whichever comes first.
The obligations imposed by these regulations are clear and specific. Operators and maintainers of Eurocopter AS 355 helicopters must diligently track and verify the service hours of all critical components as outlined in the referenced servicing recommendations. This entails ensuring that components are retired precisely at the stipulated times or earlier if specified by the service bulletins. Operators must maintain accurate records of service hours and retirement actions to demonstrate compliance with these directives. Additionally, it is critical to use the correct version of the servicing recommendations relevant to the specific model in question, as the directive highlights the importance of this accuracy to avoid non-compliance.
Failure to adhere to these regulations can result in serious consequences. Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) enforces these directives rigorously, and non-compliance can lead to penalties. Such penalties may include fines, operational restrictions, or even the grounding of the aircraft until compliance is achieved. The severity of the penalty can depend on the extent of the non-compliance and the risk posed to aviation safety. In some cases, persistent or severe non-compliance might lead to more severe consequences, such as the suspension or revocation of an operator's certificate, thereby impacting the ability to conduct commercial operations.