AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE
For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below revokes Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/AT 800/2 Amdt 3 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.1 (1) of CAR 1998. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.
Airtractor 800 Series Aeroplanes
AD/AT 800/2
Amdt 4
Airframe Life Limits 8/2001 DM
Applicability: All models AT-802 and AT-802A aeroplanes.
Requirement: Retire from service the airframe components listed in the Retirement Schedule below.
RETIREMENT SCHEDULE |
Component | Part No. | Aircraft S/N | Retirement Life (Flight Hours) |
Wing Attach Block on Lower Cap | 20602-1 | All | 6500 (See Note 1) |
Wing Attach Block on Lower Cap | 20602-2 | All | 6500 (See Note 1) |
Plate Assembly – Fin Front Spar Attach | 30511-1 | 0001 thru 0041 | 4000 (See Note 2) |
0042 and up | 20000 |
Spar Assembly – Fin Rear | 30505-1 | 0001 thru 0041 | 4000 (See Note 2) |
0042 and up | 20000 |
Spring - Main Landing Gear Leg (including the forward and aft main gear clamp block bolts and the inboard main gear large bolt). | 40091-2 | All | 1000 hours or 2500 landings, whichever occurs first. |
Spring - Main Landing Gear Leg (including the forward and aft main gear clamp block bolts and the inboard main gear large bolt). | 40091-3 | All | 3000 hours or 8000 landings, whichever occurs first. |
Spring – Tail Landing Gear | 40092-5 | All | 2500 hours or 7000 landings, whichever occurs first. |
Spring – Tail Landing Gear | 40092-6 | All | 3000 hours or 8000 landings, whichever occurs first. |
Where the total number of landings during a period of service has not been recorded, three landings per one hour time in service must be assumed.
Compliance: Retire prior to exceeding the applicable time in service listed in the Retirement Schedule.
Note 1: Splice block lives may be extended to 10000 hours on incorporation of Snow SL # 185 revised issue dated 9/3/99.
Airtractor 800 Series Aeroplanes
AD/AT 800/2 Amdt 4 (Continued)
Note 2: Fin spar and attach plate lives may be extended to 20000 hours on incorporation of Snow SL # 187.
Note 3: The Type Certificate Data Sheet states that the lives are listed in the Maintenance Manual; however they are in fact listed in the Owners Manual.
This Amendment becomes effective on 27 June 2001.
Background: Airframe component life limitations determined by the manufacturer have been published in the Airworthiness Limitations section of the Owners Manual.
Amendment 1 included new and revised lives for some landing gear components. Amendment 2 implemented extended lives for wing and fin spar components and expressed tail gear spring lives in landings as well as hours, as for the MLG spring leg lives. This Amendment follows further information received from the manufacturer, and clarifies aircraft serial number applicability for the fin component lives. A part number error has also been corrected.
Amendment 4 is issued to delete the wing spar cap retirement lives from the retirement schedule; as the retirement lives are now contained in AD/AT 800/3.
Amendment 3 of this Airworthiness Directive became effective on 10 August 2000. Amendment 2 of this Airworthiness Directive became effective on 13 July 2000.
The original issue of this Directive became applicable on 15 August 1996.
David Alan Villiers
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 21 June 2001
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 27 June 2001.
Overview
The Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/AT 800/2 Amdt 4, issued under the Civil Aviation Act 1988, aims to ensure the safe operation of Airtractor 800 series aeroplanes by setting specific requirements for the retirement of certain airframe components. This AD was enacted by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and became effective on 27 June 2001. The policy objective is to address the potential for unsafe conditions that may arise from the degradation of airframe components over time, thus enhancing the overall safety of air travel. This amendment revokes the previous AD/AT 800/2 Amdt 3 and updates the retirement schedules for various components, including the wing attach blocks, fin front spar attach plate assembly, fin rear spar assembly, and landing gear springs, among others. The AD mandates that these components be retired from service prior to exceeding the applicable service hours or landings specified in the Retirement Schedule, ensuring that the aircraft continue to meet the required safety standards.
Scope and Application
The Airworthiness Directive (AD) applies to all models AT-802 and AT-802A aeroplanes manufactured by Airtractor. This AD sets out specific requirements for the retirement of certain airframe components to ensure the safety of the aircraft. The directive mandates that certain components, such as the wing attach blocks, fin front spar attach plate assembly, fin rear spar assembly, and landing gear springs, must be retired from service after reaching their specified flight hours or landing cycles. The AD also provides for extensions to the life limits under certain conditions. The compliance requirements detail that the components must be retired prior to exceeding the specified service time limits. The AD is issued under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 and is applicable within the Commonwealth of Australia. The directive revokes a previous amendment and incorporates further clarifications and corrections, including the removal of certain wing spar cap retirement lives, which are now addressed in another AD. The directive extends its reach to all operators of the specified Airtractor models, ensuring adherence to the prescribed safety standards.
Key Provisions
The main sections of the Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/AT 800/2 Amdt 4 detail the applicability, requirement, and compliance for the Airtractor 800 Series Aeroplanes. The AD applies to all AT-802 and AT-802A aeroplanes (Applicability). The primary requirement is the retirement of specific airframe components, as listed in the Retirement Schedule (Requirement). The Retirement Schedule provides the part numbers, aircraft serial numbers, and retirement life in terms of flight hours or landings for various components, such as the wing attach blocks, fin spars, and landing gear springs. The directive mandates compliance by retiring the components before they exceed their applicable service life limits (Compliance).
This AD imposes several obligations on the parties governed by it. Owners and operators of Airtractor 800 Series Aeroplanes must ensure that the specified airframe components are retired before reaching their respective life limits. They are required to refer to the Retirement Schedule for details on the specific components and the corresponding service life limits. Additionally, the AD mandates adherence to the instructions and schedules outlined in the directive, ensuring the safety and airworthiness of the aircraft.
Failure to comply with the AD's requirements may result in severe consequences. The AD does not explicitly state penalties, but non-compliance could lead to the aircraft being deemed unairworthy, which could result in grounding and potential enforcement actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Operators may also face legal repercussions, including fines and potential prosecution, for operating an aircraft that does not meet the specified airworthiness standards. The exact penalties would be determined by the relevant aviation authorities and could vary based on the severity and circumstances of the non-compliance.