COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE
For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below issues the following Airworthiness Directive (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.
Boeing 737 Series Aeroplanes
AD/B737/176 Inspection and Replacement of Engine and APU Fire Detection System Assemblies or Elements
4/2002
Applicability: Model 737-700 and -800 series aeroplanes, line numbers 1 to 81 inclusive, except line numbers 73 to 80.
Requirement: 1. Inspect the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) and engine fire detection assemblies and replace, as applicable, any fire detector assembly or element in accordance with the technical requirements of FAA AD 98-21-11 amendment 39-10819.
2. No person shall install, on any aeroplane, an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) or engine fire detector assembly or element having a serial number listed in paragraphs (b)(1), (b)(2), or (b)(3) of FAA AD 98-21-11.
Compliance: As of the effective date of this Airworthiness Directive.
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 18 April 2002.
Background: The FAA received a report from the manufacturers indicating that certain fire detector assemblies and elements were not checked for helium gas leaks during manufacture and therefore may have incorrect set points for the fire warning indicating system.
The requirements of this Directive are intended to prevent failure of the APU or the engine fire detector system to detect a fire in a timely manner.
Eugene Paul Holzapfel
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 10 March 2002
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 27 March 2002.
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Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (CAR 1998), established by the Australian Parliament, serve as the primary legal framework governing civil aviation safety in Australia. One of the critical components of this framework is Part 39, which outlines various safety directives to ensure the airworthiness of aircraft. One such directive, AD/B737/176, was introduced in April 2002 by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to address a safety issue related to the Boeing 737 Series Aeroplanes. Specifically, the Airworthiness Directive mandates the inspection and replacement of engine and Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) fire detection system assemblies or elements on certain 737-700 and -800 series aeroplanes to prevent potential failures in the fire detection system. This directive was prompted by a report indicating that certain fire detector assemblies and elements might have incorrect set points due to manufacturing oversights, thereby risking the timely detection of fires. The policy objective of this directive is to mitigate these risks and ensure the continued safety of the aircraft in operation.
Scope and Application
This Airworthiness Directive issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) applies specifically to the Boeing 737 Series Aeroplanes, namely the 737-700 and -800 models, with line numbers ranging from 1 to 81, excluding line numbers 73 to 80. The directive mandates that inspections and necessary replacements of the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) and engine fire detection system assemblies or elements must be carried out in accordance with the technical requirements specified in FAA AD 98-21-11 amendment 39-10819. The directive also prohibits the installation of any APU or engine fire detector assembly or element with specific serial numbers listed in the FAA AD 98-21-11, as these components may have been manufactured without proper checks for helium gas leaks, potentially leading to incorrect set points for the fire warning indicating system. Compliance with these requirements is necessary to prevent failures in the detection of fires in a timely manner, thereby enhancing the safety of the aircraft. This directive is effective as of its issuance on 18 April 2002 and was published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 27 March 2002.
Key Provisions
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (CAR 1998) under Part 39 - 105 establish the authority and process for issuing Airworthiness Directives (ADs) by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to ensure aircraft safety. Specifically, section 39.1 (1) of CAR 1998 empowers CASA to issue ADs when it is necessary to correct an unsafe condition. The AD/B737/176 is an example of such a directive, issued for Boeing 737 Series Aeroplanes, and it mandates actions to address a potential safety issue. The applicability of this AD (paragraph (a)) is limited to specific models and line numbers of the 737-700 and -800 series aeroplanes, excluding certain serial numbers. The requirement section (paragraph (b)) specifies that the APU and engine fire detection assemblies must be inspected and replaced according to the technical instructions provided by FAA AD 98-21-11 amendment 39-10819. Additionally, paragraph (c) prohibits the installation of certain APU or engine fire detector assemblies identified in FAA AD 98-21-11. Compliance with these directives (paragraph (d)) is mandatory from the effective date of the AD, which is 18 April 2002.
The AD imposes several obligations on the parties governed by it. Operators of the specified Boeing 737 models must conduct the required inspections and replacements of the fire detection assemblies as outlined in the directive. They must ensure that no APU or engine fire detector assemblies with specific serial numbers, as identified in FAA AD 98-21-11, are installed. This involves verifying the serial numbers of any assemblies in use and taking corrective action if necessary. The AD also necessitates that these actions be completed by the effective date to maintain compliance and ensure the safety of the aircraft.
Breach of the requirements set out in the AD/B737/176 can result in significant legal consequences. The AD is legally binding, and failure to comply with it can lead to enforcement actions by CASA. While the specific civil or criminal penalties are not detailed in the AD itself, CASA has the authority to take measures such as issuing compliance notices, imposing fines, or taking more severe enforcement actions under the Civil Aviation Act 1988. The exact penalties would depend on the nature and extent of the non-compliance, but they could include substantial fines or other regulatory actions to ensure adherence to the safety requirements.