AD/B737/41 - Forward Door Evacuation Slides

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, administered by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), were enacted to ensure the safe operation of aircraft in Australia. One particular legislative instrument under these regulations is the Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/B737/41, which applies to Boeing 737 Series Aeroplanes, specifically models 737-300 and 737-400 equipped with Air Cruisers Company forward door evacuation slides. This directive was introduced to address the problem of potential failures in the automatic inflation of these evacuation slides upon deployment, which could result in delays during emergency evacuations. The policy objective of AD/B737/41 is to mandate corrective actions in accordance with the Air Cruisers Company Service Bulletin 103-25-17, thereby ensuring that these critical safety devices function as intended and maintain the integrity of emergency procedures.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, applies to Boeing 737 Series aeroplanes, namely models 737-300 and 737-400, that are equipped with Air Cruisers Company forward door evacuation slides with specific part numbers and serial numbers. This legislation mandates actions in accordance with the Air Cruisers Company Service Bulletin 103-25-17, to ensure the airworthiness of these aircraft by addressing the potential failure of the evacuation slides to automatically inflate upon deployment. Failure to comply with this directive could compromise the safety of emergency evacuations. The regulation applies to aircraft within the Australian jurisdiction, ensuring that these safety measures are implemented to safeguard passengers and crew. The regulation references other related directives, including FAA AD 90-09-11 and Boeing SB 737-25-1260, and compliance is required before 9 August 1993.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, include a directive concerning the airworthiness of Boeing 737 Series aeroplanes, particularly models 737-300 and 737-400 equipped with certain forward door evacuation slides. The directive, AD/B737/41, mandates actions related to the forward door evacuation slides to ensure their proper functioning (section 1). It applies to slides produced by Air Cruisers Company with part numbers D31591-448 through -454 and serial numbers ranging from 0001 to 1602. Operators of these aircraft must adhere to the corrective actions specified in Air Cruisers Company Service Bulletin 103-25-17 to address potential issues where the slides may fail to inflate automatically upon deployment, which could compromise the safety of emergency evacuations (section 2). Operators and maintenance providers must comply with the directive by ensuring that the required actions are implemented on all applicable aircraft before 9 August 1993. This involves following the procedures and specifications outlined in the referenced service bulletins and any associated documentation, such as FAA AD 90-09-11 and Boeing SB 737-25-1260. The directive ensures that the slides are modified or replaced as necessary to prevent deployment failures and to maintain the safety standards set by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) (section 3). Failure to comply with this directive can lead to significant safety risks and potential regulatory consequences. Non-compliance with the airworthiness directive could result in severe consequences. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has the authority to enforce compliance and may take action against operators or maintenance providers who fail to adhere to the directive's requirements. Such actions can include grounding the affected aircraft until the necessary modifications are made, imposing fines, or taking other regulatory measures. The severity of the penalties may vary depending on the extent of the non-compliance and the risk posed to public safety. Operators and maintenance providers must therefore ensure they understand and implement the directive's requirements to avoid these potential penalties and maintain the safety and airworthiness of their aircraft (section 4).