AD/B747/29 - Fairing Mounted Escape Slide Firing Mechanism - Rigging Revision

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Australian Parliament, are comprehensive regulations designed to ensure the safety and efficiency of civil aviation within Australia. One specific legislative instrument under this act, F2006B03184, pertains to Airworthiness Directives for Boeing 747 Series aeroplanes. This directive, specifically AD/B747/29, was introduced to address the problem of escape slide malfunctions, particularly the failure of escape slides to inflate due to restricted movement of the fairing door, which in turn impedes the firing mechanism. This was identified as a critical safety issue, necessitating a timely response to ensure passenger safety during emergency evacuations. Compliance with these directives is mandatory, with specific requirements for the rigging revision to be completed within 1200 hours of time in service after 31 December 1981, referencing the applicable Boeing Service Bulletins for serial numbers. The policy objective is to maintain the highest standards of airworthiness and to mitigate safety risks associated with aircraft operations.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, govern the airworthiness directives for civil aviation in Australia, with AD/B747/29 being a directive that applies to all Boeing 747 series aeroplanes. This directive is targeted at aeroplanes with specific serial numbers referenced in Boeing Service Bulletin 747-25A2581 or any subsequent revisions of that bulletin. The directive mandates compliance within 1200 hours of time in service following 31 December 1981, addressing the issue of potential failures in escape slide inflation caused by reduced fairing door travel restricting the inflation firing mechanism. This requirement applies nationally across the Commonwealth of Australia and is overseen by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), ensuring that the specified aircraft meet the airworthiness standards set forth in the regulations.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, particularly in PART 39 - 105, specify an Airworthiness Directive (AD) concerning Boeing 747 series aeroplanes, specifically AD/B747/29 (Section 39.105.001). This directive mandates the revision of the rigging for the fairing mounted escape slide firing mechanism to address potential failures that could prevent the escape slide from inflating. This issue arises from reduced fairing door travel, which restricts the operation of the inflation firing mechanism (Section 39.105.002). The directive applies to all model B747 aeroplanes with serial numbers referenced in Boeing Service Bulletin (SB) 747-25A2581 or subsequent issues of that SB (Section 39.105.003). Compliance with this directive is required within 1200 hours of time in service after 31 December 1981 (Section 39.105.004). Operators of Boeing 747 aeroplanes must ensure that the escape slide firing mechanism rigging is revised in accordance with the specified Boeing Service Bulletin (Section 39.105.005). This requirement is critical to maintaining the safety of passengers and crew by ensuring that the escape slides can deploy properly in emergency situations. Operators must verify the serial numbers of their aircraft against those listed in Boeing SB 747-25A2581 or any subsequent revisions to determine applicability (Section 39.105.006). Additionally, operators must maintain records of compliance and the completion of the required rigging revisions to demonstrate adherence to the AD (Section 39.105.007). Failure to comply with the requirements of this Airworthiness Directive can lead to serious safety risks and potential legal consequences. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) may impose penalties on operators who do not adhere to the specified compliance timeline (Section 39.105.008). Specifically, the maximum penalties can include fines and potential grounding of the non-compliant aircraft (Section 39.105.009). In severe cases, non-compliance may result in prosecution, leading to criminal charges for individuals responsible for ensuring compliance (Section 39.105.010). Furthermore, ongoing non-compliance could result in suspension or revocation of the aircraft's certificate of airworthiness, impacting the operator's ability to legally operate the aircraft (Section 39.105.011).