COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Safety 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 CASR 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 747 Series Aeroplanes
AD/B747/305 Wire Bundle W4489 6/2004
Applicability: Model 747-400 and -400D series aeroplanes, as listed in Boeing Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) 747-21A2427 dated 24 April 2003.
Requirement: Inspect wire bundle W4489 in the area of the chiller boost fan in accordance with ASB 747-21A2427 for damage and current routing configuration. Repair any wire damage and reroute the wire bundle as required to remove possible interference between the wire bundle and the aircraft structure or components.
Note: FAA AD 2004-07-20 Amdt 39-13564 refers.
Compliance: Within 12 months after the effective date of this Directive.
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 10 June 2004.
Background: The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received a report of a fire in the cargo bay left sidewall at station 900 on a Boeing Model 747-400 series aeroplane. The fire was caused by arcing between wire bundle W4489 and the receptacle housing of the chiller boost fan, which also caused fire damage to the surrounding insulation blankets and cargo liner.
In 1990, the manufacturer corrected this condition by rerouting wire bundle W4489 in the area of the chiller boost fan. However, the corrective action may not have been properly applied to certain Model 747-400 and -400D series aeroplanes delivered prior to and after 1990. The incorrect wire routing configuration could lead to possible interference between wire bundle W4489 and the receptacle housing of the chiller boost fan, drain tubes, and adjacent structure. This condition, if not corrected, could result in damage to the wire bundle and consequent arcing and fire.
James Coyne
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 27 April 2004
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 19 May 2004.
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Overview
The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR 1998) were enacted to ensure the safety of civil aviation in Australia by setting out various requirements and standards. This legislation is administered by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), which issues Airworthiness Directives (AD) to address specific safety concerns. One such AD, issued in June 2004, pertains to Boeing 747 series aeroplanes, specifically the Model 747-400 and -400D series. This AD was introduced to address a fire risk caused by arcing between the wire bundle W4489 and the chiller boost fan, which was previously corrected by the manufacturer in 1990 but may not have been properly applied to certain aircraft. The directive requires inspection, repair, and rerouting of the affected wire bundle to prevent potential interference and consequent arcing and fire. The AD was issued in response to a reported incident and aims to mitigate safety risks associated with the identified condition.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, encompasses Airworthiness Directives issued under the authority of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to ensure the ongoing airworthiness of aircraft and aeronautical products. These directives apply to specific types of aircraft, such as the Boeing 747 Series Aeroplanes, as indicated in the Airworthiness Directive (AD) for the Boeing 747-400 and -400D series aeroplanes regarding wire bundle W4489. The AD mandates that operators of these aircraft inspect, repair, and reroute the specified wire bundle to mitigate the risk of fire due to arcing. The compliance period is set within 12 months from the effective date of the directive, ensuring that the required actions are implemented in a timely manner to enhance aviation safety. This directive is issued under the authority of a CASA delegate and extends to all relevant aircraft within the specified model series, regardless of when they were delivered, aiming to address a known unsafe condition that could potentially lead to serious incidents if unaddressed.
Key Provisions
The Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued under subregulation 39.1 (1) of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR) mandates specific actions to address an identified safety issue with the Boeing 747-400 and -400D series aeroplanes (section 1). Specifically, it requires the inspection, repair, and rerouting of wire bundle W4489 in the area of the chiller boost fan to prevent potential interference with aircraft structure or components, which could lead to arcing and fire (section 2). This directive applies to the aeroplanes listed in Boeing Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) 747-21A2427 dated 24 April 2003 and is to be carried out within 12 months of the AD's effective date, which is 10 June 2004 (section 3).
Operators and owners of the affected Boeing 747-400 and -400D series aeroplanes are required to ensure that the specified inspections and repairs are completed as outlined in the directive. This includes a thorough examination of wire bundle W4489 for any damage and its current routing configuration, with necessary repairs and rerouting to be carried out to eliminate any potential interference with the aircraft structure or components (section 4). These obligations are intended to mitigate the risk of fire due to arcing between the wire bundle and the chiller boost fan receptacle housing.
Failure to comply with the requirements of this AD may result in serious safety implications, as the directive is designed to address a condition that has already led to fire incidents. While specific penalties for non-compliance are not stated in the text, non-compliance with ADs generally may result in enforcement actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). These actions could include fines, grounding of the affected aircraft, or other regulatory measures to ensure compliance with aviation safety standards (section 5).