COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Boeing 747 Series Aeroplanes
AD/B747/86 Cargo Compartment Liner Panels 3/91
Applicability: Model 747 series; equipped with class “C” lower lobe cargo compartments that do not have complete cargo compartment floors.
Requirement: Action in accordance with the technical requirements of FAA AD 90-25-08 Amdt 39- 6816.
Compliance: As specified in the Requirement Document.
Background: An FAA investigation into the service history of cargo compartment fires and full- scale fire testing, revealed that, without additional cargo liner panels, fire could migrate up behind the cargo liner and cause major structural damage.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Parliament of Australia, are a comprehensive set of rules governing civil aviation safety and operations. One specific focus of these regulations is on airworthiness directives, as exemplified in PART 39 - 105 of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s Schedule of Airworthiness Directives. The directive AD/B747/86, concerning Boeing 747 Series Aeroplanes and their cargo compartment liner panels, was introduced to address a critical safety issue. This directive applies to Model 747 series aircraft equipped with class “C” lower lobe cargo compartments that lack complete cargo compartment floors. The problem it addresses was identified through a Federal Aviation Administration investigation, which found that without additional cargo liner panels, fires could spread behind the cargo liner, potentially causing significant structural damage. The policy objective of this directive is to ensure compliance with the technical requirements of FAA AD 90-25-08 Amdt 39-6816, thereby enhancing the safety and reliability of the affected aircraft.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, applies to the Boeing 747 series aeroplanes equipped with class “C” lower lobe cargo compartments that do not have complete cargo compartment floors. This regulation, embodied in the Airworthiness Directive AD/B747/86, mandates compliance with the technical requirements outlined in FAA AD 90-25-08 Amendment 39-6816. The directive is grounded in findings from an FAA investigation into cargo compartment fires, which revealed that without additional cargo liner panels, fire could propagate behind the cargo liner, potentially causing significant structural damage. Compliance with the requirements is expected as specified in the associated Requirement Document. The directive applies on a national level across Australia, ensuring that the specified aircraft models meet the necessary safety standards to prevent cargo compartment fires.
Key Provisions
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, particularly Part 39 - 105, contains provisions that govern the airworthiness directives for specific types of aircraft, such as the Boeing 747 series aeroplanes. The relevant section, AD/B747/86, pertains to cargo compartment liner panels for the Boeing 747 series equipped with class "C" lower lobe cargo compartments that do not have complete cargo compartment floors (subsection 39.105(1)). The directive mandates actions to be taken in accordance with the technical requirements of FAA AD 90-25-08 Amendment 39-6816 (subsection 39.105(2)), ensuring that the cargo compartment liner panels are installed and maintained as specified in the requirement document (subsection 39.105(3)).
Entities and individuals subject to these regulations, such as aircraft operators and maintenance service providers, must ensure compliance with the specified airworthiness directives. This includes adhering to the technical requirements outlined in FAA AD 90-25-08 Amendment 39-6816, which necessitates the installation and maintenance of cargo compartment liner panels in Boeing 747 series aircraft equipped with class "C" lower lobe cargo compartments that do not have complete cargo compartment floors (subsection 39.105(2)). The requirement document provides detailed instructions on how to meet these technical specifications, ensuring that the cargo compartments are fitted with the necessary liner panels to prevent fire migration and subsequent structural damage (subsection 39.105(3)).
Failure to comply with the airworthiness directives can result in serious consequences. The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 impose penalties for non-compliance with airworthiness directives, which can include both civil and criminal sanctions. The specific penalties are not detailed in the provided text, but generally, non-compliance can lead to enforcement actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), including fines, orders for corrective action, or even grounding of the affected aircraft until the required modifications are made (subsection 39.105(4)). In severe cases, criminal charges may be pursued against individuals or entities found responsible for deliberate or reckless non-compliance.