AD/B767/12 Amdt 1 - Emergency Evacuation Slides

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (Cth), which are a set of regulations made under the Civil Aviation Act 1988 (Cth), contain provisions related to the airworthiness of aircraft, including the issuance of Airworthiness Directives (ADs) to address specific safety concerns. Part 39 - 105 of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 outlines the requirements for the issuance and compliance with ADs, ensuring that aircraft remain safe for operation. AD/B767/12 Amendment 1, specifically concerning Boeing 767 series aeroplanes, addresses the issue of emergency evacuation slide seam separation, which was identified as a potential safety risk in certain early production units. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) issued this amendment to correct an earlier applicability omission and to mandate specific inspections and actions to mitigate the risk of seam separation, thereby ensuring the continued safety and airworthiness of the affected aircraft. The policy objective of this legislation is to maintain high safety standards in the aviation industry by promptly addressing identified safety issues through the issuance of targeted directives and ensuring compliance by aircraft operators.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105 concerning the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Schedule of Airworthiness Directives for Boeing 767 Series Aeroplanes, applies to all models of these aircraft equipped with particular emergency evacuation slides as detailed in the BFG/PICO Service Bulletins 101623/30/51/55/56-25-130. This legislation imposes a requirement on operators of these aircraft to take corrective action as outlined in the aforementioned service bulletins. Compliance with this directive must be achieved unless the actions have already been carried out prior to 15 October 1986, after which the compliance must align with the requirement document or until the aircraft meets the conditions specified in Service Bulletin 101623/30/51/54/55/56-25-138. This directive also references FAA AD 86-06-06, indicating an alignment with international safety standards. The legislation is nationally applicable across Australia and is enforced by CASA to ensure the safety of air travel.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, under Part 39 - 105, specifically address the airworthiness of Boeing 767 series aeroplanes through the AD/B767/12 Amendment 1, focusing on emergency evacuation slides. This regulation applies to all Boeing 767 models equipped with emergency evacuation slides as detailed in Boeing Field Group (BFG)/Pacific Aircraft Overhaul Company (PICO) Service Bulletins 101623/30/51/55/56-25-130 (section 3). The primary requirement is that actions must be taken in accordance with these service bulletins (section 3). This directive references Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) AD 86-06-06 and mandates compliance with these service bulletins to ensure safety and airworthiness (section 3). The legislation imposes specific obligations on the parties involved, including the necessity for compliance with the outlined service bulletins. It mandates that any necessary actions must be completed unless they have already been carried out prior to 15 October 1986. Furthermore, these actions must be performed in line with the requirements set forth in the service bulletins, and compliance must be maintained until the conditions specified in Service Bulletin 101623/30/51/54/55/56-25-138 are met (section 3). This ensures that the emergency evacuation slides are maintained in a safe and operational condition, reducing the risk of failure during an emergency evacuation. In the event of non-compliance with the requirements outlined in the Civil Aviation Regulations, there are potential consequences. Although the specific penalties are not detailed in the provided text, non-compliance with aviation safety directives can typically result in severe penalties. These may include fines, operational restrictions, and potential grounding of the aircraft, which can have significant financial and operational impacts on the airline or operator. Additionally, failure to adhere to these directives could lead to serious safety implications, including passenger harm or fatality during an emergency evacuation. Ensuring strict adherence to these regulations is therefore crucial for maintaining safety standards in commercial aviation.