COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Boeing 767 Series Aeroplanes
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 CAR 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.
AD/B767/125 Oxygen Masks 10/2000
Applicability: Model 767 series aeroplanes with line numbers 1 through 682 inclusive.
Requirement: 1. Unless previously accomplished, perform a general visual inspection to determine the vendor of all oxygen masks in the passenger cabin in accordance with Boeing Service Bulletin (SB) 767-35-0033, including Appendix A, dated 10 September 1998. If the oxygen mask is not manufactured by Puritan-Bennett, no further action is required by this Directive for that mask.
Note 1: For the purposes of this Directive, a general visual inspection is defined as: "A visual examination of an interior or exterior area, installation, or assembly to detect obvious damage, failure, or irregularity. This level of inspection is made under normally available lighting conditions such as daylight, hangar lighting, flashlight, or drop-light, and may require removal or opening of access panels or doors. Stands, ladders, or platforms may be required to gain proximity to the area being checked."
2. If the oxygen mask is manufactured by Puritan-Bennett, or if the manufacturer of the mask cannot be identified, perform a general visual inspection to determine the manufacturing date of the oxygen mask, in accordance with the applicable service bulletin. For each oxygen mask manufactured by Puritan-Bennett, or an unidentified manufacturer, if the mask was manufactured between May 1986 and July 1998 inclusive or if the manufacturing date cannot be determined accomplish either of the following:
- Replace the lanyards on the masks with new lanyards in accordance with SB 767-35-0033, including Appendix A.
b. Replace the existing oxygen mask with a new mask that was manufactured by Puritan-Bennett before May 1986 or after July 1998, or by another vendor, and that has the same Boeing part number, or that is approved by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for installation as an alternative to the Puritan-Bennett mask.
3. No person shall install an oxygen mask manufactured by Puritan-Bennett between May 1986 and July 1998 inclusive, on any aeroplane, unless the lanyard has been replaced with a new lanyard in accordance with Requirement 2. B of this Directive.
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Note 2: FAA AD 2000-15-16 Amdt 39-11848 refers.
Compliance: Requirement 1 - Before 12 September 2005.
Requirement 2 - Before further flight.
Requirement 3 - As of the effective date of this Directive.
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 5 October 2000.
Background: The FAA received a report that passengers were unable to activate supplemental oxygen generators during an in-flight decompression due to stress corrosion cracking of the crimped copper alloy ferrules used to secure loops on the lanyard ends. This Directive is intended to prevent failure of the supplemental oxygen system to deliver oxygen to the passengers and flight attendants in the event of decompression, which could result in injury to passengers and flight attendants.
Eugene Paul Holzapfel
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 25 August 2000
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 6 September 2000.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, administered by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), provide the regulatory framework for civil aviation safety in Australia. Part 39 - 105 of these Regulations outlines the Airworthiness Directives, which are legally enforceable requirements aimed at ensuring that aircraft meet the necessary safety standards. One such Airworthiness Directive, AD/B767/125, was introduced in 2000 to address a specific safety issue identified with Boeing 767 series aeroplanes. The problem this directive was introduced to address involved the supplemental oxygen system for passenger safety during in-flight decompression events. Specifically, it was discovered that the lanyards securing the oxygen masks could suffer from stress corrosion cracking, which could prevent passengers from activating their oxygen masks in an emergency. The policy objective of this directive was to prevent such failures, thereby ensuring the safety of passengers and crew in the event of decompression.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39, Section 105, under the authority of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), mandates the issuance of Airworthiness Directives (ADs) to ensure the safety of aircraft operations within Australia. This particular AD, AD/B767/125, applies to Boeing 767 series aeroplanes with line numbers 1 through 682 inclusive. It outlines mandatory inspections and actions relating to the aircraft’s oxygen masks to mitigate the risk of failure during an in-flight decompression event, which could lead to injury or fatalities. The AD requires a general visual inspection of all passenger cabin oxygen masks to determine their manufacturer, with specific actions required if the masks were manufactured by Puritan-Bennett between May 1986 and July 1998, or if the manufacturing date is unknown. The directive also mandates replacing lanyards or the entire oxygen mask if certain conditions are met and prohibits the installation of certain Puritan-Bennett masks unless specific modifications have been carried out. Compliance with this AD must occur before further flight, and certain inspections must be completed by a specified date, with the directive becoming effective from 5 October 2000.
Key Provisions
This Airworthiness Directive (AD) pertains to Boeing 767 series aeroplanes with line numbers 1 through 682 inclusive, and it was issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to address a safety concern involving oxygen masks. The AD outlines specific actions that must be taken to ensure the safety of passengers and crew in the event of an in-flight decompression. The directive mandates a visual inspection of all oxygen masks in the passenger cabin to determine the manufacturer and manufacturing date, and further action is required if the masks were manufactured by Puritan-Bennett between May 1986 and July 1998, or if the manufacturing date cannot be identified (Section 1). In these cases, either the lanyards must be replaced with new ones, or the masks must be replaced with new masks manufactured by Puritan-Bennett outside the specified time frame, or by another vendor, provided they meet the specified criteria (Section 2). Additionally, the AD prohibits the installation of Puritan-Bennett oxygen masks manufactured between May 1986 and July 1998 unless the lanyard has been replaced (Section 3). The compliance timeline for these requirements is specified as before 12 September 2005 for Requirement 1, before further flight for Requirement 2, and as of the effective date of this directive for Requirement 3.
Under this AD, the obligations for the operators of Boeing 767 series aeroplanes include conducting a general visual inspection of all passenger cabin oxygen masks to identify the manufacturer and manufacturing date. If the masks were manufactured by Puritan-Bennett between the specified dates or if the manufacturing date is unknown, operators must replace the lanyards or the masks themselves as per the directive’s requirements. Operators must ensure that any Puritan-Bennett masks manufactured between May 1986 and July 1998 are not installed unless the lanyard has been replaced. These obligations are critical to maintaining the airworthiness of the aircraft and ensuring passenger safety during in-flight decompression scenarios.
Failure to comply with this Airworthiness Directive can result in serious consequences. The AD does not explicitly state penalties, but non-compliance could lead to aircraft being grounded, as the safety measures are mandatory. Additionally, the inability to comply with the directive may result in the aircraft being deemed unairworthy, which could lead to enforcement actions by CASA, including fines and potential criminal charges for individuals responsible for the non-compliance. The severity of penalties would depend on the specific circumstances of the non-compliance and any resultant harm or safety risks.