AD/BAe 146/44 Amdt 1 - Evacuation Slide

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically under Part 39 - 105, include a legislative instrument (F2006B03495) issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. This instrument was enacted to address a safety concern regarding the evacuation slides on British Aerospace BAe 146 Series aeroplanes. The problem identified was the potential failure of certain inflation valves in the evacuation slides, which could prevent the slide from deploying automatically as required. To mitigate this risk, the legislation mandates an inspection and modification of the evacuation slides in accordance with British Aerospace Mandatory Service Bulletin 25-328 Rev. 3, ensuring the safety of passengers and crew during an emergency evacuation. The policy objective is to enhance aviation safety by ensuring the reliability and functionality of aircraft emergency equipment. The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 are administered by the Commonwealth of Australia through the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, which acts to ensure compliance with safety standards. This specific amendment was introduced to address a critical safety issue identified by the manufacturer, Air Cruisers, which highlighted a potential defect in the inflation valves of certain evacuation slides. The requirement to inspect and modify these slides is aimed at preventing failures that could have dire consequences during an emergency, thereby safeguarding the lives of those on board.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically PART 39 - 105, pertains to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, focusing on the British Aerospace BAe 146 Series Aeroplanes. This directive applies to all Series BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ aircraft that are equipped with Air Cruisers Evacuation Slide Part No. D31005-Series and specific Slide Serial Numbers detailed in the Requirement Document. The directive mandates that these aircraft must undergo inspection and modification of their evacuation slides as per British Aerospace Mandatory Service Bulletin 25-328 Rev. 3, with reference to Air Cruisers SB 201-25-17 Rev. 2. Compliance with this directive is required according to the specified schedule in the Requirement Document, with a compliance date set for 4 April 1996. The directive arises from an identified issue where certain evacuation slide inflation valves may fail to deploy the slide automatically on demand, necessitating a modification to these valves to ensure safety.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically under Part 39 - 105, addresses the airworthiness directives for various aircraft types, including the British Aerospace BAe 146 Series Aeroplanes. Section AD/BAe 146/44 Amendment 1 pertains to the evacuation slide of these aircraft. The directive applies to all BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ aircraft equipped with Air Cruisers Evacuation Slide Part No. D31005-Series, and specifically to those slide serial numbers listed in the Requirement Document (section 1). The directive mandates that the evacuation slides be inspected and modified in accordance with British Aerospace Mandatory Service Bulletin 25-328 Rev. 3 (section 2). A related reference is Air Cruisers Service Bulletin 201-25-17 Rev. 2 (section 2). Compliance with these modifications is to be achieved by the date specified in the Requirement Document, which has been revised to 4 April 1996 (section 3). The key obligations under this directive are for the aircraft operators to ensure that the evacuation slides of their BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ aircraft are inspected and modified as required. This involves following the detailed instructions provided in the British Aerospace Mandatory Service Bulletin 25-328 Rev. 3 and ensuring the modifications are carried out correctly and by the specified compliance date (section 3). Additionally, operators must maintain records of the inspections and modifications performed, as well as any relevant communications with the manufacturers and service bulletins referenced in the directive (section 3). Failure to comply with the requirements set out in this airworthiness directive can lead to significant consequences. While the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 do not specify the exact penalties for non-compliance within this particular directive, non-compliance with airworthiness directives generally can result in enforcement actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Such actions may include fines, suspension or revocation of the aircraft's certificate of airworthiness, or other regulatory measures. Additionally, operators may face legal repercussions, including civil liability for any incidents or accidents that arise from non-compliance (section 4). The severity of the penalties depends on the nature and extent of the non-compliance and the resulting safety implications.