AD/BEECH 1900/20 Amdt 1 - Airstair Door Handle and Latch Housing

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, establishes the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, which include amendments and specific requirements to ensure the safety of civil aircraft. The legislative instrument F2006B03638 pertains to Beechcraft 1900 Series Aeroplanes, specifically addressing airstair door handle and latch housing issues. Enacted to tackle the problem of moisture accumulation and freezing in the airstair door housing, which could potentially prevent passengers from evacuating the aircraft during an emergency, this amendment was introduced to align with the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airworthiness Directive AD 97-15-13 R2, Amendment 39-11129. The policy objective is to enhance the safety and reliability of the airstair mechanisms, ensuring that they function correctly under all conditions. This legislative instrument is designed to mandate the installation of lubrication fittings in the specified areas of the airstair door handle and latch housing, in accordance with Raytheon's Mandatory Service Bulletins, to prevent any future incidents related to door malfunctions.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Schedule of Airworthiness Directives for Beechcraft 1900 Series Aeroplanes, applies to certain serial numbers of the 1900 model series aircraft, including UA, UB, UC, and UE series. The legislation mandates that specific modifications be made to the airstair door handle and latch housing mechanisms to prevent moisture from accumulating and freezing, which could impede emergency evacuation. Compliance with this directive is mandatory for the specified aircraft models within 100 hours of being in service after the effective date of 15 July 1999. This requirement is intended to align with the Federal Aviation Administration’s AD 97-15-13 R2 Amdt 39-11129, and the amendment incorporates updates from Raytheon Mandatory Service Bulletins 2572 issued in July 1996 and its revision in May 1998. Notably, only Part II of the Accomplishment Instructions applies to the 1900D model, as specified in Note 1, while Note 2 provides reference to the corresponding FAA AD. The directive is enforced to ensure the safety and operational integrity of the aircraft in emergency situations.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, Part 39 - 105, under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, specifies certain airworthiness directives aimed at ensuring the safety of aviation operations. In this context, AD/BEECH 1900/20 Amendment 1 (section 1) addresses the installation of lubrication fittings in the airstair door handle and latch housing mechanisms of specified Beechcraft 1900 series aeroplanes. The directive applies to aircraft with model serial numbers ranging from 1900 UA-1 through UA-31900C UB-1 through UB-74, and UC-1 through UC-174, as well as 1900D UE-1 through UE-157. The primary requirement (section 2) is to follow the Accomplishment Instructions detailed in either Raytheon Mandatory Service Bulletin (MSB) 2572 issued in July 1996 or its revision, MSB 2572 Revision No.1 issued in May 1998. It is important to note that for the affected Model 1900D aircraft, only Part II of the Accomplishment Instructions applies (section 2, Note 1). The directive also references FAA AD 97-15-13 R2 Amdt 39-11129 (section 2, Note 2). The Beechcraft 1900 Series Aeroplanes AD/BEECH 1900/20 Amendment 1 imposes specific obligations on the entities it governs. Aircraft operators and maintenance providers must ensure that the specified modifications are implemented within 100 hours of time in service after the effective date of the amendment, which is 15 July 1999 (section 3). This compliance requirement is crucial to prevent the accumulation of moisture and subsequent freezing in the airstair door housing, which could potentially prevent passengers from evacuating the aircraft during an emergency (section 4). The directive mandates adherence to the detailed instructions provided in the referenced Raytheon MSBs to ensure the proper installation of the lubrication fittings. Failure to comply with the provisions of the AD/BEECH 1900/20 Amendment 1 may result in significant legal consequences. The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 stipulate that non-compliance with an airworthiness directive can lead to civil or criminal penalties. The specific consequences for breach of this directive are not detailed in the provided text, but generally, such breaches could result in fines, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity and the discretion of the court. The maximum penalties for such offences are not explicitly stated in the provided text, but they can vary widely based on the nature of the violation and the jurisdiction in which it occurs.