AD/BEECH 1900/24 - Ground Fine Switch

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically in Part 39 - 105, detail airworthiness directives to ensure the safety of aviation operations in Australia. One such directive, AD/BEECH 1900/24, was enacted to address the issue of a potentially loose or misrigged ground fine switch in Beechcraft 1900 Series aeroplanes, particularly the 1900D model with serial numbers UE-1 through UE-271. This directive was introduced to prevent such a condition, which could lead to a hard landing, causing structural damage to the airframe and potential passenger injury. The objective of this directive is to mandate the modification of the ground idle low pitch stop system to incorporate the Raytheon ‘Ground Fine Switch Installation Kit’ in line with the instructions in Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin No 2714 issued in June 1997. Compliance with this directive is required within 800 hours of time in service after its effective date of 10 September 1998.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105 under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, applies to Beechcraft 1900 Series aeroplanes, particularly model 1900D aeroplanes with serial numbers UE-1 through UE-271 inclusive. This directive mandates the modification of the ground idle low pitch stop system by incorporating the Raytheon ‘Ground Fine Switch Installation Kit’ No 129-5200-1 as outlined in Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin No 2714 issued in June 1997. Compliance with this directive is required within 800 hours of time in service following its effective date of 10 September 1998. This directive aims to prevent potential issues such as a loose or misrigged ground fine switch, which could lead to a hard landing, causing structural damage to the airframe and potential passenger injury. The regulation extends its jurisdiction across the Commonwealth of Australia, ensuring that all applicable aircraft operating within its airspace adhere to the specified airworthiness standards.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, mandate modifications to the ground idle low pitch stop system for Model 1900D aeroplanes with serial numbers UE-1 through UE-271. The directive, AD/BEECH 1900/24, requires the incorporation of the Raytheon 'GroundFine Switch Installation Kit' No 129-5200-1, as detailed in Raytheon Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin No 2714 issued in June 1997. The primary objective of this modification is to prevent potential issues with the ground fine switch, such as it becoming loose or misrigged, which could lead to a hard landing. Such an event might result in structural damage to the airframe and potential injury to passengers. Entities governed by these regulations, specifically operators of the affected Model 1900D aeroplanes, must comply with the airworthiness directive within 800 hours of time in service after the directive's effective date, which is 10 September 1998. This compliance requirement is crucial to maintaining the safety standards set by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. The operators are responsible for ensuring that the specified modifications are carried out by qualified personnel and that the aircraft is thoroughly inspected to confirm the modifications have been correctly and safely implemented. Failure to adhere to the requirements set forth in this airworthiness directive could lead to significant consequences. While specific civil or criminal penalties are not explicitly stated in the directive, non-compliance could result in the aircraft being deemed unairworthy. This, in turn, could lead to grounding of the aircraft, potential revocation of the aircraft’s operating licence, and financial penalties imposed by regulatory authorities. Additionally, the operator could face legal liabilities if the non-compliance results in an accident or incident causing harm to passengers or crew.