AD/BEECH 55/45 Amdt 1 - Wing Strobe Lights

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, was enacted by the Australian Government to ensure the safety of civil aviation, addressing gaps in the regulation of aircraft airworthiness and safety standards. The regulation was established under the authority of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and is enforced by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). The overarching policy objective of these regulations is to maintain and improve the safety of civil aviation in Australia by setting and enforcing airworthiness standards, including issuing Airworthiness Directives (AD) for specific aircraft types. AD/BEECH 55/45 Amendment 1 pertains to Beechcraft 55, 58, and 95-55 (Baron) series aeroplanes, focusing on the installation and compliance of wing strobe lights to ensure visibility and safety during flight operations. This specific directive addresses the problem of ensuring that certain models of Beechcraft aeroplanes are equipped with compliant wing strobe lights to enhance night-time visibility and safety. It applies to all affected models and serial numbers of the specified aircraft types, requiring compliance with Beechcraft Service Information No. 0800-362 within 100 hours’ time in service after 31 March 1977. Aircraft that already met the original directive requirements are considered compliant with this amended directive.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, apply to Beechcraft 55, 58, and 95-55 (Baron) series aeroplanes equipped with certain wing strobe lights. The regulations mandate compliance with AD/BEECH 55/45 Amendment 1, which addresses the installation and functioning of wing strobe lights on specific model and serial number ranges of these aircraft. The requirement outlined in Beechcraft Service Instruction No. 0800-362 must be fulfilled within 100 hours of the aircraft's time in service following 31 March 1977. Notably, aircraft that complied with the original issuance of this directive are considered to meet the requirements of this amended directive. The scope of these regulations encompasses all models 95-B55 and 95-B55A with serial numbers TC-1299 through TC-1525; E55 and E55A with serial numbers TE-768 through TE-903; and 58 and 58A with serial numbers TH-1 through TH-302, provided they have either Hoskins part number 30-0187-21 or Grimes part number 30-0669-1 wing strobe lights installed.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically in Part 39 under the section concerning airworthiness directives for the Beechcraft 55, 58, and 95-55 (Baron) Series Aeroplanes, outlines the requirements and obligations for aircraft maintenance and safety. Section AD/BEECH 55/45 Amendment 1 pertains to wing strobe lights (section 1). This directive applies to all models 95-B55 & 95-B55A, E55 & E55A, and 58 & 58A with specific serial numbers and certain wing strobe light parts numbers (section 2). The action required by this directive is in accordance with Beechcraft Service Instruction No. 0800-362, which specifies the procedures to be followed for the installation and compliance of the wing strobe lights (section 3). Compliance with these directives must be achieved within 100 hours’ time in service after 31 March 1977 (section 4). Under these regulations, the operators and owners of the specified Beechcraft models are obligated to ensure that the wing strobe lights are installed and functioning as per the directives issued. This includes adherence to the procedures outlined in Beechcraft Service Instruction No. 0800-362. Operators must verify that the aircraft meet the required specifications and that the wing strobe lights are correctly installed to ensure compliance with safety standards (section 5). The responsibility lies with the aircraft owners and operators to ensure that the aircraft are maintained in an airworthy condition, which includes implementing the required actions specified in the airworthiness directive (section 6). Failure to comply with these airworthiness directives can lead to severe consequences. The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 impose penalties for non-compliance, which may include fines and potential legal actions. The specific penalties and enforcement actions are outlined in other sections of the regulations and may vary depending on the severity and impact of the non-compliance (section 7). It is critical for operators to adhere to these directives to avoid any penalties and ensure the safety and airworthiness of the aircraft (section 8).