AD/BEECH 90/74 - Ansair Passenger Seats - Inspection

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, as amended by the Legislative Instrument F2006B04260, addresses the critical issue of ensuring the airworthiness of aircraft through specific directives aimed at maintaining safety standards. This legislative instrument, enacted by the Commonwealth of Australia, targets the inspection and replacement of certain passenger seats in Beechcraft 90 and 65-90 (King Air) series aeroplanes to ensure compliance with safety standards. The primary policy objective behind these regulations is to safeguard passengers and crew by enforcing stringent checks on the structural integrity and compliance of critical aircraft components, particularly those over the wing spar carry-through locations. By mandating inspections and replacements within specific timeframes, the regulations aim to mitigate risks associated with non-compliant parts, thereby enhancing overall aviation safety.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, addresses airworthiness directives concerning the Beechcraft 90 and 65-90 (King Air) Series Aeroplanes. This regulation applies to all models equipped with Ansair passenger seats. The directive mandates that passenger seats over the wing spar carry-through location be inspected to ensure they bear the correct part number, G417-00-001. Additionally, any seat assembly not bearing the specified part number must be replaced with an approved seat that is correctly identified with the correct page number. Compliance with these requirements must be achieved within 100 hours’ time in service after 31 January 1985, or at the next scheduled inspection for a Maintenance Release issue after the specified date, whichever is later. This directive applies across the Commonwealth of Australia, extending its reach to ensure the safety of all aircraft within the jurisdiction, and it does not specify any exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds in the provided text. The scope and application of this regulation are further extended or potentially restricted through subordinate instruments, as may be necessary to ensure adherence and safety compliance.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, Part 39 - 105, specifically focusing on AD/BEECH 90/74, mandate that all Beechcraft 90 and 65-90 (King Air) series aeroplanes equipped with Ansair passenger seats must undergo a specific inspection and, if necessary, replacement of these seats. According to Section 1, the requirement is to inspect passenger seats over the wing spar carry-through location for the correct part number G417-00-001 (Section 1). If any seat assembly does not bear the correct part number, it must be replaced with an approved seat that is correctly identified (Section 2). The obligations imposed by this legislation on the parties involved, primarily the aircraft operators and maintenance personnel, are to ensure that the specified inspections and replacements are performed within the stipulated timeframe. Operators must comply with the directive within 100 hours’ time in service after 31 January 1985 or at the next scheduled inspection for Maintenance Release issue after 31 January 1985, whichever is later (Section 1). Maintenance personnel must conduct the inspections as required and make the necessary replacements to ensure all seats conform to the specified part number (Section 2). Failure to comply with these provisions can lead to serious consequences. While the specific penalties are not detailed in the excerpt, non-compliance with Civil Aviation Regulations can generally result in severe civil or criminal penalties, including fines and potential grounding of the aircraft. The exact penalties would depend on the broader context of the Civil Aviation Act 1988, but the overarching intent is to enforce strict adherence to safety standards to prevent any risk to passengers and crew.