Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (CAR 1998) were enacted to establish and regulate the standards for civil aviation operations in Australia, ensuring safety and efficiency within the industry. Specifically, Part 39 of the CAR 1998 addresses the certification and airworthiness of aircraft, with the 105 Schedule of Airworthiness Directives providing specific mandates for maintaining aircraft safety. One such directive, AD/BELL 206/152, was issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to address the unsafe condition identified with the rescue hoist mounting bracket in Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) 206 and Agusta Bell 206 Series Helicopters. The policy objective behind this directive is to mitigate the risk of cracked rescue hoist mounting brackets, which could lead to failure and the separation of the hoist from the helicopter, thereby enhancing flight safety.

Scope and Application

The Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/BELL 206/152 issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) applies specifically to Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) 206 and Agusta Bell 206 Series helicopters that are equipped with a Breeze Eastern Aerospace rescue hoist series BL-16600, excluding BL-16600-160 models. This directive mandates a one-time inspection of the rescue hoist mounting bracket, to be conducted in accordance with Breeze Eastern Customer Aerospace Advisory Bulletin CAB-100-56, dated 11 November 1997. The requirement is to be fulfilled before the next usage of the rescue hoist following 6 November 2002, unless the inspection has already been performed. The directive aims to address reports of cracked rescue hoist mounting brackets, which could lead to the mounting bracket's failure and the hoist's separation from the helicopter. This AD, effective from 6 November 2002, is issued under the authority of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 and was signed by David Alan Villiers, a delegate of CASA, on 1 November 2002.

Key Provisions

The Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued under subregulation 39.1(1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (CAR 1998) pertains to the Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) 206 and Agusta Bell 206 Series helicopters equipped with a Breeze Eastern Aerospace rescue hoist series BL-16600, excluding BL-16600-160. This directive, specifically identified as AD/BELL 206/152, mandates a one-time inspection of the rescue hoist mounting bracket in accordance with the instructions set out in Breeze Eastern Customer Aerospace Advisory Bulletin CAB-100-56 dated 11 November 1997. This inspection is required to be conducted before the next usage of the rescue hoist after 6 November 2002, unless it has already been performed. The AD imposes certain obligations on the operators of the affected helicopters. Primarily, it requires these operators to ensure that the specified inspection is conducted by a qualified individual or entity following the detailed instructions provided in the advisory bulletin. This inspection is critical to identify and address any potential cracking in the rescue hoist mounting bracket, which could otherwise lead to catastrophic failure and separation of the hoist from the helicopter. The AD also necessitates that this inspection is completed before the next use of the rescue hoist after the specified date, ensuring that safety is not compromised. Failure to comply with the requirements of this Airworthiness Directive can result in serious safety implications. While the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 do not specify particular offences, penalties, or consequences for non-compliance in this instance, the overarching aviation safety framework in Australia could lead to enforcement actions. These might include fines, operational restrictions, or even grounding of the aircraft until compliance is achieved. The severity of the consequences may depend on the extent of non-compliance and the associated risk to safety. Additionally, civil or criminal liability could arise if non-compliance results in an accident or incident.