AD/BELL 212/12 Amdt 2 - Emergency Exits - Modification and Inspection

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, was enacted to ensure the safety of aviation operations within Australia by setting out detailed requirements for the airworthiness of aircraft, including the installation, operation, and maintenance of aircraft and their components. This legislative instrument addresses the need for consistent and stringent safety standards across the aviation industry to prevent accidents and ensure the safety of passengers and crew. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority, as part of the Australian Government's Department of Infrastructure and Transport, is the enacting body responsible for the enforcement and administration of these regulations. The policy objective is to maintain the highest possible safety standards in civil aviation through the implementation of detailed airworthiness directives and ongoing regulatory oversight. The specific Airworthiness Directive referenced, AD/BELL 212/12Amdt 2, focuses on emergency exits for Bell Helicopter Textron 212 Series Helicopters, ensuring modifications and inspections are conducted to maintain safety and compliance with established safety protocols.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically PART 39 - 105, addresses the airworthiness directives concerning Bell Helicopter Textron 212 Series Helicopters through Amendment 2, focusing on emergency exits modification and inspection. This legislation applies to all models of Bell 212 helicopters, mandating strict compliance with modifications and inspections to ensure safety standards are met. The requirement includes the installation of emergency exit decals and release handle covers, spacers, additional inspection holes in door assemblies, and painted strips around emergency escape locking pins. It also necessitates performing six-month and annual inspections of the emergency ejection system and escape panels as per Bell T.B. 212-78-2. Compliance must be achieved within 100 hours of service time after 31 July 1984, and the inspections must be carried out at the prescribed intervals following the same date, with the option to plan them alongside the next scheduled inspection nearest to 31 January 1985. This directive consolidates previous directives, ensuring a comprehensive approach to safety and operational checks.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, particularly Part 39 - 105 concerning the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's (CASA) Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, specifies the requirements for maintaining the airworthiness of Bell Helicopter Textron 212 Series Helicopters. Section AD/BELL 212/12 Amendment 2, issued on 7/84, mandates specific modifications and inspections for all models of the 212 helicopters. In essence, this directive outlines two main parts: modification and inspection procedures. Firstly, Part 1 of the directive requires the installation of emergency exit decals and release handle covers in accordance with Bell Service Bulletin (S.B.) 212-75-7 (Section a). Additionally, it mandates the installation of spacers to the interior and exterior emergency escape release handle covers as per Bell S.B. 212-77-11 (Section b). The directive also requires the provision and identification of additional inspection holes in the left and right passenger door assemblies, in line with Bell S.B. 212-77-9 (Section c). Lastly, it requires a painted strip to be added around the cylinder part of each emergency escape locking pin, using white or another suitable colour (Section d). Secondly, Part 2 of the directive necessitates the performance of six-month and annual inspections of the crew doors emergency ejection system and the passenger/cargo doors emergency escape panels, in line with Bell Technical Bulletin (T.B.) 212-78-2 (Section 2). These inspections are to be carried out at intervals specified in the requirement document. Compliance with these requirements must be achieved within 100 hours of time in service after 31 July 1984, if not already completed. Non-compliance with these directives can result in serious legal consequences. Operators and owners of the affected helicopters are obligated to adhere to these requirements to ensure safety and regulatory compliance. Failure to comply may lead to enforcement actions by CASA, which could include fines, penalties, or other civil or criminal consequences as stipulated in the Civil Aviation Act 1988. The specific penalties for non-compliance are not detailed in the directive but can be severe under the overarching aviation safety regulations.