COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE
For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below issues the following Airworthiness Directive (AD) under subregulation 39.1 (1) of CASR 1998. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.
Casa 212 Series Aeroplanes
AD/CASA/25 SPZ4500 Autopilot Actuators 8/2004
Applicability: Model C-212-300 and -400 aeroplanes listed in EADS-CASA Service Bulletin (SB) 212-22-15 dated 16 July 2002.
Requirement: Inspect and, if necessary modify, the SM-300 servomotors, installed as part of the SPZ4500 autopilot system, in accordance with SB 212-22-15. Honeywell Alert SB 7002260-22-A0013 (Pub No. A21-2001-024) dated 26 July 2001 also refers.
Note: DGAC Spain AD 01-04 refers.
Compliance: Within two months after the effective date of this Directive.
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 5 August 2004.
Background: Honeywell has identified a series of actuators (servomotors) installed in the SPZ4500 autopilot system with screws in the clutch assembly, which may not be properly retained and might become loose. This could result in potential unsafe flight conditions. This Directive requires the suspect servomotors to be identified and, if necessary, modified.
James Coyne
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 23 June 2004
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 14 July 2004.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, enacted by the Parliament of Australia, play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of civil aviation operations within the country. As a part of these regulations, Airworthiness Directives (ADs) are issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to address identified safety issues concerning aircraft or aeronautical products. The specific AD discussed here, issued under subregulation 39.1(1) of the CASR 1998, aims to mitigate the risk of unsafe flight conditions by addressing potential issues with the servomotors in the SPZ4500 autopilot system of CASA 212 Series Aeroplanes. The directive mandates inspection and necessary modifications to the SM-300 servomotors, as outlined in relevant service bulletins, to ensure they are properly retained and do not become loose, thereby maintaining the aircraft's airworthiness.
Scope and Application
The Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued under the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR 1998) pertains specifically to the CASA 212 Series aeroplanes, more precisely, the C-212-300 and -400 models. This legislation applies to these aircraft listed in EADS-CASA Service Bulletin 212-22-15 dated 16 July 2002 and mandates actions to ensure their safe operation. The directive requires inspection and, if necessary, modification of the SM-300 servomotors installed as part of the SPZ4500 autopilot system, in accordance with the aforementioned service bulletin. This requirement is critical to addressing the potential safety issue of screws in the clutch assembly of the servomotors not being properly retained, which could lead to unsafe flight conditions. The directive is effective from 5 August 2004, with a compliance period of two months from this date, ensuring that the specified actions are completed by 5 October 2004. This AD is applicable nationwide within the Commonwealth of Australia, ensuring that all operators of the specified aircraft comply with the safety standards set forth by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Key Provisions
The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, specifically within Part 39, Section 105, mandates the issuance of Airworthiness Directives (ADs) by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) delegate. The Airworthiness Directive referenced as AD/CASA/25 SPZ4500 pertains to the CASA 212 Series Aeroplanes, particularly models C-212-300 and C-212-400. This directive requires the inspection and modification, if necessary, of SM-300 servomotors installed as part of the SPZ4500 autopilot system. This requirement is outlined in Section (a) of the directive, which specifies the circumstances under which the action must be taken, and in Section (b), which provides instructions for the inspection and modification process as described in the referenced EADS-CASA Service Bulletin (SB) 212-22-15 dated 16 July 2002. Furthermore, Section (c) specifies that the compliance must occur within two months from the effective date of the directive, which is 5 August 2004.
The obligations imposed by this AD are primarily on the operators and owners of the affected CASA 212 Series Aeroplanes. They must ensure that the SM-300 servomotors in their aircraft are inspected and modified as per the instructions in SB 212-22-15. This includes adhering to the specific technical procedures outlined in the bulletin and ensuring that any modifications are performed by qualified personnel. Operators and owners are also required to maintain records of compliance with this directive and to present these records upon request by CASA.
Failure to comply with the AD could result in civil or criminal penalties. The potential consequences of non-compliance include fines and, in severe cases, the grounding of the aircraft until the necessary inspections and modifications are completed. The maximum penalties for non-compliance with ADs are stipulated in the Civil Aviation Act 1988, which may include fines up to a certain monetary amount and, for corporations, even higher fines depending on the severity of the non-compliance. Additionally, there may be implications for the airworthiness certification of the aircraft, which could impact the ability to operate the aeroplane commercially.