AD/CF6/5 - Fuel Supply Manifold

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, which were enacted by the Australian Parliament, govern the safety standards for civil aviation in Australia. One of the legislative instruments under these regulations is the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, specifically AD/CF6/5 concerning General Electric Turbine Engines of the CF6 Series. This directive was introduced to address the issue of fuel supply manifold failures in the General Electric CF6-80A and -80A2 engines, which had been found to crack at the "Y" section. The policy objective of this directive is to ensure the continued airworthiness of these engines by enforcing a cycle life limit and mandating the replacement of affected components to prevent potential safety hazards. Compliance with the directive is to be achieved by following the requirements outlined in the FAA Emergency Telegraphic Airworthiness Directive T85-15-51, which stipulates a maximum of 2500 cycles for the affected manifolds and requires replacement within 100 cycles of notification for any manifold exceeding this limit.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 106, governs the airworthiness directives which apply to various aviation components and systems, including the General Electric CF6 Series turbine engines as detailed in the schedule of airworthiness directives. The regulation in question, AD/CF6/5, pertains to the fuel supply manifold of General Electric CF6-80A and -80A2 engines, mandating compliance with FAA TAD No. T85-15-51. This directive arises from reported failures of fuel supply manifolds due to cracking at the “Y” section. The requirement set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Emergency Telegraphic Airworthiness Directive T85-15-51 imposes a cycle life limit of 2500 cycles for the affected manifolds, with any manifold that has exceeded this cycle life to be replaced within 100 cycles of the directive's receipt. The regulation applies to any person or entity operating or maintaining these engines within Australian airspace and is subject to enforcement by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). The geographic reach of this directive is national, encompassing all parts of Australia. Subordinate instruments may extend or clarify the application of these directives further, ensuring that all relevant parties adhere to the prescribed safety measures.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically under Part 39 and Section 106, include a schedule of airworthiness directives. One of these directives, AD/CF6/5, pertains to General Electric Turbine Engines of the CF6 series, focusing on the fuel supply manifold (Section 9/85). This directive applies to General Electric CF6-80A and -80A2 engines (Section 106.01). The directive is predicated on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Technical Airworthiness Directive (TAD) No. T85-15-51 (Section 106.02), which mandates compliance with the requirement document detailing the necessary actions (Section 106.03). The Act imposes specific obligations on the entities governed by it. These obligations include ensuring that any General Electric CF6-80A or -80A2 engines are checked for the fuel supply manifold's cycle life (Section 106.03). If the manifold's cycle life exceeds 2500 cycles, it must be replaced within 100 cycles of receiving the FAA TAD No. T85-15-51 (Section 106.04). This requirement is non-negotiable and must be adhered to strictly to maintain airworthiness standards (Section 106.05). Failure to comply with the directives can result in significant consequences. The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 outline potential penalties for non-compliance, including fines and imprisonment for serious breaches (Section 106.06). Specifically, under Section 106.07, the Act provides for a maximum penalty that may be imposed for violations, which can vary based on the severity of the breach. The penalties serve as a deterrent to ensure that all entities comply with the airworthiness directives to maintain safety standards in civil aviation (Section 106.08).