AD/CFM56/33 - Inspection of Fan Blades with 25 Degree Mid-span Shrouds

Administered by Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

Legislation au F2014L00502 In force Legislative Instrument

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Explanatory Statement

 

Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998

 

AD/CFM56/33 Inspection of Fan Blades with 25 degree Mid-span Shrouds

 

Under section 98 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 (the Act), the Governor-General may make regulations for the Act and in the interests of the safety of air navigation. Under regulation 39.001 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR 1998), CASA may issue an airworthiness directive (AD) for a kind of aircraft or aeronautical product. Under subsections 98 (5B) and (5BA) of the Act, an AD is a legislative instrument unless it is expressed to apply in relation to a particular person, a particular aircraft or a particular aeronautical product. Therefore, this AD is a legislative instrument.

 

Under subsection 33 (3) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901, where an Act confers a power to make, grant or issue any instrument of a legislative or administrative character (including rules, regulations or by-laws), the power shall be construed as including a power exercisable in the like manner and subject to the like conditions (if any) to repeal, rescind, revoke, amend, or vary any such instrument.

 

Under Annex 8 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the State of Design has overall responsibility for continuing airworthiness of an aircraft type, and must provide any information necessary to ensure the continuing airworthiness of a type to appropriate States of Registry. ADs (and their equivalents) are the most common form of continuing airworthiness information, and are issued by most International Civil Aviation Organization Contracting States.

 

The State of Registry of an individual aircraft is responsible for its continuing airworthiness. Under Annex 8, the State of Registry must develop or adopt requirements to ensure the continuing airworthiness of aircraft. When a foreign State of Design issued an AD before 1 October 2009 for a type of aircraft on the Australian Register, CASA, as Australia’s national airworthiness authority, must assess that information and, if appropriate, issue an Australian AD to mandate the requirements of the foreign State of Design.

 

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued AD 2009-0036 affecting CFM International CFM56-3 series turbine engines in 2009. France is the State of Design for this engine type. CASA has issued this AD (AD/CFM56/33) to mandate the requirements of EASA AD 2009-0036. This AD becomes effective on 9 May 2014.

 

Consultation

As this AD is issued as a result of CASA’s obligations under International Civil Aviation Organization Annex 8 and brings Australian requirements in line with those established by EASA, it is CASA’s view that it was not necessary or appropriate to undertake any further consultation under section 17 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.
Regulation Impact Statement

A Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) is not required because ADs are covered by a standing agreement between CASA and the Office of Best Practice Regulation under which a RIS is not required for ADs.

 

Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

A Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights is at Attachment 1.

 

Making and commencement

The instrument has been made by a delegate of CASA relying on the power of delegation under subregulation 11.260 (1) of CASR 1998 and subsection 94 (1) of the Act.

 

The instrument commences on 9 May 2014.

 

[Instrument number AD/CFM56/33]

Attachment 1

Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the
Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011

 

AD/CFM56/33 Inspection of Fan Blades with 25 degree Mid-span Shrouds

 

This legislative instrument is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

 

Overview of the legislative instrument

The European Aviation Safety Agency issued AD 2009-0036 affecting CFM International CFM56-3 series turbine engines in 2009. France is the State of Design for this engine type. CASA has issued AD/CFM56/33 to mandate the requirements of EASA AD 2009-0036.

 

The primary purpose of this legislative instrument is to mandate repetitive inspections of fan blades with 25 degrees mid-span shrouds as defined by CFM International Service Bulletin CFM56-3/3B/3C 72-1067 in order to reduce the risk of a multiple fan blade failure event which could result in an uncontained engine rotor failure.

 

Human rights implications

This legislative instrument does not engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms.

 

Conclusion

This legislative instrument is compatible with human rights as it does not raise any human rights issues.

 

Civil Aviation Safety Authority

Overview

The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 were enacted to ensure the safety of air navigation, providing a legal framework under which the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) can issue airworthiness directives. This particular regulation, AD/CFM56/33, was introduced in response to the need to mandate repetitive inspections of fan blades with 25 degrees mid-span shrouds in CFM International CFM56-3 series turbine engines. The regulation aims to mitigate the risk of multiple fan blade failures, which could lead to uncontained engine rotor failures. This legislative instrument was made by a delegate of CASA under the powers conferred by the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998. The policy objective aligns with international standards set by the Convention on International Civil Aviation and ensures that Australian airworthiness requirements are consistent with those established by the European Aviation Safety Agency. The regulation came into effect on 9 May 2014, and CASA determined that further consultation was unnecessary due to its alignment with international obligations.

Scope and Application

The AD/CFM56/33 applies to the inspection of fan blades with 25 degree mid-span shrouds for CFM International CFM56-3 series turbine engines used on aircraft registered in Australia. This mandate arises from the European Aviation Safety Agency's AD 2009-0036, issued in 2009, and aligns Australia's regulations with international standards as outlined in Annex 8 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation. The AD is a legislative instrument under the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, requiring the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to ensure the continuing airworthiness of aircraft in Australia. This legislation does not specify exclusions or thresholds but mandates inspections to mitigate the risk of multiple fan blade failures leading to uncontained engine rotor failures. The AD became effective on 9 May 2014 and is consistent with human rights, as outlined in the Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR 1998) relevant to this legislation are sections 98 and 39.001 (subsections 98(5B) and (5BA)). Section 98 allows the Governor-General to make regulations for the Act, particularly in the interests of the safety of air navigation. Section 39.001 empowers the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to issue an airworthiness directive (AD) for a kind of aircraft or aeronautical product. This particular AD, AD/CFM56/33, mandates repetitive inspections of fan blades with 25 degrees mid-span shrouds in CFM International CFM56-3 series turbine engines to reduce the risk of multiple fan blade failure and uncontained engine rotor failure. The AD becomes effective on 9 May 2014. The obligations and requirements imposed by this Act on the parties or entities it governs include adherence to the repetitive inspections mandated by AD/CFM56/33. Operators of aircraft equipped with CFM International CFM56-3 series turbine engines must ensure that the fan blades with 25 degrees mid-span shrouds are inspected according to the requirements outlined in CFM International Service Bulletin CFM56-3/3B/3C 72-1067. These inspections are essential to maintain the continuing airworthiness of the aircraft and to comply with the safety regulations established by CASA. Any breach of this legislation may result in various civil and criminal consequences. The specific penalties are not detailed in the text provided, but generally, non-compliance with airworthiness directives can lead to enforcement actions, fines, or other penalties as deemed appropriate by CASA. Additionally, failure to comply with the AD could result in the grounding of the affected aircraft, which can have significant operational and financial implications for the aircraft operators. The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 also include provisions for the repeal, rescind, revoke, amend, or vary of any such instrument under subsection 33(3) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901. This ensures that CASA has the flexibility to update or adjust safety regulations as necessary to address emerging safety concerns or to align with international standards. CASA, as Australia’s national airworthiness authority, has a responsibility to ensure that all aircraft registered in Australia meet the required safety standards, and this AD is a critical component in achieving that goal.

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Area of Law
Aviation Law
Instrument
Regulation
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Definitions & Interpretation
Compliance Obligations
Enforcement Powers
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Airworthiness

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.