Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, play a pivotal role in regulating civil aviation safety across the country. This legislation, specifically within Part 39, addresses the need for maintaining the airworthiness of aircraft through the issuance of airworthiness directives. One such directive, AD/DAUPHIN/23, targets the Eurocopter SA 360 and SA 365 (Dauphin) Series Helicopters, aiming to ensure that the internal surfaces of the tail rotor gearbox mounting tripods are in a serviceable condition and adequately protected against corrosion. This directive was introduced to mitigate potential risks associated with structural integrity and safety, thereby enhancing overall aviation safety standards. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority, under the authority granted by the Civil Aviation Act 1988, implements these regulations to ensure compliance with international safety standards and to protect the public from aviation-related hazards. The policy objective behind AD/DAUPHIN/23 is to enforce regular inspections and necessary maintenance of the specified helicopter models' tail rotor gearbox mounting tripods, thereby maintaining the highest safety standards in civil aviation operations.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority Schedule of Airworthiness Directives under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 applies specifically to Eurocopter SA 360 and SA 365 (Dauphin) Series Helicopters, including all models SA 360C, SA 361, and SA 365C - C1 - C2 - C3. The directive mandates action in accordance with Aerospatiale Mandatory Service Bulletin 01.23.4/89, focusing on the inspection and maintenance of the internal surfaces of the tail rotor gearbox mounting tripods. The directive applies to tripods that have been installed for specific durations and intervals, as outlined in the requirements. For tripods installed on an aircraft for 24 months or more before 30 June 1989, the action must be taken before this date. For those installed for less than 24 months, the action is required when 30 months of Time in Service is reached post-installation. Furthermore, inspections must occur at intervals not exceeding 2,400 hours of Time in Service or whenever the tripod is removed for unscheduled maintenance. Spare tripods must also adhere to these requirements as specified in the Requirement Document. This directive aims to ensure that the internal surfaces of the tail rotor gearbox mounting tripods are serviceable and receive appropriate corrosion protective treatment following inspection.

Key Provisions

The key operative sections of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, Part 39 - 105, under the Schedule of Airworthiness Directives for the Eurocopter SA 360 and SA 365 (Dauphin) Series Helicopters, specifically AD/DAUPHIN/23, focus on the inspection and maintenance of the tail rotor gearbox mounting tripod internal surfaces (section 39.105(1)). The requirement is to follow Aerospatiale Mandatory Service Bulletin 01.23.4/89 to ensure these surfaces remain in a serviceable condition and to apply corrosion protective treatment as necessary. The directive applies to all models of the SA 360C, SA 361, and SA 365C - C1 - C2 - C3 helicopters. The obligations imposed by this Act require operators to ensure that the inspection and maintenance of the tripod internal surfaces are carried out according to specific timelines. For tripods installed on an aircraft for 24 months or more before 30 June 1989, the inspection must be conducted before this date (section 39.105(2)(a)). For those installed for less than 24 months, inspections must occur when the tripods reach 30 months of time in service after installation (section 39.105(2)(b)). Following this initial inspection, inspections are required at intervals not exceeding 2,400 hours of time in service or whenever the tripod is removed for unscheduled maintenance (section 39.105(2)(c)). Additionally, spare tripods must be inspected in accordance with the Requirement Document (section 39.105(2)(d)). Failure to comply with these requirements can result in civil or criminal consequences. The specific offences, penalties, or consequences for non-compliance are not detailed within the provided text, but generally, breaches of airworthiness directives can lead to enforcement actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). These actions may include fines, suspension of airworthiness certificates, or other regulatory measures designed to ensure safety and compliance within the aviation industry.