Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, as amended, are the primary legislation governing civil aviation in Australia, and were enacted to ensure the safety of air travel and the protection of persons and property on the ground. This legislation includes the issuance of Airworthiness Directives (ADs) to address specific safety concerns. One such AD is AD/EC 135/8, issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) under subregulation 39.1(1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, in response to a safety issue identified with the Eurocopter EC 135 Series Helicopters. The directive was enacted to address reports of a "FADEC FAIL" caution indication in EC 135 T1 helicopters, which was caused by a discrepancy in the parameters generated within the fuel main metering unit and transmitted to the Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC). This discrepancy could result in the freezing of the fuel main metering valve at its momentary position, leading to a loss of automatic engine control in the affected system. The policy objective behind this AD is to ensure the continued safety of the aircraft by providing a synchronisation procedure for pilots to prevent the parameter discrepancy and sustain automatic engine control.

Scope and Application

The Airworthiness Directive issued under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 applies specifically to all Model EC 135 T1 helicopters. The directive mandates an amendment to the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) by inserting appropriate pages from Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin EC135-71A-024 dated 6 August 2002. This requirement aims to address a specific safety issue concerning the FADEC FAIL warning light, which can lead to the freezing of the fuel main metering valve and subsequent loss of automatic engine control. The directive, issued by a delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), became effective on 27 September 2002, and requires compliance before further flight after this date. The directive is applicable throughout the Commonwealth of Australia and is part of the broader regulatory framework established under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998.

Key Provisions

The main sections of this Airworthiness Directive (AD) outline the necessity for amending the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) for all Model EC 135 T1 helicopters (section 1). This amendment is required to address a specific safety issue identified with the FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) system, particularly the warning light indication for a FADEC failure (section 1(a)). The directive mandates the incorporation of new pages into the AFM, as detailed in Appendices 1 through 4 of Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin EC135-71A-024 dated 6 August 2002 (section 1(b)). The directive becomes effective from 27 September 2002, and compliance must be achieved before further flights (section 1(c)). The obligations imposed by this AD primarily concern the operators of Model EC 135 T1 helicopters. They must ensure that the AFM for their aircraft is updated in accordance with the instructions provided in the directive. Specifically, operators must insert the specified pages from the Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin into the AFM to address the identified safety issue. This obligation is crucial to maintaining the airworthiness of the aircraft, as the FADEC system is integral to engine control and safety during flight. Furthermore, operators are required to comply with the directive's timeline, ensuring that the AFM amendment is completed before the aircraft undertakes further flights following the directive's effective date. Failure to comply with this Airworthiness Directive can result in serious consequences. The directive does not explicitly outline specific penalties or consequences for non-compliance within the text, but non-compliance with ADs generally can lead to significant ramifications under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (CAR 1998). This may include potential grounding of the aircraft, legal action by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), and possibly criminal charges if the non-compliance leads to safety incidents. Operators must adhere to the directive to avoid these severe outcomes and to ensure the continued safety and airworthiness of their aircraft.