COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 107 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Electrical Equipment
AD/ELECT/50 Rebling Nickel Cadmium Battery Quick Disconnect Receptacles
2/88
Applicability: All Rebling manufactured aircraft battery quick disconnect receptacles P/No MS 3509 fitted to aircraft nickel-cadmium batteries, or held as spares. Battery types which may be fitted with this receptacle include but are not limited to Marathon, Sonotone, Blue Streak, Tadiran and Furawaka.
Requirement: 1. All Rebling receptacles P/No MS 3509 (Marathon P/No 16163-3, 16163-7 and 16163-11) fitted to installed aircraft batteries are to be actioned as follows:
(a) Remove terminal bolts from receptacle terminals;
(b) Examine terminals for damaged or incorrectly formed threads;
(c) Test threads by ensuring a new terminal bolt can be screwed fully into the terminal by hand without using excessive force;
(d) Receptacles that pass the test specified at (c) above may be returned to service;
(e) Receptacles that do not pass the test specified at (c) above are not to be used in aircraft.
2. All Rebling receptacles P/No MS 3509 fitted to uninstalled batteries are to be actioned as specified in para 1 (a) to (e) above.
3. All Rebling receptacles P/No MS 3509 held as spares are to be actioned as specified at para 1 (b) to 1 (e) inclusive.
Compliance: 1. Within 14 days or 50 hours time in service after 25 February 1988 whichever occurs first.
2. Before installation in an aircraft.
3. Before fitment to an aircraft battery.
Background: The RAAF has identified a number of Rebling connectors that are defective in that the terminal threads are incompletely formed. This gives misleading torque values when fitting the connecting links. When the terminal bolts are tightened to the correct indicated tension, the bolts do not screw fully into the terminal. loose connection may result in overheating and arcing under load conditions which may culminate in an open circuit battery or a fire.