AD/EMB-110/8 Amdt 5 - Flap Actuators

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Commonwealth of Australia, is a comprehensive piece of legislation aimed at ensuring the safety and efficiency of civil aviation in Australia. The regulations cover a wide range of areas, including airworthiness directives, which are essential for maintaining the safety of aircraft in operation. Specifically, Part 39 - 105 of these regulations addresses the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's (CASA) schedule of airworthiness directives for various aircraft models, including the Embraer EMB-110 (Bandeirante) Series Aeroplanes. The Embraer EMB-110 Airworthiness Directive AD/EMB-110/8 Amendment 5, issued on 2 September 1992, was introduced to address a specific safety issue identified in the flap actuators of these aircraft. This problem arose from incidents where flap actuators failed due to the ingress of moisture, leading to flap retraction under aerodynamic loads and subsequent flap asymmetry, which posed a safety risk. The policy objective behind this amendment is to ensure the continued airworthiness and safety of the Embraer EMB-110 aircraft by implementing rigorous inspection and maintenance requirements for the affected flap actuators.

Scope and Application

The Embraer EMB-110 (Bandeirante) Series Aeroplanes Airworthiness Directive, as outlined in the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, applies specifically to aircraft of the EMB-110 model equipped with certain flap linear actuators. These actuators include the EEMCO P/N D-2246-5, D-2246-6, D-2246-31, and D-2246-41. The directive mandates inspection and lubrication procedures in accordance with the Brazil Civil Aviation Authority's AD 82-07-04 R2 Amdt 39-678, reflecting the safety concerns arising from a prior incident where a flap retracted due to actuator failure, resulting in flap asymmetry and compromised flight safety. Compliance with the directive requires inspections at intervals not exceeding 1500 landings or 12 months, and lubrication checks not exceeding 4500 landings or 36 months from 3 February 1992. The directive extends across the Commonwealth of Australia, overseen by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, and applies to all relevant aircraft operators and entities within the national jurisdiction.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of the Embraer EMB-110 (Bandeirante) Series Aeroplanes AD/EMB-110/8 Amendment 5, specifically relating to flap actuators, are the applicability and requirement sections. Section 39-105 of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, as amended, specifies the applicability of the directive to the EMB-110 models equipped with certain flap linear actuators. The requirement section mandates that these actuators must be inspected and lubricated according to the specified parts of the Brazil CTA AD 82-07-04 R2 Amendment 39-678. Compliance with these directives is to be conducted at intervals not exceeding 1500 landings or 12 months for Part I, and 4500 landings or 36 months for Part II, whichever comes first, following the date of 3 February 1992. The obligations imposed by the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 on the operators and owners of the specified EMB-110 aeroplanes include ensuring that the flap actuators are inspected and lubricated in accordance with the outlined requirements. This involves following the procedures set forth in the Brazil CTA AD 82-07-04 R2 Amendment 39-678, which entails specific actions to prevent the failure of the flap linear actuator ball return tube due to moisture ingress. Operators must maintain detailed records of these inspections and lubrications, ensuring compliance with the stipulated intervals, which are critical for maintaining the airworthiness of the aircraft. Failure to comply with the requirements set forth in the AD/EMB-110/8 Amendment 5 can result in significant consequences. While the regulations do not explicitly outline specific offences, the overarching Civil Aviation Act 1988 and associated regulations may impose penalties for non-compliance with airworthiness directives. Such non-compliance could potentially lead to the grounding of the aircraft, which would have severe operational and financial repercussions for the operator. Additionally, if non-compliance is found to have contributed to an incident or accident, further civil or criminal penalties may be imposed, reflecting the serious implications of neglecting these safety measures.