AD/EMB-120/14 - Fuselage Aft Section Drain

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, as amended, are a set of regulations enacted by the Australian Government under the Civil Aviation Act 1988, to regulate civil aviation safety in Australia. Part 39 - 105 of the Civil Aviation Regulations, specifically pertaining to the Embraer EMB-120 (Brasilia) Series Aeroplanes, includes Airworthiness Directives such as AD/EMB-120/14, which was introduced to address the safety concern of water accumulation and freezing in the fuselage aft section of certain model EMB-120 aircraft. The problem of water accumulation and freezing leading to elevator control cable jamming was identified through reports of in-flight incidents. The objective of this directive is to enhance the safety of these aircraft by requiring the installation of an additional drain fitting at Station 1619.0, in accordance with Embraer Service Bulletin 120-53-0064, to mitigate the risk of water accumulation and subsequent freezing. Compliance with this directive is mandatory within 400 hours of time in service after 1 February 1996. This legislative instrument was enacted by the Australian Government to ensure the continued safety and airworthiness of Embraer EMB-120 aircraft operating in Australian airspace. By addressing specific vulnerabilities identified in certain aircraft models, the Civil Aviation Regulations aim to prevent incidents that could compromise flight safety, thereby protecting passengers, crew, and the general public. The requirement for compliance within a specified timeframe underscores the urgency and importance of addressing this safety issue to prevent potential hazards during flight operations.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, under Part 39 - 105, specifically address the airworthiness directives concerning Embraer EMB-120 (Brasilia) Series Aeroplanes. This regulation applies to a particular subset of EMB-120 aircraft, specifically those with serial numbers ranging from 120003 to 120018, 120020 to 120028, 120030 to 120032, 120034 to 120076, 120078 to 120121, 120123 to 120217, and 120219 to 120305. The regulation mandates the installation of an additional drain fitting at Station 1619.0, as per Embraer Service Bulletin 120-53-0064, to address an identified issue of elevator control cable jamming due to water accumulation and subsequent freezing. Compliance with this directive must be achieved within 400 hours of time in service after 1 February 1996, ensuring that the affected aircraft meet the specified safety standards. This regulatory requirement extends to all relevant operators and maintenance personnel within the Commonwealth of Australia, thereby ensuring the continued safety and airworthiness of the specified aircraft models.

Key Provisions

The key provision of this Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) directive (AD/EMB-120/14) pertains to the installation of an additional drain fitting at Station 1619.0 on specified Embraer EMB-120 (Brasilia) Series aeroplanes (section 1). This requirement is aimed at preventing the accumulation of water within the fuselage, which could potentially freeze and cause jamming of the elevator control cables, as evidenced by a reported incident (section 2). The directive applies to Embraer EMB-120 aircraft with specific serial numbers, which must comply by installing the additional drain fitting in accordance with Embraer Service Bulletin 120-53-0064 (section 3). Compliance must be achieved within 400 hours of time in service after 1 February 1996 (section 4). The Embraer EMB-120 (Brasilia) Series aeroplanes covered by this directive must ensure that the additional drain fitting is installed at the specified location to prevent water accumulation. This involves following the instructions provided in Embraer Service Bulletin 120-53-0064, ensuring that the installation is performed correctly and in a timely manner. Operators of these aircraft must monitor the time in service and ensure that the compliance deadline is met to avoid any safety risks associated with the freezing of accumulated water (section 5). In terms of obligations, operators and owners of the specified Embraer EMB-120 aircraft are required to install the additional drain fitting as per the directive. Failure to comply with the installation requirement within the specified timeframe could lead to potential safety hazards, such as jamming of the elevator control cables, which could compromise flight safety (section 6). The directive also references Brazil CTA AD 95-11-01 Amdt 39-750, indicating that there is an international context and expectation for compliance with this safety measure (section 7). Failure to comply with the requirements of this directive could result in significant consequences. Although the Civil Aviation Regulations do not explicitly state penalties for non-compliance with Airworthiness Directives, non-compliance could lead to aircraft being deemed non-airworthy, which could result in grounding and potential enforcement actions by CASA. In severe cases, such as those resulting in accidents or incidents, criminal charges could be pursued against operators or individuals responsible for the non-compliance (section 8). The specific maximum penalties are not detailed in the directive itself but would be determined by CASA under relevant aviation legislation.