AD/EMB-120/9 - Emergency Lighting

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically under Part 39 - 105, addresses the need for ensuring airworthiness standards through the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's schedule of airworthiness directives. This legislative instrument aims to maintain and enhance safety standards in civil aviation by requiring modifications to aircraft systems to mitigate identified deficiencies. The Embraer EMB-120 (Brasilia) Series Aeroplanes Airworthiness Directive AD/EMB-120/9 concerning emergency lighting was enacted to correct a deficiency in the automatic activation of the emergency lighting system, ensuring that affected aircraft meet necessary safety standards. The policy objective, as outlined in the text, is to rectify a specific operational issue that could compromise the safety of Embraer EMB-120 aircraft by ensuring compliance with the specified modifications by 1 December 1993. The Australian Parliament enacts these regulations under the Civil Aviation Act 1988, empowering the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to issue directives that mandate modifications to aircraft to address safety concerns. The Embraer EMB-120 airworthiness directive is one such measure, aimed at enhancing the reliability of emergency lighting systems in the specified aircraft series. By aligning with Embraer Service Bulletin 120-33-0033 and referencing relevant Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority amendments, this directive ensures a standardised approach to rectifying safety deficiencies across jurisdictions.

Scope and Application

The Embraer EMB-120 (Brasília) Series Aeroplanes Airworthiness Directive AD/EMB-120/9, contained in the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, applies to a specific subset of aircraft within the series. More precisely, it pertains to EMB 120 aircraft with serial numbers ranging from 120004 and 120006 through 120727, with exceptions for serial numbers 120181 and 120208. The directive requires the modification of the emergency lighting system in accordance with Embraer Service Bulletin 120-33-0033 dated 15 December 1992, and references a corresponding Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority directive, CTA (Brazil) AD 93-03-01 Amdt 39-712 dated 10 April 1993. Compliance with this directive is mandatory, with the modifications required to be completed before 1 December 1993, addressing a deficiency in the automatic activation of the emergency lighting system to ensure safety standards are met.

Key Provisions

The main operative section of this legislation, AD/EMB-120/9 (paragraph 39-105 of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), mandates that Embraer EMB-120 series aeroplanes with specific serial numbers must modify their emergency lighting system. This requirement is outlined in the Embraer Service Bulletin 120-33-0033 dated 15 December 1992, and is referenced in CTA (Brazil) AD 93-03-01 Amdt 39-712 dated 10 April 1993. The directive applies to aircraft with serial numbers 120004 and 120006 through 120727, with exceptions for serial numbers 120181 and 120208. The aim of this directive is to address a deficiency in the automatic activation of the emergency lighting system, ensuring that it functions correctly in emergency situations. The obligations and requirements imposed by this Act are specific to the Embraer EMB-120 series aeroplanes affected. Operators of these aircraft must ensure that the emergency lighting system is modified in accordance with the Embraer Service Bulletin. This modification must be completed before 1 December 1993 to ensure compliance with the directive. The directive emphasises the importance of adhering to the specified service bulletin to rectify the identified deficiency in the automatic activation of the emergency lighting system. Failure to comply with this directive could lead to significant consequences. While the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 do not specify the exact offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences for breach within this directive, non-compliance with airworthiness directives generally can result in serious repercussions. These can include fines, suspension or revocation of the aircraft's airworthiness certificate, and potential criminal charges if the non-compliance leads to an accident or endangers safety. The maximum penalties can vary, but they are designed to enforce strict adherence to safety standards to protect passengers and crew.