Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39, is a set of regulations designed to ensure the safety of aircraft and aeronautical products within Australia. Enacted in 1998 by the Australian Parliament, these regulations aim to address the gap in ensuring that aircraft and related products meet specific safety standards. One such regulation is the Airworthiness Directive issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), which is tasked with ensuring that all aircraft operations are conducted safely. The Airworthiness Directive (AD) for the Fokker F100 (F28 Mk 100) Series Aeroplanes, identified as AD/F100/46, was introduced to address the specific issue of excessive movement of the airframe strut on the left-hand side of the fuselage at station 22706, as reported by an operator. The policy objective behind this directive is to mandate a one-time inspection to identify and correct any missing bolts in the replaceable frame struts, thereby enhancing the safety and airworthiness of the aircraft.

Scope and Application

This Airworthiness Directive issued under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 applies to all Model F.28 Mk. 0100 and Mk. 0070 aircraft, specifically the Fokker F100 (F28 Mk 100) series aeroplanes. The directive mandates a one-time inspection of the replaceable frame struts to identify and address any missing bolts at station 22706 on the left side of the fuselage, which was identified as an unsafe condition following a report from a Fokker 70/100 operator. The AD requires compliance with RLD AD 2001-05-5 and the inspection must be completed before 20 July 2002, as per the directive issued by the delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority on 27 June 2001. This directive was made effective on 9 August 2001 and was notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 11 July 2001.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (CAR 1998) establish a comprehensive framework for ensuring the safety of aviation in Australia. Specifically, Part 39 (Section 39.1) empowers the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to issue Airworthiness Directives (AD) when necessary to address safety concerns. An example of such a directive is AD/F100/46 (Section 105), which pertains to Fokker F100 (F28 Mk 100) Series Aeroplanes. This AD, issued on 27 June 2001 by David Alan Villiers as a delegate of CASA, mandates specific actions to correct an unsafe condition identified in certain Fokker F100 aircraft. AD/F100/46 requires that all Model F.28 Mk. 0100 and Mk. 0070 aircraft undergo a one-time inspection to check for missing bolts in the replaceable frame struts, which connect the floor beams and the fuselage frame. This requirement is detailed in the directive's "requirement" section and must be carried out in accordance with the instructions provided, specifically referencing RLD AD 2001-055. Furthermore, this action must be completed before a specified compliance date, which is 20 July 2002. The directive imposes clear obligations on the parties governed by it, primarily the operators of the affected Fokker F100 aircraft. These operators must ensure that the specified inspections are conducted by qualified personnel following the instructions outlined in the directive. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in the aircraft being deemed unsafe to operate, potentially leading to serious safety risks. The AD became effective on 9 August 2001, as published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 11 July 2001. In terms of consequences for non-compliance, while the specific penalties are not detailed within the text of the AD itself, the broader regulatory framework under which the AD operates includes potential penalties for non-compliance with airworthiness directives. These penalties can include fines and other enforcement actions, as outlined in the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and the Civil Aviation Regulations. The severity of the penalties may vary based on the extent of non-compliance and the associated risk to aviation safety.