AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE
For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below issues the following Airworthiness Directive (AD) under subregulation 39.1 (1) of CASR 1998. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.
Fokker F100 (F28 Mk 100) Series Aeroplanes
AD/F100/60 Grimes Aerospace Passenger Service Unit 4/2004
Applicability: Model F.28 Mk.0100, all serial numbers (S/N), with Grimes Aerospace Passenger Service Unit (PSU) Part Number (P/N) 10-1178-(series) or P/N 10-1571-(series) installed.
Requirement: 1. Modify PSU P/N 10-1178-(series) and P/N 10-1571-(series) in accordance with Grimes Aerospace Company Service Bulletin (SB) 10-1178-33-0040 Revision 1 dated 25 march 1996 or SB 10-1571-33-0041 dated 15 October 1993, as applicable.
2. Clean and seal the PSU panel/interface connector in accordance with Part 2 of the Accomplishment Instructions of Fokker Services SB F100-25-097 dated 30 December 2003.
Note: CAA(NL) BLA 2004-022 (A) refers.
Compliance: For Requirements 1 and 2 - Within three years after the effective date of this Directive.
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 15 April 2004.
Background: Over the years operators have reported incidents of smoke in the aft passenger compartment during flight, apparently due to overheating of a PSU. Investigation has shown the overheating to occur due to water leakage onto the PSU electrical connector.
To address this problem, Fokker Aircraft issued a SB which recommended a one-time inspection of the PSU panels and, if leakage was detected, the cleaning of the connector and modification of the PSU panel. As the smoke problems appeared to be minor and were not considered hazardous at the time, the inspection and modification were not made mandatory. As a result, only few operators accomplished the inspection/modification on affected PSU panels.
Fokker F100 (F28 Mk 100) Series Aeroplanes
AD/F100/60 (continued)
However, a recent incident involving smoke in the passenger cabin has been reported, indicating that the unsafe condition still exists or may develop on other aircraft.
Therefore, this Directive requires the sealing and modification of all PSU panels.
James Coyne
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 4 March 2004
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 24 March 2004.
Overview
The Airworthiness Directive AD/F100/60 was issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) under the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, to address the recurring issue of smoke in the aft passenger compartment of Fokker F100 (F28 Mk 100) series aeroplanes, which had been linked to overheating of the Passenger Service Unit (PSU) due to water leakage onto the PSU electrical connector. This AD applies to all Fokker F.28 Mk.0100 series aircraft with Grimes Aerospace PSU parts numbers 10-1178-series or 10-1571-series installed. The directive mandates that PSU panels must be modified and sealed as per specific instructions to rectify the unsafe condition. The directive became effective on 15 April 2004, and compliance with the requirements was to be achieved within three years of this date. The aim of this directive was to eliminate the risk of smoke in the cabin, ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers.
Scope and Application
This Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued under the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 applies to Fokker F100 (F28 Mk 100) series aeroplanes, specifically those with Grimes Aerospace Passenger Service Unit (PSU) Part Numbers 10-1178-(series) or 10-1571-(series) installed. The AD mandates modifications to the PSU panels to address incidents of smoke in the aft passenger compartment during flight, which have been attributed to overheating of the PSU caused by water leakage onto the PSU electrical connector. The requirements include modifying the PSU panels in accordance with specified service bulletins and cleaning and sealing the PSU panel/interface connector as instructed. The AD is effective from 15 April 2004, with compliance expected within three years. This directive applies nationally within Australia and is issued by a delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Key Provisions
The Airworthiness Directive (AD) F100/60 issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) sets forth specific requirements and obligations for the modification and maintenance of certain Fokker F100 (F28 Mk 100) series aeroplanes. This directive applies to all models of the Fokker F100 aeroplanes with Grimes Aerospace Passenger Service Unit (PSU) Part Numbers 10-1178-(series) or 10-1571-(series) installed. The primary requirement of this directive is the modification of the PSU panels in accordance with Grimes Aerospace Company Service Bulletins 10-1178-33-0040 Revision 1 dated 25 March 1996 or 10-1571-33-0041 dated 15 October 1993, as applicable (section 1). Additionally, the PSU panel/interface connector must be cleaned and sealed in accordance with Part 2 of the Accomplishment Instructions of Fokker Services SB F100-25-097 dated 30 December 2003 (section 2). These actions must be completed within three years from the effective date of the directive, which is 15 April 2004.
Entities governed by this AD, such as aircraft operators and maintenance organisations, are required to ensure that the specified modifications and maintenance actions are carried out on the affected PSU panels. This includes performing a thorough inspection to identify any water leakage on the PSU electrical connectors, followed by the necessary cleaning and sealing procedures, and implementing the modifications as specified in the relevant service bulletins. Compliance with these requirements is mandatory to address the identified unsafe condition that has led to reported incidents of smoke in the aft passenger compartment due to PSU overheating.
Failure to comply with the AD F100/60 may result in significant legal and safety repercussions. Non-compliance with airworthiness directives is a serious matter under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Act 1998. Offences involving the failure to adhere to airworthiness requirements can result in civil or criminal penalties, including substantial fines and potential imprisonment. The specific penalties are determined by the severity of the breach and the potential risk to safety posed by the non-compliance. Operators and maintenance entities must ensure that all mandated actions are completed within the stipulated timeframe to avoid these consequences.