AD/F28/76 - Landing Gear Locking Mechanism

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Parliament of Australia, serve to regulate civil aviation safety within the country. Among these regulations, Part 39 - 105 pertains to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's schedule of airworthiness directives, specifically addressing critical safety issues for certain aircraft models. The legislative instrument F2006B09810, known as AD/F28/76, was introduced to address a critical safety issue concerning the landing gear locking mechanism of Fokker F28 Series Aeroplanes. The directive applies to all F28 aircraft within specific serial number ranges and mandates that unless a previously specified action has been carried out, compliance with Fokker Service Bulletin F28/32-153 is required. The urgency of this directive stems from an incident where a Fokker 100 experienced a main undercarriage collapse during landing, prompting the need for immediate corrective action to prevent similar occurrences. The policy objective behind AD/F28/76 is to ensure the continued airworthiness and safety of the Fokker F28 Series Aeroplanes by rectifying the specific vulnerability in the landing gear locking mechanism. The requirement to comply by 1 November 1995 underscores the urgency with which the Civil Aviation Safety Authority sought to mitigate the risk of undercarriage collapse. The reference to RLD BLA AD 94-163 (A) further situates this directive within a broader framework of regulatory oversight aimed at maintaining high safety standards in civil aviation.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically under Part 39, imposes mandatory safety directives for certain Fokker F28 series aeroplanes. The regulation targets Fokker F28 aircraft with serial numbers ranging from 11003 through 11241, and also includes the aircraft with serial numbers 11991 and 11992. The directive requires compliance with Fokker Service Bulletin F28/32-153 to address a previously identified issue with the landing gear locking mechanism. This requirement was prompted by an incident where a Fokker 100 experienced a main undercarriage collapse during landing due to extreme inward side-load conditions causing the lock toggle link to be pulled out of its overcentre position. The directive mandates that these specific Fokker F28 aircraft must comply with the stipulated action by 1 November 1995, ensuring that the safety issue is addressed and rectified in accordance with the referenced service bulletin. The regulation applies to the Commonwealth of Australia and is enforced by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, ensuring the safety and airworthiness of the specified Fokker F28 aircraft.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, Part 39 - 105 (subsections 39-105), contain specific airworthiness directives for various aircraft models, including Fokker F28 Series Aeroplanes. One such directive is AD/F28/76, which pertains to the landing gear locking mechanism. This directive applies to all F28 aircraft with serial numbers ranging from 11003 to 11241, as well as 11991 and 11992 (subsection 39-105(1)). The directive requires that a specific action be taken unless a previous action in accordance with Fokker Service Bulletin F28/32-153 has already been carried out (subsection 39-105(2)). It is important to note that this directive references Regulatory Liaison Document BLA AD 94-163 (A) (subsection 39-105(3)). Compliance with this directive must be achieved by 1 November 1995 (subsection 39-105(4)). The directive imposes specific obligations on the owners and operators of the affected Fokker F28 aircraft. They must ensure that the specified action is carried out on the landing gear locking mechanism, unless the action has already been performed in line with Fokker Service Bulletin F28/32-153. This requirement is designed to address a safety concern identified by the manufacturer, which involved the potential for the lock toggle link to be pulled out of the overcentre position during landing, potentially causing a main gear collapse (subsection 39-105(5)). The directive ensures that these aircraft meet the necessary safety standards to prevent such incidents. Failure to comply with the provisions of AD/F28/76 may result in various consequences, including potential safety risks for the aircraft and its occupants. In terms of legal ramifications, non-compliance with airworthiness directives can lead to enforcement actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). The specific penalties for non-compliance are not detailed in the directive but can include fines, suspension or revocation of the aircraft's certificate of airworthiness, and other regulatory actions (subsection 39-105(6)). These measures are in place to ensure that all aircraft operated in Australia meet the required safety standards and to deter non-compliance with airworthiness directives. In summary, AD/F28/76 is a critical directive under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, designed to address a specific safety concern with the landing gear locking mechanism on certain Fokker F28 aircraft. It mandates that specific actions be taken unless a previous action has already been performed. Non-compliance with this directive can result in significant safety risks and potential enforcement actions by CASA, including fines and suspension of the aircraft's certificate of airworthiness. The directive is a crucial component of ensuring the safety and airworthiness of aircraft operating in Australia.