Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Parliament of Australia, serve to regulate civil aviation within Australia, ensuring safety and compliance with international standards. One specific legislative instrument under this regulation, F2006B09820, pertains to Airworthiness Directives for the Fokker F28 Series Aeroplanes. This directive was introduced to address safety concerns identified by the Netherlands Rijksluchtvaartdienst, specifically the risk of inadvertent liftdumper deployment during take-off roll. The policy objective of this directive is to mitigate the identified unsafe condition through required inspections and corrective actions on the liftdumper microswitches, thereby ensuring continued airworthiness and safety of the affected Fokker F28 aircraft models.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, governs the safety of aircraft within Australian airspace, and the Airworthiness Directive AD/F28/85 issued under this regulation applies to all Fokker F28 series aeroplanes, including the Model F.28 Mk 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000. This directive mandates that operators and owners of these aircraft must conduct a visual and functional inspection of the liftdumper microswitches, ensuring they are in proper working order to prevent inadvertent deployment during critical phases of flight, particularly take-off. The directive specifies that if the centreline of the microswitch activating roller is found to be improperly positioned, corrective action must be taken by re-rigging the cam according to Fokker Service Bulletin F28/27-186. This directive extends its applicability nationally and requires compliance before specific dates, with inspections due before 19 September 2000 and corrective actions taken before further flight. The directive does not exclude any aircraft within its scope and is enforced by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority as the regulatory body.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, establish the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, which includes Airworthiness Directive AD/F28/85 concerning Fokker F28 Series Aeroplanes. This directive, issued under subregulation 39.1(1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (CAR 1998), mandates certain actions to be taken to ensure the safety of Fokker F28 Mk 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 series aeroplanes. The directive focuses on the liftdumper microswitches installed in the pedestal of these aircraft. The directive outlines specific requirements to be fulfilled. Firstly, operators must visually inspect and functionally check the liftdumper microswitches installed in the pedestal, following the instructions provided in Part 2 of the Accomplishment Instructions of Fokker Service Bulletin (SB) F28/27-186 dated 8 May 2000. If this inspection has not been previously accomplished, it must be completed before a specified date. Secondly, if the inspection reveals that the centreline of the microswitch activating roller is positioned less than 1.5mm before the end of the cam, the cam must be re-rigged in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions outlined in Part 2.A(5) of Fokker SB F28/27-186. The directive further clarifies that if the microswitch activating roller is found to be within the acceptable range of 2mm ±0.5mm before the end of the cam, the aircraft may return to service without further action. Operators of Fokker F28 series aeroplanes must adhere to the compliance dates specified in the directive. Requirement 1, which involves the initial inspection of the liftdumper microswitches, must be completed before 19 September 2000. Requirement 2, which pertains to the re-rigging of the microswitches if necessary, must be completed before any further flight. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in the aircraft not meeting the necessary safety standards, potentially leading to unsafe conditions during operation. Violation of the provisions outlined in this Airworthiness Directive may result in various penalties. Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 include provisions for offences and penalties, which can include fines and imprisonment for serious breaches. The exact penalties would depend on the specific nature and severity of the breach, as well as any relevant jurisdictional laws and regulations. Compliance with the directive is crucial to ensure the safety of the aircraft and its occupants, and non-compliance can have serious legal and operational consequences.