AD/GAZELLE/15 - Securaiglon (ex LAiglon) Safety Belts - Modification

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically under Part 39 - 105, address various safety directives to ensure the continued airworthiness of aircraft in Australia. One such directive is the Airworthiness Directive AD/GAZELLE/15, which was enacted to address safety issues related to the Securaiglon passenger seat belts on Eurocopter SA341 and SA342 (Gazelle) Series Helicopters. This directive was introduced by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, a body established under the Civil Aviation Act 1988, to ensure the safety and proper functioning of aircraft components. The primary objective of AD/GAZELLE/15 is to prevent incidents where the passenger seat belt buckles jam in the locked position, a problem reported by the manufacturer, by mandating modifications to the seat belts to comply with Aerospatiale Service Bulletin No. 01.20 and TRW RAPA Service Bulletin No. 01, to be completed prior to 31 January 1985.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, mandates the application of Airworthiness Directives for the safety oversight of aircraft in Australian airspace. This particular legislative instrument, AD/GAZELLE/15, pertains to the Eurocopter SA341 and SA342 (Gazelle) Series Helicopters, requiring compliance with safety modifications for Securaiglon (ex L’Aiglon) safety belts. The directive applies to all models SA341 and SA342 equipped with passenger seat belts as identified in Service Bulletin TRW No. 01. The requirement is that the modifications specified in Aerospatiale SB No. 01.20 and TRW RAPA SA SB No. 01 must be completed by 31 January 1985 to address the issue of buckles jamming in the locked position, ensuring the safety and reliability of the aircraft in operation. The directive's scope is jurisdictional, extending to all commercial and private operators of the specified aircraft models within Australia, enforcing compliance with the stated safety standards to maintain airworthiness.

Key Provisions

The key provision of the Airworthiness Directive AD/GAZELLE/15 (Securaiglon (ex L’Aiglon) Safety Belts - Modification) mandates that all models SA341 and SA342 helicopters equipped with passenger seat belts, as identified in Paragraph 1 of Service Bulletin TRW No. 01, must comply with Aerospatiale SB No. 01 and TRW RAPA SA SB No. 01 (section 1). These requirements involve modifying the Securaiglon (ex L’Aiglon) safety belts to prevent buckles from jamming in the locked position. The directive is clear that this modification must be completed before 31 January 1985. Compliance with this Airworthiness Directive imposes specific obligations on the parties involved. Operators of SA341 and SA342 helicopters must ensure that the identified passenger seat belts are modified as per the instructions outlined in Aerospatiale SB No. 01 and TRW RAPA SA SB No. 01. This involves following the manufacturer's guidelines to rectify the issue where the buckle could jam in the locked position. Additionally, operators must verify that the modifications are completed and documented before the specified deadline to maintain compliance with aviation safety regulations. Failure to comply with the requirements set forth in AD/GAZELLE/15 may result in civil and criminal consequences. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) enforces these regulations, and non-compliance could lead to enforcement actions. Although the specific penalties are not detailed in the directive, it is within CASA's purview to impose fines or other penalties for breaches of safety directives. These penalties could include financial sanctions or the grounding of non-compliant aircraft until the necessary modifications are made. Thus, it is imperative for operators to adhere strictly to the specified requirements to avoid any potential legal repercussions.