AD/GOV/10 Amdt 1 - Governor Flyweight Assembly

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, as amended, include specific directives aimed at ensuring the safety and airworthiness of aircraft in Australia. One such amendment, AD/GOV/10, addresses the critical issue of propeller governor failures, particularly those involving the flyweight assembly and pilot spool end fitting, which can lead to a loss of governor control. This amendment was introduced by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to mitigate the risk of such failures in Lycoming 540 series engines, affecting certain aircraft models. The policy objective is to enhance aviation safety by mandating specific actions, such as those outlined in McCauley Alerts SB 202C and SB 214, within defined timeframes to ensure continued operational reliability and safety of the aircraft in service. The regulatory action mandates compliance within 25 or 200 hours of time in service, whichever comes first, or at the next annual inspection, and within 12 calendar months from 5 January 1995. This directive responds directly to the increased failure rate observed in certain aircraft models, ensuring that maintenance and inspection protocols are adhered to strictly to prevent potential safety hazards. The enactment of this regulation underscores the commitment of the Australian government and CASA to maintaining the highest safety standards in civil aviation.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 107, concerns the Airworthiness Directives for propeller governors and applies to all model C290D[X]/T[X] governors with the letter 'H' or prior used on Lycoming 540 series engines. The applicability of this legislation is clearly defined within the Requirement Documents, which detail the specific governor models and aircraft types affected. The directive aims to address issues related to the separation of the flyweight assembly and/or failure of the pilot spool end fitting, which can lead to loss of governor control. The regulation mandates that corrective actions be taken in accordance with McCauley Alerts SB 202C and SB 214, with compliance required within specified timeframes: either within 25 hours of time in service or at the next annual inspection, or within 12 calendar months from 5 January 1995, whichever occurs first, and within 200 hours of time in service or at the next annual inspection, or within 12 calendar months from 5 January 1995, whichever occurs first, for the respective alerts. This regulation is part of the Commonwealth of Australia's efforts to ensure aviation safety and is applicable nationally.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically in Part 39 under the Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, include the AD/GOV/10 Amendment 1, which pertains to Governor Flyweight Assembly for certain aircraft models (section 1). This legislation applies to all model C290D[X]/T[X] governors marked with a letter 'H' or earlier, installed on Lycoming 540 series engines (section 1). To comply with this directive, operators must ensure that their aircraft meet the specified requirements and adhere to the compliance timelines outlined in the regulations. Under the Act, the primary requirement is that any affected governors must undergo specific actions unless these have already been performed in accordance with McCauley Alerts SB 202C and SB 214 (section 1). The first requirement mandates that the action specified in SB 202C be carried out within 25 hours of time in service or at the next annual inspection, whichever is sooner, or within 12 calendar months from 5 January 1995 (section 1.1). The second requirement states that the action specified in SB 214 must be performed within 200 hours of time in service or at the next annual inspection, again whichever is sooner, or within the same 12-month period starting from 5 January 1995 (section 1.2). Operators and owners of affected aircraft are obligated to ensure that the necessary actions are completed within the specified timeframes. Failure to adhere to these directives can result in serious safety concerns, given the potential for loss of governor control due to separation of the flyweight assembly or failure of the pilot spool end fitting (section 1). The increased failure rate of these governors, particularly in Mooney M20M and certain Maule and Commander 114B series aircraft, underscores the importance of compliance (section 1). The Act does not explicitly detail offences or penalties within the legislative instrument provided. However, non-compliance with airworthiness directives under the Civil Aviation Regulations can lead to significant civil and criminal consequences. These may include fines, imprisonment, or other penalties as prescribed by the Civil Aviation Act 1988. Operators found in breach of these regulations risk facing actions that could affect the airworthiness certification of their aircraft, leading to grounding and potential legal ramifications.