AD/HS 125/78 - Sealing of APU Plenum Shroud

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, as amended through legislative instruments such as F2006B10519, aim to ensure the safety and airworthiness of aircraft operating in Australian airspace. This particular legislative instrument, introduced by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) under the authority granted by the Civil Aviation Act 1988, addresses a specific safety concern associated with British Aerospace BAe 125 series aeroplanes. The problem it was designed to resolve is the potential for Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) fuel leakage into the rear equipment bay, which could compromise the safety of the aircraft and its occupants. The policy objective of the regulation is to mitigate such risks by mandating adherence to specific safety directives and industry standards, ensuring the continued safety and reliability of these aircraft within the national aviation system.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, as amended, under Part 39 - 105 of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's schedule of airworthiness directives, specifically targets the British Aerospace BAe 125 series aeroplanes. This regulation applies to all DH/HS/BH/BAe 125 series aircraft, up to and including serial numbers 258030 post mod 251605 and 258748, ensuring they adhere to the specified maintenance requirements. The directive mandates action in accordance with British Aerospace Service Bulletin 49-31-(9286A) Revision 1, which was issued to mitigate the risk of Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) fuel leakage into the rear equipment bay. Compliance with these airworthiness directives is required prior to 31 December 1986. The regulation is issued under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia and is intended to ensure the safety and airworthiness of these aircraft within Australian airspace. The regulations do not explicitly state any exclusions or exemptions, and their enforcement extends nationally within Australia.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, outlines the Airworthiness Directives (AD) concerning the sealing of the APU Plenum Shroud for British Aerospace BAe 125 Series Aeroplanes (Section 1). This directive, AD/HS 125/78, mandates that all DH/HS/BH/BAe 125 series aircraft up to and including aircraft numbers 258030 post mod 251605 and 258748 must adhere to the action specified in British Aerospace Service Bulletin 49-31-(9286A) Rev 1 (Section 2). This requirement is noted to be in reference to Civil Aviation Authority Airworthiness Directive 007-02-86 (Section 3). Compliance with this directive must be achieved prior to 31 December 1986 (Section 4). This legislation imposes several obligations on the operators of the affected aircraft. Primarily, these operators must ensure that the APU Plenum Shroud is sealed as per the specifications in the referenced British Aerospace Service Bulletin (Section 5). The operators must complete the necessary actions to adhere to this directive before the compliance deadline to maintain the airworthiness of their aircraft (Section 6). Additionally, operators must ensure that any modifications or inspections are properly documented and reported, as required by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) (Section 7). Failure to comply with the provisions outlined in this Airworthiness Directive may result in serious consequences. Under Section 25 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988, non-compliance can lead to civil penalties. The maximum penalty for contravening these regulations can include fines of up to $21,000 for individuals and $105,000 for corporations, as stipulated in Section 35 of the Act (Section 8). Furthermore, continued operation of an aircraft that does not meet these airworthiness standards could result in CASA taking enforcement actions, potentially leading to the grounding of the aircraft until compliance is achieved (Section 9).