AD/HS 748/24 Amdt 1 - Aileron, Rudder and Elevator Cable Tension Regulators and Gust Locks

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, as amended, address aviation safety standards in Australia and are administered by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). One such amendment is the Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/HS 748/24 Amendment 1, issued on 19 October 2001, which focuses on ensuring the safety of British Aerospace (Hawker Siddeley) HS 748 Series Aeroplanes. This AD was introduced to address the issue of potential jamming of aileron, rudder, and elevator cable tension regulators and gust locks, which could leave primary control cables untensioned. The directive mandates regular inspections as per BAe Systems Mandatory Service Bulletin HS748-27-126 Revision 3, to be performed within specific intervals to mitigate these risks. The AD was published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 7 November 2001, aiming to enhance aviation safety by providing clear, actionable guidelines to operators of affected aircraft.

Scope and Application

This Airworthiness Directive (AD) applies specifically to British Aerospace (Hawker Siddeley) HS 748 Series Aeroplanes, excluding those that have incorporated Modification 7670. The AD is issued under the authority of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (CAR 1998) by a delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), and it mandates certain safety measures to address a potential unsafe condition related to the aileron, rudder, and elevator cable tension regulators and gust locks. The AD is applicable to all relevant aircraft within the Australian jurisdiction and is enforced through CASA. The AD outlines specific requirements for inspections that must be carried out in accordance with BAe Systems Mandatory Service Bulletin HS748-27-126 Revision 3 and UK CAA AD 005-02-96. Compliance with the AD involves conducting inspections within 400 flying hours or six months after 23 April 1998, whichever comes first, and repeating these inspections at intervals not exceeding 400 flying hours or six months, whichever comes first, until Modification 7670 is incorporated. The AD also references the original issue date of 23 April 1998 and the amendment date of 29 November 2001, with the amendment becoming effective on that latter date.

Key Provisions

The Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/HS 748/24 Amdt 1 pertains to the British Aerospace (Hawker Siddeley) HS 748 Series Aeroplanes and specifically targets the aileron, rudder, and elevator cable tension regulators and gust locks (section 1). This AD is issued under subregulation 39.1 (1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (CAR 1998) and is applicable to all HS 748 aircraft that do not have Modification 7670 incorporated (section 2). The directive requires that inspections be conducted in accordance with BAe Systems Mandatory Service Bulletin HS748-27-126 Revision 3 (section 3). This involves ensuring that the tension regulators and gust locks are properly functioning to prevent jamming, which could lead to the associated primary control cables becoming untensioned. The AD refers to UK CAA AD 005-02-96 for additional guidance (section 3). Compliance with this AD requires that inspections be carried out within 400 flying hours or six months after 23 April 1998, whichever occurs first, and subsequently, inspections must be repeated at intervals not exceeding 400 flying hours or six months, whichever occurs first, until the incorporation of Service Bulletin HS748-27-129 (Modification 7670) (section 4). Failure to comply with this Airworthiness Directive can have significant consequences. Although the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 do not explicitly state penalties for non-compliance with ADs, non-compliance may result in the aircraft being deemed unairworthy, which can lead to enforcement actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). These actions may include grounding of the aircraft, fines, and other regulatory penalties. Additionally, non-compliance could lead to civil liabilities for damages resulting from any accidents or incidents caused by the unsafe condition. The AD was revoked and reissued to update the inspection requirements and to introduce repetitive inspection requirements and optional terminating action for these inspections (section 5). The reissued AD became effective on 29 November 2001 and was notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 7 November 2001. The directive aims to ensure the continued airworthiness of the affected aircraft by addressing the identified safety issue with the cable tension regulators and gust locks.