COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE
For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below issues the following Airworthiness Directive (AD) under subregulation 39.1 (1) of CASR 1998. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.
British Aerospace (Hawker Siddeley) HS 748 Series Aeroplanes
AD/HS 748/33 Battery Earth Posts 9/2003
Applicability: HS748 Series aeroplanes with batteries installed in the nosecone.
Requirement: Relocate the two battery earth points in accordance with BAe Systems (Operations) Service Bulletin HS748-24-131, Revision 1, dated 16 June 2003, from their present positions on the nose landing gear pintle webs to a dedicated plate mounted on the nose landing gear side beams below the cockpit floor.
Note: CAA (UK) AD 006-01-2003 refers.
Compliance: Before 30 September 2003.
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 4 September 2003.
Background: BAe Systems advised that in a recent HS748 accident the nose landing gear leg detached together with the nose landing gear pintle webs. The loss of the landing gear pintle webs together with battery earth posts, which are located on the nose landing gear pintle webs, resulted in the battery earth return cables being severed from their earth posts. This in turn resulted in the loss of critical services including fuel shut-off and nacelle fire extinguishing.
This Directive requires the relocation of the earth posts to a dedicated plate mounted on the nose landing gear side beams.
Jim Coyne
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 25 July 2003
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 13 August 2003.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR) were enacted to ensure the safety of civil aviation within Australia, providing a comprehensive regulatory framework for maintaining aircraft airworthiness and safety standards. This legislation is overseen by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), which has the authority to issue Airworthiness Directives (AD) to address specific safety concerns as they arise. The AD/HS 748/33 issued in 2003 is an example of such a directive, responding to a safety issue identified with the British Aerospace (Hawker Siddeley) HS 748 Series aeroplanes. The directive mandates the relocation of battery earth posts to prevent a recurrence of accidents like the one where the nose landing gear detached, leading to the severance of battery earth return cables and the loss of critical services. The policy objective behind this directive is to mitigate the identified unsafe conditions and enhance the overall safety of the aircraft in operation.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, specifically under Part 39, mandate that Airworthiness Directives are issued by a delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to address identified safety issues related to civil aircraft. This particular AD/HS 748/33 applies to HS748 Series aeroplanes with batteries installed in the nosecone. The requirement outlined in the AD involves relocating the two battery earth posts on the nose landing gear pintle webs to a dedicated plate mounted on the nose landing gear side beams below the cockpit floor, as per BAe Systems Service Bulletin HS748-24-131, Revision 1, dated 16 June 2003. This change is necessitated by a recent accident where the nose landing gear detached, severing the battery earth return cables and resulting in the loss of critical services. The AD mandates that this relocation must be completed before 30 September 2003, and it became effective on 4 September 2003, as published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 13 August 2003.
Key Provisions
The main operative sections of this Airworthiness Directive (AD/HS 748/33) pertain to the applicability, requirement, and compliance timelines. The applicability section (section 2) specifies that this directive applies to HS748 Series aeroplanes with batteries installed in the nosecone. The requirement section (section 3) mandates the relocation of the two battery earth points from their current positions on the nose landing gear pintle webs to a dedicated plate mounted on the nose landing gear side beams below the cockpit floor, in accordance with BAe Systems (Operations) Service Bulletin HS748-24-131, Revision 1, dated 16 June 2003. This action is necessary to correct an unsafe condition identified after an accident where the nose landing gear leg detached, resulting in the severance of battery earth return cables and loss of critical services.
The AD imposes specific obligations on the parties governed by this regulation. Operators of HS748 Series aeroplanes must ensure that the battery earth posts are relocated as per the directive. This involves adhering to the instructions provided in the referenced service bulletin, which includes detailed guidance on the physical relocation of the earth posts to the specified location. Additionally, operators must complete this relocation before the compliance deadline of 30 September 2003, ensuring that the aircraft remain airworthy and compliant with safety standards.
Failure to comply with the requirements of this Airworthiness Directive can lead to significant legal and safety consequences. While the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 do not explicitly detail penalties for non-compliance with Airworthiness Directives, non-compliance with safety regulations generally can result in severe repercussions. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) can take enforcement actions, including grounding the aircraft until compliance is achieved, imposing fines, and other administrative actions. Furthermore, operators may face civil liability for any accidents or incidents that occur due to non-compliance, as well as potential criminal charges if gross negligence or willful disregard of safety regulations is proven.