COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
McDonnell Douglas (Hughes) and Kawasaki 369 Series Helicopters
AD/HU 369/62
Amdt 4
Tail Rotor Blade Abrasion Strip 12/94
Applicability: 1. All 369 Series helicopters equipped with the tail rotor blade part numbers listed in McDonnell Douglas SIN HN-232, DN-179, EN-70, or FN-57, or
2. Installed after production P/N 369A1613-3M, and
3. Any of the SIN listed P/N with a suffix such as the letters M or M-STC added to the dash numbers after production.
Requirement: 1. Visually check each tail rotor blade abrasion strip for evidence of bond failure along the entire abrasion strip/airfoil bond line. If this check results in suspect areas, inspect in accordance with Part I of McDonnell Douglas SIN HN-232, DN- 179, EN-70, or FN-57, as applicable.
Note: MDHC SIN HN-197.2, DN-130.2, EN-19.2, and FN-17.1 dated 23 March 1987
contains additional information on checks and inspections.
2. Unless already accomplished inspect in accordance with Part I of McDonnell Douglas SIN HN-232, DN-179, EN-70, or FN-57, as applicable and, if no debonding exists, install tail rotor blade abrasion strip rivets in accordance with Part II of McDonnell Douglas SIN No HN-232, DN-179, EN-70, or FN-57, as applicable.
Note: FAA AD 94-18-08 refers.
Compliance: 1. At each Daily Inspection until two rivets are installed.
2. Within 25 hours time in service, or seven days after 23 October 1992, whichever occurs first.
This amendment is effective from 10 November 1994.
Note: This Directive shall be entered on the Maintenance Release as maintenance required. The visual inspection required by Para 1 may be performed by the pilot in command in which case certification is to be made by entering AD/HU 369/62 Amdt 4 against the Daily Inspection certification of the Maintenance Release. A copy of this Airworthiness Directive is to be kept in the aircraft.
Background: Separation of the abrasion strip epoxy bond has been experienced.
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
The revised Requirement Documents in Amendment 1 included additional blade part numbers, and additional serial numbers for the previously affected part number blades. Amendment 2 was raised to align this Directive with the recently issued Country of Origin AD which requires repetitive inspections followed with a terminating modification action. Amendment 3 is the result of a FAA priority AD raised as the result of an accident from abrasion strip and subsequent tail rotor separation, despite the daily inspection. It also contains additional applicable part numbers. Amendment 4 updates the FAA AD reference which supersedes FAA Priority Letter 92-22-14 and FAA AD 92-02-15. No further work is required as a result of this amendment.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Australian Government, aim to ensure the safety and regulation of civil aviation within Australia. Part 39 - 105, titled "Civil Aviation Safety Authority Schedule of Airworthiness Directives," addresses the need for specific safety measures and compliance for aircraft to maintain airworthiness. This particular legislative instrument focuses on the McDonnell Douglas (Hughes) and Kawasaki 369 Series Helicopters, with Amendment 4 of Airworthiness Directive AD/HU 369/62 concerning tail rotor blade abrasion strip. This amendment, effective from 10 November 1994, was introduced to address the problem of abrasion strip bond failure, which had led to incidents of tail rotor separation. The policy objective is to enhance the safety of these helicopters by mandating regular inspections and necessary modifications to prevent such failures. Compliance with these directives is essential for maintaining the airworthiness of the affected aircraft.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically under Part 39 - 105 Civil Aviation Safety Authority Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, apply to all operators and maintenance personnel working on McDonnell Douglas (Hughes) and Kawasaki 369 Series helicopters. These regulations mandate the adherence to Airworthiness Directive AD/HU 369/62 Amendment 4, which addresses the issue of tail rotor blade abrasion strip abrasion. The applicability extends to all 369 Series helicopters equipped with specific tail rotor blade part numbers and any subsequent installations that match the criteria outlined in the amendment. The geographic reach of this legislation is national, governing all civil aviation activities within Australia. The directive specifies the need for visual checks and inspections of the tail rotor blade abrasion strips, with the requirement to install additional rivets if necessary, to ensure safety in operation. Compliance must be achieved within a specified timeframe after the directive's issuance, and the directive must be documented on the Maintenance Release. The regulations do not provide explicit exclusions but are contingent on the specific circumstances of each helicopter and its maintenance history.
Key Provisions
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105 under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, include Amendment 4 of AD/HU 369/62 for McDonnell Douglas (Hughes) and Kawasaki 369 Series Helicopters (section 1). This amendment concerns tail rotor blade abrasion strips, which are essential for the safe operation of these helicopters. The requirement is to visually check each tail rotor blade abrasion strip for bond failure along the entire abrasion strip/airfoil bond line (section 2). If any suspect areas are found, a more thorough inspection must be conducted according to the specified McDonnell Douglas Service Information Notices (section 3). If no debonding is detected, tail rotor blade abrasion strip rivets must be installed as per the McDonnell Douglas Service Information Notices (section 4).
The Act imposes several obligations on the parties governed by it. Operators of 369 Series helicopters must ensure that each tail rotor blade abrasion strip is visually inspected for bond failure at each daily inspection (section 5). Additionally, a comprehensive inspection and, if necessary, the installation of rivets must be completed within 25 hours of the helicopter being in service or within seven days after 23 October 1992, whichever comes first (section 6). The visual inspection can be performed by the pilot in command, but certification must be documented by entering AD/HU 369/62 Amdt 4 on the Maintenance Release (section 7). A copy of this Airworthiness Directive must be kept in the aircraft (section 8).
Failure to comply with the requirements set out in the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 can result in significant consequences. There are no specific penalties mentioned in the text, but non-compliance with airworthiness directives generally leads to the aircraft being deemed non-airworthy, which could result in severe civil or criminal penalties. The severity of these penalties can vary, but they may include fines, suspension of flight operations, or even criminal charges for negligence, depending on the circumstances and the discretion of the court (section 9).