AD/INST/22 - Airborne Vacuum Pumps - Removal From Service

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, as amended, establish and regulate the safety standards for civil aviation in Australia, with Part 39 - 107 being particularly relevant to airworthiness directives. One such directive is AD/INST/22, which mandates the removal from service of certain airborne vacuum pumps. Enacted by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), this regulation addresses the safety risks associated with specific models of airborne engine-driven vacuum pumps manufactured prior to 1966. The directive aims to mitigate potential hazards by requiring the decommissioning of these pumps to ensure the safety of aviation operations. CASA's policy objective through this regulation is to maintain high safety standards by removing known faulty equipment from service, thereby protecting passengers and crew.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, under the authority of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, specifically in Part 39, mandate that certain airborne vacuum pumps must be removed from service. The scope of this legislation applies to airborne engine-driven vacuum pumps manufactured prior to 1966, identified by specific model and serial numbers listed in the Act. This includes a range of models and serial numbers, such as the 113A and 200 cc models, each with their respective serial number ranges. The regulation is jurisdictional in nature, applying across the Commonwealth of Australia and enforced by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. It is imperative that compliance is achieved within 100 hours of time in service following 30 November 1976. The Act provides detailed specifications and does not explicitly mention any exclusions or exemptions, though related directives and amendments may provide further clarification or conditions.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 107 (1), mandate the removal from service of all Airborne engine-driven vacuum pumps manufactured prior to 1966. The regulation lists specific models and serial numbers that fall under this directive (2). The requirement applies to airborne vacuum pumps with particular model and serial number ranges, as detailed in the schedule (3). These include various model years and serial numbers from 1960 to 1965, along with corresponding serial number ranges for each model year (4). The regulations impose several obligations on the parties involved. Primarily, operators of aircraft equipped with the specified vacuum pumps are required to ensure that these pumps are removed from service (5). This removal must occur within 100 hours of time in service following 30 November 1976 (6). Non-compliance with these directives can result in severe consequences, as the regulations are enforced to maintain safety standards in civil aviation (7). Failure to comply with the provisions of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 can result in significant penalties. Operators who do not adhere to the requirement to remove specified airborne vacuum pumps from service may face civil penalties. Additionally, non-compliance may lead to the grounding of aircraft until the necessary actions are taken, thereby impacting operational continuity (8). The maximum penalties for such breaches are not explicitly stated in the provided text, but they can include fines and other regulatory actions that may be outlined in other sections of the Civil Aviation Act or associated regulations (9).