AD/JETSTREAM/38 Amdt 2 - Electrical Power Inverter Transfer Function

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, aim to ensure the safety and efficiency of civil aviation within the country. Part 39, specifically focusing on airworthiness directives, is crucial for maintaining the safety standards of aircraft. One such directive, AD/JETSTREAM/38 Amendment 2, addresses specific issues identified in British Aerospace BAe 3100 (Jetstream) Series Aeroplanes. This amendment was introduced to address unacceptable AC power fluctuations in Jetstream 3100 and 3200 aircraft, which had been causing nuisance warnings and the malfunctioning of essential flight instruments. The policy objective of this directive is to ensure compliance with British Aerospace service bulletins and amendments that mitigate these issues, thereby enhancing the operational safety of the affected aircraft.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105 concerning the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, applies to Jetstream 3100 and 3200 series aeroplanes manufactured by British Aerospace. This legislative instrument mandates the modification of the electrical power inverter transfer function to address unacceptable AC power fluctuations that could lead to nuisance warnings and malfunctions in essential flight instruments. The directive requires compliance with specific British Aerospace Service Bulletins (SB), with a focus on ensuring stable AC power and isolation of operational inverters from faulty ones. The regulation applies nationally, under the purview of the Commonwealth of Australia, and compliance must be achieved by specific dates as outlined in the directive. The regulatory requirements are further clarified through amendments to the directive, which provide additional context and reference to other relevant service bulletins and flight manual amendments. Notably, this legislation does not specify any exclusions or thresholds, thereby applying broadly to all applicable aircraft within the defined scope.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, includes an amendment to the schedule of airworthiness directives for British Aerospace BAe 3100 (Jetstream) Series Aeroplanes, identified as AD/JETSTREAM/38 Amendment 2. This directive applies to Jetstream 3100 and 3200 aircraft as detailed in the requirement document. Section (1) of this directive mandates that the actions must be taken in accordance with BAe Alert Service Bulletin (SB) 24-A-JA 900443 Revision 2. Additionally, it references BAe Alert SB 24-A-JM 7708 dated 2 March 1990, and advises that compliance with CAA (UK) Mandatory AD 31-04-90 and Flight Manual amendment A/3100-3107/20 are relevant. These requirements necessitate actions to be completed prior to specified dates, 16 May 1990 for the first requirement and 16 August 1990 for the second. The directive imposes several obligations on the parties or entities it governs. Owners and operators of the affected Jetstream aircraft must ensure compliance with the specified service bulletins and amendments. This involves conducting the necessary modifications to the aircraft's electrical power inverter transfer function to mitigate the risks of AC power fluctuations, which can cause nuisance warnings and malfunctioning of essential flight instruments. The modifications include isolating the operational inverter from the faulty inverter to maintain stable AC power and ensuring that the captain and co-pilot’s essential flight instruments are not simultaneously connected to a faulty or unacceptable AC power source. Failure to comply with the provisions of this airworthiness directive can result in significant consequences. The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 impose penalties for non-compliance, which can include both civil and criminal penalties. The exact nature and severity of these penalties may depend on the specific circumstances of the breach, but they can include fines and potential grounding of the aircraft until the required modifications are completed. The maximum penalties are not explicitly stated in the directive, but they can be severe, reflecting the critical importance of ensuring the airworthiness of the aircraft to maintain safety standards.