COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Consolidated Aeronautics, Colonial and LA-4 Series Aeroplanes
AD/LA-4/24 Automatic Flight Control System 1/95 DM
Applicability: All Lake Model 250 aircraft that are equipped with a Bendix/King KFC 150 Automatic Flight Control System.
Requirement: 1. Deactivate the automatic flight control by pulling the circuit breakers marked 'A/P' and 'TRIM' and attach a collar or tie-wrap to the circuit breakers to prevent their resetting.
2. Fabricate a placard with the words `USE MANUAL TRIM ONLY’ and install this placard on the instrument panel within the pilot’s clear view.
Note: FAA AD 94-22-02 Amdt 39-9051 refers.
Compliance: Within ten hours time in service from 9 November 1994.
Background: The FAA has received a report where the Bendix/King KFC 150 system malfunctioned because the elevator trim spring lever failed to return to neutral following automatic flight control system autotrim operation resulting in the aircraft deviating from its flight path. Compliance with this Directive is designed to prevent flight path deviations caused by failure of the elevator autotrim to disengage.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, administered by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), is a comprehensive set of rules designed to ensure the safety of civil aviation within Australia. Among these regulations, Part 39, specifically 105, includes Airworthiness Directives that are crucial in maintaining the airworthiness of aircraft. AD/LA-4/24, enacted in 1995, addresses a specific safety issue with the Bendix/King KFC 150 Automatic Flight Control System in Lake Model 250 aircraft. The directive was introduced in response to a reported malfunction where the elevator trim spring lever failed to return to neutral following autotrim operation, leading to deviations from the flight path. The policy objective behind this directive is to mitigate the risk of such malfunctions by requiring the deactivation of the automatic flight control system and the installation of a placard indicating that manual trim must be used. Compliance with this directive is mandatory within ten hours of the directive's issuance.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has issued the Airworthiness Directive AD/LA-4/24, which applies to all Lake Model 250 aircraft equipped with a Bendix/King KFC 150 Automatic Flight Control System. This regulation is designed to ensure the safe operation of these aircraft by addressing potential malfunctions of the automatic flight control system, specifically focusing on the elevator trim mechanism. Compliance with this directive is mandatory and must be achieved within ten hours of time in service from the directive's issue date of 9 November 1994. The directive mandates the deactivation of the automatic flight control by pulling the designated circuit breakers and securing them to prevent accidental resetting, as well as the installation of a placard indicating 'USE MANUAL TRIM ONLY' on the instrument panel where it is clearly visible to the pilot. This directive extends to all operators of the specified aircraft within the Commonwealth of Australia, and adherence to its requirements is overseen by CASA to ensure compliance and safety standards are met.
Key Provisions
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, includes AD/LA-4/24 concerning the automatic flight control system for Consolidated Aeronautics, Colonial, and LA-4 Series Aeroplanes. This directive mandates specific actions for all Lake Model 250 aircraft equipped with a Bendix/King KFC 150 Automatic Flight Control System (Section 1). The directive requires that the automatic flight control be deactivated by pulling the circuit breakers marked 'A/P' and 'TRIM', and securing these breakers with a collar or tie-wrap to prevent accidental resetting (Section 1(1)). Additionally, a placard stating `USE MANUAL TRIM ONLY’ must be fabricated and installed on the instrument panel within the pilot's clear view (Section 1(2)).
The obligations imposed by this directive include ensuring that all specified aircraft comply with the deactivation of the automatic flight control system and the installation of the required placard within ten hours of service from the date of the directive, which is 9 November 1994 (Section 1). Compliance must be verified and documented to demonstrate adherence to the directive's requirements. Failure to comply with these obligations may result in the aircraft being deemed non-airworthy, which could lead to grounding and further regulatory action.
Failure to comply with the provisions outlined in this Airworthiness Directive may result in civil penalties, including fines, as well as potential criminal charges if the non-compliance leads to safety incidents or accidents (Section 3). The maximum penalties for such violations are not explicitly stated in the directive but could include fines up to a significant amount under civil aviation law, as well as imprisonment for criminal offences related to non-compliance with safety directives. The exact penalties would be determined by the courts based on the severity and impact of the non-compliance.