Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, under Part 39, were enacted by the Australian Parliament to regulate civil aviation safety, including issuing Airworthiness Directives (ADs) to address specific safety issues. One such AD is AD/LEARJET/38, issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) in 2001. This particular directive aims to address a safety issue concerning the main landing gear tyres of Gates Learjet 24 and 25 Series aeroplanes. Specifically, it targets tyres manufactured by Goodyear with part number 178K23-5 within a certain serial number range, which had been identified as potentially defective due to tread separation issues. The directive mandates a visual inspection of the tyres and requires the replacement of any affected tyres before further flights, in accordance with the instructions provided by Bombardier (Learjet) Advisory Wire 32-021 and other referenced materials. The objective of this directive is to ensure the continued airworthiness and safety of the affected aircraft by mitigating the risk posed by the identified tyre defect.

Scope and Application

This Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) pertains specifically to the Gates Learjet 24 & 25 Series Aeroplanes. The directive applies to all aircraft within the specified model range, including 23, 24, 24A, 24B, 24B-A, 24C, 24D, 24D-A, 24E, 24F, 24F-A, 25, 25A, 25B, 25C, 25D, and 25F, that are equipped with Goodyear main landing gear tyres bearing the part number 178K23-5 and falling within the serial number range of 0148xxxx through 0152xxxx. The directive mandates a visual inspection of the relevant tyres to ascertain whether they fall within the specified criteria. If a tyre is found to have the specified part number and serial number range, it must be replaced before further flight. This requirement is necessary to address the risk of tread separation identified by the tyre manufacturer. The directive became effective on 23 May 2001, and compliance must be achieved before 28 May 2001 unless already accomplished. The directive applies across the Commonwealth of Australia, aligning with the overarching jurisdiction of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998.

Key Provisions

The main sections of this Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 directive (CAR 1998) include the applicability, requirement, and compliance sections. The applicability section (AD/LEARJET/38) identifies the specific Gates Learjet 24 and 25 series aeroplanes and the Goodyear main landing gear tyres affected by this directive. The requirement section mandates that a visual inspection be performed on the main landing gear tyres to check if any tyre has a Goodyear part number 178K23-5 within the serial number range of 0148xxxx through 0152xxxx, as per Bombardier (Learjet) Advisory Wire 32-021 dated 5 February 2001. If any affected tyre is found, it must be replaced before further flight. The compliance section states that these actions must be completed before 28 May 2001, unless already done. The Act imposes obligations on the owners and operators of the specified aircraft to ensure that the required actions are taken within the timeframes stipulated. Specifically, the owners and operators must conduct a visual inspection of the tyres and replace any that fall within the specified serial number range. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in the aircraft being deemed unairworthy, which would prevent it from flying until the necessary actions are completed. The directive also references relevant FAA and Goodyear bulletins, which must be adhered to in order to ensure compliance. There are no specific offences, penalties, or civil or criminal consequences mentioned within this Airworthiness Directive itself. However, non-compliance with the directive could potentially lead to enforcement actions under the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988. Such actions could include fines, suspension or revocation of aircraft certificates, or other regulatory measures. The specific penalties would depend on the nature and severity of the non-compliance, as well as any applicable laws and regulations.