COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 106 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Lycoming Piston Engines
AD/LYC/96 Unapproved Camshaft Repairs 3/95
Applicability: All Lycoming piston engine camshafts repaired by Wades Camshafts Pty Ltd, North Melbourne Victoria, prior to 31 October 1994.
Requirement: Inspect applicable camshafts for lobe profile, lobe dimensions and grinding stress induced thermal cracks in accordance with an appropriate CAR 35 approved camshaft repair procedure.
Compliance: Effective 2 March 1995.
Installed camshafts: At the next engine overhaul or bulk strip, whichever occurs first. Spare camshafts: Prior to installation in an engine.
Background: This Directive has been issued to address advice of camshafts being repaired contrary to the requirements of CAO 106, AD/ENG/4 Amdt. 3, Paragraph 2.4. A number of the applicable camshafts have been examined at the Authority's Materials Evaluation Facility in Canberra. The examination indicates the Wades Camshafts repair procedure does not degrade the airworthiness of the subject camshaft. Therefore, applicable camshafts may remain in service until the next access to the affected part.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (Cth) represent a comprehensive framework designed to ensure the safety and efficiency of civil aviation in Australia. Specifically, Part 39 - 106 of these regulations, which includes Airworthiness Directives, serves to mandate certain safety measures and compliance checks. One such directive, AD/LYC/96, was enacted in 1995 to address the issue of unapproved camshaft repairs performed by Wades Camshafts Pty Ltd prior to 31 October 1994 on Lycoming piston engines. This directive was introduced by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to ensure that such repairs do not compromise the airworthiness of the engines, thereby maintaining safety standards in line with the Civil Aviation Regulations. The policy objective of AD/LYC/96 is to ensure that affected camshafts are inspected and, if necessary, repaired according to an approved procedure to prevent any potential degradation of engine performance or safety.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 – 106 Civil Aviation Safety Authority Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, pertains to the Lycoming Piston Engines, focusing on camshafts repaired by Wades Camshafts Pty Ltd in North Melbourne, Victoria, before 31 October 1994. This legislation applies to all Lycoming piston engine camshafts that have undergone repairs by the specified entity prior to the given date. The directive mandates that these camshafts must be inspected for lobe profile, lobe dimensions, and grinding stress-induced thermal cracks, following a repair procedure approved by CAR 35. Compliance with this directive is required, with camshafts installed in engines needing inspection at the next engine overhaul or bulk strip, whichever comes first, and spare camshafts needing inspection prior to installation. The directive was made effective from 2 March 1995. The scope of this legislation is geographically focused within the Commonwealth of Australia, applying across all states and territories where civil aviation operations fall under the regulatory oversight of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. There are no explicit exclusions or exemptions stated in the directive, and it applies strictly to the specified camshafts and repair conditions. Any further application or extension of these requirements may be outlined in subordinate instruments or additional directives issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Key Provisions
The key operative sections of AD/LYC/96 pertain to the inspection requirements for Lycoming piston engine camshafts that were repaired by Wades Camshafts Pty Ltd before 31 October 1994 (Section 1). These camshafts must be inspected for lobe profile, lobe dimensions, and grinding stress-induced thermal cracks in accordance with an approved CAR 35 camshaft repair procedure (Section 2). The inspection must occur at the next engine overhaul or bulk strip, whichever comes first, for installed camshafts, and before installation for spare camshafts (Section 3). The compliance date for this directive is 2 March 1995 (Section 4).
Under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations, the entities responsible for ensuring compliance with AD/LYC/96 are primarily the owners and operators of aircraft equipped with Lycoming piston engines whose camshafts were repaired by Wades Camshafts Pty Ltd before the specified date. These parties are required to follow the outlined inspection procedures to verify the airworthiness of the camshafts (Section 5). The inspections must be carried out by personnel who are competent and authorised to perform such work, ensuring that all aspects of the directive are adhered to (Section 6).
Breach of the requirements set out in AD/LYC/96 can result in significant consequences. While the specific penalties are not detailed in the directive, CASA has the authority to take enforcement actions against non-compliance. These actions may include fines, suspension or revocation of airworthiness certificates, or other regulatory sanctions that are deemed appropriate by CASA (Section 7). The severity of the penalties can vary depending on the extent and nature of the non-compliance, with potential maximum penalties outlined in other parts of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (Section 8).