AD/OXY/17 - Smoke Hood Inspection

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically within Part 39, includes the regulation AD/OXY/17 which pertains to the inspection of smoke hoods installed on aircraft. Enacted in 1998, this regulation addresses the safety concern associated with certain AIR LIQUIDE Smoke hood type 15-40 F models that were found to become opaque shortly after opening. The regulation was introduced in response to reports that these smoke hoods, identified by specific lot numbers, could pose a risk to flight safety. This airworthiness directive mandates the inspection and removal of these smoke hoods from service and prohibits their installation on any aircraft, aiming to prevent potential hazards and ensure compliance with safety standards. The regulation was issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to mitigate safety risks associated with the identified lot numbers of AIR LIQUIDE Smoke hood type 15-40 F. The objective of the regulation is to ensure that affected smoke hoods are inspected, removed from service, and not used on any aircraft to prevent potential safety hazards. Compliance with this directive is mandatory, with a specified deadline for the inspection and removal of the affected smoke hoods, effective from the date of the directive's enactment on 29 January 1998.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 107 and the Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, pertain to the safety standards and operational regulations for civil aviation in Australia. This particular directive, AD/OXY/17, applies to a specific subset of oxygen systems, namely AIR LIQUIDE Smoke hood type 15-40 F installed on various types of aircraft. The directive mandates inspections and removal from service of smoke hoods identified by certain lot numbers, excluding those further identified with an “R1” on the label. This regulation targets a defined group of lot numbers, ensuring that aircraft equipped with these potentially hazardous smoke hoods undergo necessary safety checks. The directive applies nationally, as it is enforced by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority under the Commonwealth of Australia's jurisdiction. Compliance with this directive is mandatory and must be completed by 16 July 1998, effective from 29 January 1998, ensuring all affected aircraft are promptly assessed and any necessary actions are undertaken to maintain airworthiness and passenger safety.

Key Provisions

The key provisions of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, particularly in relation to PART 39 - 107, focus on the requirements and compliance measures regarding the airworthiness directives for oxygen systems. Specifically, AD/OXY/17 mandates the inspection and removal of certain smoke hoods from service to ensure safety in aviation operations. The directive applies to AIR LIQUIDE Smoke hood type 15-40 F installed on aircraft with specified lot numbers (1.1). These lot numbers include 8141, 8283, 8359, 8389, 8413, 8473, 8474, 8475, 8477, 8524, 8569, 8570, 8656, 8657, 8682, 8744, 8801, 8840, 8841, 8842, 9003, 9007, and 9254 (1.1). The directive requires the inspection and removal of these smoke hoods from service, and additionally stipulates that they should not be fitted to any aircraft (1.2). The obligations imposed by this directive are clear and specific. Operators of aircraft must ensure that the identified smoke hoods are inspected and removed from service no later than 16 July 1998 if the inspection has not been previously completed (2.1). Furthermore, compliance with this directive is mandatory as of its effective date, which is 29 January 1998 (2.2). This includes adhering to the directive's stipulation that the specified smoke hoods are not to be used on any aircraft moving forward from the date of its effectiveness. Failure to comply with these provisions can result in significant consequences. The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 do not explicitly state penalties in the provided text, but non-compliance with airworthiness directives typically attracts severe regulatory action, which can include fines, grounding of the aircraft, or other enforcement actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). The severity of these penalties can vary based on the nature and extent of the non-compliance, but they are designed to ensure that safety standards are rigorously upheld in the aviation industry.