AD/P68/22 Amdt 5 Wing Lower Front and Rear Spar Assemblies

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Legislation au F2019L00326 In force Legislative Instrument

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Explanatory Statement

Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998

AD/P68/22 Amdt 5 — Wing Lower Front and Rear Spar Assemblies

Legislation

Under section 98 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 (the Act), the Governor-General may make regulations for the purpose of carrying out and giving effect to the provisions of the Convention on International Civil Aviation relating to safety, amongst other things. Under regulation 39.001 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR), CASA may issue an airworthiness directive (AD) for a kind of aircraft or aeronautical product. Under subsections 98 (5B) and (5BA) of the Act, an AD is a legislative instrument unless it is expressed to apply in relation to a particular person, a particular aircraft or a particular aeronautical product.

Under subsection 33 (3) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901, where an Act confers a power to make, grant or issue any instrument of a legislative or administrative character (including rules, regulations or by-laws), the power shall be construed as including a power exercisable in the like manner and subject to the like conditions (if any) to repeal, rescind, revoke, amend, or vary any such instrument.

Under Annex 8 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the State of Design has overall responsibility for continuing airworthiness of an aircraft type, and must provide any information necessary to ensure the continuing airworthiness of a type to appropriate States of Registry. ADs (and their equivalents) are the most common form of continuing airworthiness information, and are issued by most International Civil Aviation Organization Contracting States.

The State of Registry of an individual aircraft is responsible for its continuing airworthiness. Under Annex 8, the State of Registry must develop or adopt requirements to ensure the continuing airworthiness of aircraft.

CASA raised AD/P68/22 Amdt 4 to correct an unsafe situation on Partenavia P68 series aircraft in 1986. The AD was issued to mandate the inspection of the wing front and rear spars for cracks in accordance with Partenavia Service Bulletin No. 65. The State of Design for this type, Italy, has not yet taken action to correct this unsafe condition. As there are many examples of the type on the Australian register, CASA has developed an AD to correct the problem on Australian aircraft. As a result of a request from industry, CASA has issued AD/P68/22 Amdt 5 to incorporate a later revision of the service bulletin which extends the applicability of serial numbers up to 356. This AD repeals and replaces the previous AD on this subject.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

  • Partenavia Service Bulletin (SB) No. 65 Revision 3, dated 30 September 1985 provides technical instructions for the inspection and repair of Partenavia P68 spar cap cracking. For subsection 98 (5D) of the Act, the technical document is incorporated as it exists on the date mentioned above. The technical document is not freely available.

Technical documents referred to in this AD are proprietary, copyright, fee-for-service documents, prepared on a commercial basis. They may be purchased from the aircraft or component manufacturer by subscription.

As a matter of practicality, it would not be possible for aircraft operators to operate aircraft in Australian and foreign airspace without having their own subscription access to relevant aircraft or engine manufacturer documentation, such as the Service Bulletins. Nevertheless, as a current subscriber for the documents, CASA will make the relevant sections of the incorporated documents available, in its Canberra or regional offices, by arrangement, and, in keeping with the proprietary nature of the documents, for viewing only, to any aircraft operator who is affected by the direction instrument, or to any interested person.

Consultation

This AD is being made at the request of industry, in particular an operator of the Partenavia P68 series aircraft. As this AD amendment is of a minor or machinery nature and does not substantially alter existing arrangements apart from clarifying the AD Requirement and Compliance sections and expanding the AD applicability to include two additional aircraft serial numbers, and as CASA has consulted directly with the operators of these two additional affected aircraft who have confirmed that they are already compliant with the conditions of the AD via compliance with the SB, it is CASA’s view that it was not necessary or appropriate to undertake any further consultation under section 17 of the Legislation Act 2003.

Regulation Impact Statement

A Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) is not required because ADs are covered by a standing agreement between CASA and the Office of Best Practice Regulation under which a RIS is not required for ADs (OBPR id. 14507).

Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

A Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights is at Attachment 1.

Making and commencement

The instrument has been made by a delegate of CASA relying on the power of delegation under subregulation 11.260 (1) of CASR and subsection 94 (1) of the Act.

The instrument commences on 22 March 2019.

[Instrument number AD/P68/22 Amdt 5]


Attachment 1

Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the
Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011

AD/P68/22 Amdt 5 – Wing Lower Front and Rear Spar Assemblies

This legislative instrument is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

Overview of the legislative instrument

CASA issued AD AD/P68/22 Amdt 4 affecting Partenavia P68 series aeroplanes in 1984. The State of Design for this type, Italy, has not yet taken action to correct this unsafe condition. As there are many examples of the type on the Australian register, CASA has developed an AD to correct the problem on Australian aircraft. As a result of a request from industry, CASA has repealed and replaced AD/P68/Amdt 4 to incorporate a later revision of the service bulletin which extends the applicability of serial numbers up to 356.

The primary purpose of this legislative instrument is to incorporate a later revision of the service bulletin referenced in the AD.

Human rights implications

This legislative instrument does not engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms.

Conclusion

This legislative instrument is compatible with human rights as it does not raise any human rights issues.

Civil Aviation Safety Authority

Overview

The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 were enacted to ensure the safety and efficiency of civil aviation in Australia, in accordance with the Civil Aviation Act 1988. This Act empowers the Governor-General to make regulations for the purpose of carrying out and giving effect to the provisions of the Convention on International Civil Aviation relating to safety, among other things. Within the framework of this overarching legislation, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) was established to manage and enforce these regulations. A particular tool CASA uses to maintain safety standards is the issuance of airworthiness directives (ADs), which are legislative instruments designed to address safety issues in specific aircraft types or aeronautical products. The AD/P68/22 Amdt 5, issued under the authority of CASA, is an example of this mechanism in action. It was introduced in response to an identified unsafe condition in Partenavia P68 series aircraft, specifically concerning the wing lower front and rear spar assemblies. This amendment, made at the request of industry, updates the scope of the previous directive to include additional serial numbers, thereby expanding the number of aircraft affected and ensuring compliance with the most current safety standards. The legislative instrument aims to address this safety concern while ensuring that operators have access to the necessary technical documentation for compliance.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 Amendment (AD/P68/22 Amdt 5) applies to all Partenavia P68 series aircraft operating within Australia, specifically targeting those with serial numbers up to 356. This legislation extends the applicability of the previous airworthiness directive, AD/P68/22 Amdt 4, which was issued to address an unsafe condition identified in the wing front and rear spars of these aircraft. The directive mandates inspections for cracks in accordance with Partenavia Service Bulletin No. 65 Revision 3. The State of Registry, which in this context is the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), is responsible for ensuring the continuing airworthiness of these aircraft registered in Australia. This amendment does not impose any new exclusions or exemptions beyond what was already specified in the previous directive. The geographic reach of this regulation is confined to Australian airspace, but it aligns with international standards set forth by the Convention on International Civil Aviation, particularly Annex 8, which mandates that the State of Design provide necessary information to ensure airworthiness. The amendment was issued in response to industry requests, clarifying and extending the directive's applicability, and no further consultation was deemed necessary by CASA as it does not substantially alter existing arrangements.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of this legislative instrument include the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR) and the Civil Aviation Act 1988 (the Act). Section 98 of the Act provides the authority for the Governor-General to make regulations for safety purposes, while section 39.001 of the CASR allows the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to issue airworthiness directives (AD). ADs, such as AD/P68/22 Amdt 5, are legislative instruments under subsections 98(5B) and (5BA) of the Act, unless they are specifically expressed to apply to a particular person, aircraft, or aeronautical product. The AD itself incorporates technical instructions from Partenavia Service Bulletin No. 65 Revision 3, which details the inspection and repair of Partenavia P68 spar cap cracking. The AD imposes specific obligations on aircraft operators and owners of Partenavia P68 series aircraft. These obligations include conducting inspections of the wing lower front and rear spars for cracks, in accordance with the incorporated service bulletin. This applies to aircraft with serial numbers up to 356. Operators must ensure compliance with the AD by performing the necessary inspections and repairs to maintain the continuing airworthiness of the aircraft. CASA provides access to the service bulletin for affected operators, although these documents are proprietary and require subscription. There are no explicit offences or penalties stated in this AD; however, failure to comply with an AD can result in serious safety risks. Under the CASR and the Act, non-compliance can lead to enforcement actions by CASA, including potential grounding of the aircraft until compliance is achieved. Additionally, operators may face consequences under other aviation legislation for operating an aircraft that does not meet airworthiness standards. While specific penalties are not detailed in this AD, the overarching aviation regulatory framework provides for various enforcement measures to ensure adherence to safety directives. In summary, AD/P68/22 Amdt 5 serves to mandate specific safety inspections for Partenavia P68 series aircraft to address an identified unsafe condition. Operators must comply with the AD by conducting the required inspections and repairs as specified in the incorporated service bulletin. Non-compliance could lead to enforcement actions by CASA, potentially including grounding of the aircraft until compliance is achieved. The AD is a legislative instrument under the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 and the Civil Aviation Act 1988, and it incorporates technical instructions from a referenced service bulletin.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.