Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, established by the Australian Parliament, aim to ensure the safety of civil aviation within Australia. Part 39 - 105 of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 specifically focuses on airworthiness directives, ensuring that all aircraft maintain their airworthiness through regular inspections and compliance with safety standards. The Piper PA-32 (Cherokee Six) Series Aeroplanes AD/PA-32/27 Amendment 2 is a legislative instrument designed to address the problem of corrosion in the wing rear spar of these aircraft, a defect that can lead to structural failure. The policy objective behind this amendment is to enhance the safety of these aircraft by mandating regular inspections and timely maintenance to prevent corrosion-related issues, thereby maintaining the overall airworthiness of the aircraft fleet. This legislative instrument, enacted as part of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, requires a visual inspection of the wing rear spar to fuselage attachment area for evidence of corrosion in specific parts of the Piper PA-32 (Cherokee Six) aircraft. The amendment mandates that inspections be conducted within certain timeframes to ensure that any corrosion is detected and addressed promptly, reducing the risk of catastrophic failure. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is the enacting body responsible for issuing and enforcing these directives, ensuring that all aircraft meet the required safety standards and remain airworthy.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Regulations, specifically Part 39 - 105, includes Airworthiness Directives applicable to aircraft such as the Piper PA-32 (Cherokee Six) Series Aeroplanes. This legislation mandates that all models of the specified aircraft undergo a specific inspection procedure for the wing rear spar to fuselage attachment area. The directive requires a visual inspection to check for evidence of corrosion between certain part numbers, with an emphasis on inspecting the front face of the rear spar through the internal area of the wing. Compliance with this directive is mandatory, requiring inspections within 100 hours of service after a specific date for aircraft not previously inspected, and thereafter at intervals not exceeding three calendar years for all aircraft. This requirement is vital due to the potential for complete disintegration of the rear spar material without external evidence of deterioration. The geographic and jurisdictional reach of this Act is national, applying to all aircraft registered in Australia and operated within the Australian airspace. The Act does not specify any exclusions or exemptions and is applied uniformly across the Commonwealth. Subordinate instruments may be used to extend or refine the application of this directive, ensuring that all relevant aircraft are inspected and maintained to the required safety standards.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically in Part 39 - 105, include detailed safety directives for ensuring the airworthiness of various aircraft, including the Piper PA-32 (Cherokee Six) Series Aeroplanes. One significant directive (AD/PA-32/27) pertains to the wing rear spar inspection for these aircraft. According to this directive (section 1/96), a visual inspection of the wing rear spar to fuselage attachment area is mandatory. This inspection should focus on detecting evidence of corrosion between specific rear spar part numbers (62054-() and 35174-()) and spar plate part numbers (62056-() and 66762-()). The inspection must be conducted on the front face of the rear spar through the internal area of the wing, after the removal of the underwing fillet or fuselage floor panels in the area of the wing rear attachments. Compliance with this directive requires that aircraft which have not been inspected in accordance with the previous issue of this directive must be inspected within 100 hours of time in service after 4 January 1996. Following this initial inspection, further inspections must be conducted at intervals not exceeding three calendar years. For aircraft that have already been inspected in line with the previous directive, the inspection should still occur at intervals not exceeding three calendar years. The directive highlights that corrosion of the aluminium alloy rear spar can occur insidiously, progressing from the inboard end and manifesting through deterioration of rivet tails, pitting, bulging, and cracking of the rear spar. Failure to adhere to the stipulated inspection intervals and procedures can result in significant safety risks. The regulations impose a strict obligation on aircraft owners and operators to ensure that the specified inspections are conducted in a timely and thorough manner. Non-compliance with these directives can potentially lead to serious safety issues, including structural failure in the wing area, which could compromise the overall airworthiness of the aircraft. The importance of these inspections cannot be overstated, given the risk of complete disintegration of the rear spar material without any external evidence of deterioration, as noted in the background of Amendment 2 to the directive. Under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, breaches of airworthiness directives can result in severe consequences. Civil aviation authorities have the power to enforce penalties against non-compliant aircraft operators. The specific penalties can include fines, suspension of the aircraft’s certificate of airworthiness, or even criminal charges in cases of gross negligence or willful disregard of safety regulations. The maximum penalties for such offences can vary but may include substantial fines and imprisonment, reflecting the critical nature of ensuring compliance with safety directives to protect public safety in aviation.