Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, contain Airworthiness Directives aimed at ensuring the safety of aircraft operations in Australia. One such directive is AD/PA-46/3 concerning the Piper PA-46 (Malibu) Series aeroplanes, which was introduced to address the issue of potential fuel leaks caused by abrasion of the fuel lines in the wing mounted radar cavity. Enacted by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, the directive mandates the replacement of the fuel supply lines and a modification to the wing ribs in specific models of the PA-46 series to prevent fuel leaks, thereby enhancing the overall safety of these aircraft. The directive requires compliance within 100 hours of time in service after 30 November 1984, following the manufacturer’s Service Bulletin No 792, to mitigate the identified safety risks.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, addresses the safety directives for certain aircraft, including the Piper PA-46 (Malibu) Series Aeroplanes. This legislation mandates that all models of PA-46-310P with specific serial numbers, as detailed in the requirement document, must comply with the Airworthiness Directive (AD/PA-46/3) concerning fuel supply line replacement and wing rib modification. This directive requires adherence to Piper Service Bulletin No 792 and necessitates compliance within 100 hours of time in service after 30 November 1984. The regulation is designed to address potential fuel leaks caused by fuel line abrasion in the wing-mounted radar cavity, thereby ensuring the continued airworthiness of these aircraft. The scope of this legislation applies directly to the specified models and serial numbers, and it is enforced by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to maintain safety standards within the Australian aviation industry.

Key Provisions

The key provisions of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (Part 39 – 105) focus on the airworthiness directives for Piper PA-46 (Malibu) series aeroplanes, specifically AD/PA-46/3. This directive mandates the replacement of the fuel supply line and the modification of the wing rib for certain models of the Piper PA-46-310P aeroplanes. The applicability of this directive is limited to aeroplanes with specific serial numbers, as detailed in the Requirement Document (section 2). Compliance with this directive is required within 100 hours of time in service after 30 November 1984 (section 3). The obligations imposed by this directive require the operator or owner of the affected Piper PA-46-310P aeroplanes to ensure that the fuel supply line replacement and wing rib modification are completed as specified by Piper SB No 792. This includes the necessary inspections and maintenance actions to rectify any identified issues with the fuel lines and wing ribs, which are critical for the safety of the aircraft (section 4). Failure to comply with the requirements set out in AD/PA-46/3 may result in significant legal consequences. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has the authority to take enforcement actions against non-compliance. These actions may include fines, enforcement notices, or other regulatory measures to ensure that the safety standards are upheld. While the specific penalties are not detailed in the provided text, it is important for operators and owners to adhere strictly to the directive to avoid any adverse outcomes (section 5).