AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below issues the following Airworthiness Directive (AD) under subregulation 39.1 (1) of CASR 1998. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.

Parachute Equipment

AD/PARA/11 CAPEWELL Parachute Equipment 10/2003

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Applicability: Parachute Harness-Container manufactured in France or of foreign origin; equipped with ripcord pins manufactured by CAPEWELL between 28 November 2001 and 15 July 2003.

For the purposes of this Directive, Harness-Container means:

-            harness-container explicitly declared as affected in a Vendor Service Bulletin, or,

-            harness-container not explicitly declared unaffected in Vendor Service Bulletin, or,

-            harness-container equipped with a handle/ripcord/pin package from unknown origin, or,

-            harness-container having its handle/ripcord/pin assembly replaced by CAPEWELL equipment with pins and ripcords manufactured between 28 November 2001 and 15 July 2003.

Requirement: 1. Have Test 1 (“Ripcord Pin Field Test”) or Test 2 (“Ripcord Pin Test for Repack”) performed by qualified personnel as described in CAPEWELL Service Bulletin CW03-01.

2. Report test findings to the Authority.

Note: DGAC Emergency AD U2003-300(A) refers.

Compliance: 1. Before further use after 11 August 2003, unless already accomplished.

2. Within 7 days of the Requirement 1 test.

This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 11 August 2003.

Parachute Equipment

AD/PARA/11 (continued)

Background: Several ruptures of CAPEWELL parachute metallic ripcord pins have been reported.

David Villiers

Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 8 August 2003

The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 11 August 2003.