Overview

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) introduced the Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/PARA/13 on 3 March 2004 to address safety concerns regarding emergency parachutes produced by MarS a.s. and equipped with ripcord pin U-048/A manufactured by Capewell Components. This directive was issued following reports of broken ripcord pins, which could lead to critical operational failures such as unintentional parachute deployment or inability to deploy the parachute when necessary. The AD mandates that specific testing procedures outlined in MarS a.s. Mandatory Service Bulletin No. M ATL-01a be performed on the affected parachutes before their next in-flight use following the directive's issuance date, aiming to ensure the airworthiness and safety of the affected aircraft and their occupants. This legislative instrument was enacted under subregulation 39.1 (1) of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998.

Scope and Application

The Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued under the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) specifies necessary actions to address unsafe conditions in certain emergency parachutes. Specifically, this AD pertains to emergency parachutes ATL-88/90 and ATL-88/92-S produced by MarS a.s. in 2002 and 2003, identifiable by listed serial numbers, and equipped with ripcord pin U-048/A manufactured by Capewell Components. The directive applies to parachutes for which the mandatory service bulletins M ATL-01a from MarS a.s. or CW03-01 from Capewell Components have not been executed. The requirement involves conducting a test on the ripcord pin in accordance with the mentioned service bulletins. The directive is effective as of 3 March 2004 and mandates compliance before the next in-flight use after this date. It applies to the Commonwealth of Australia and is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on the same date of its issuance.

Key Provisions

This Airworthiness Directive (AD) under subregulation 39.1(1) of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR 1998) mandates specific actions to be taken in relation to certain emergency parachutes. Specifically, AD/PARA/13 pertains to emergency parachutes ATL-88/90 and ATL-88/92-S produced by MarS a.s. in 2002 and 2003, equipped with ripcord pin U-048/A produced by Capewell Components, where certain service bulletins have not been completed. The affected serial numbers are detailed in the AD. The primary requirement outlined in the AD is that a test of the ripcord pin U-048/A must be performed in accordance with MarS a.s. Mandatory Service Bulletin No. M ATL-01a. This directive is issued in response to reports of broken ripcord pins, which could lead to either unintentional parachute opening or the inability to open the parachute when needed. The AD references Czech CAA AD CAA-AD-076/2004 for additional context. Entities governed by this AD, including owners and operators of the specified parachutes, are obligated to ensure the compliance test is conducted before the next in-flight use of the parachute following 3 March 2004. The AD becomes effective on the same date, thereby imposing a clear timeline for compliance. Failure to adhere to the requirements set out in this AD could result in significant safety risks, including the potential for catastrophic outcomes during flight. While the AD itself does not explicitly state penalties for non-compliance, non-adherence to CASR 1998 regulations can result in enforcement actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). These actions may include fines, legal action, and potential grounding of the aircraft or equipment involved. The severity of penalties would depend on the nature and extent of the non-compliance.