COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 107 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY

SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

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.

Propellers - Variable Pitch - Beechcraft

AD/PB/5 Propeller Blade Retainer Ferrule 9/2003

Applicability: Cessna 120 and 140 aeroplanes equipped with Continental C-85 Series engine and Beech R003 propeller fitted with R003-201 blades.

Requirement: 1. Remove the R003-201 propeller blades and visually inspect the propeller blade retainer ferrule for cracks at the fillet joining the cylindrical outer surface of the ferrule with the retaining face of the flange. Particular caution should be exercised not to injure or contaminate the thrust bearing, which must be pressed away from the flange for the inspection. The propeller manufacturer's assembly and service instructions are to be followed during disassembly and reassembly of the propeller.

2. If any indication of a crack is found, both blades should be replaced with the R003-225 blades.

Note 1: FAA AD 47-43-08 and Beechcraft Propeller Service Letter No. 1 refer.

Note 2: R003-225 blades are sufficiently similar to R003-201 blades to be considered aerodynamically interchangeable in the same diameter without a flight test.

Compliance: 1. At intervals not to exceed 25 flight hours from the effective date of this Directive.

2. Before further flight.

This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 4 September 2003.

Background:  Failure of the propeller blade retainer ferrule could lead to catastrophic failure of the propeller with loss of control of the aeroplane. This Directive requires an inspection of the propeller to identify any cracks that may form allowing removal of the blades before a failure occurs.

Jim Coyne

Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 25 July 2003

The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 13 August 2003.

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