AD/PC-6/38 - Horizontal Stabiliser Inspection

Overview

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) introduced the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 as a comprehensive set of rules governing all aspects of civil aviation in Australia. These regulations aim to ensure the safety and efficiency of civil aviation activities. One specific legislative instrument under these regulations, F2006B06142, addresses the issue of horizontal stabiliser inspections for Pilatus Porter PC-6 series aeroplanes. Enacted by the Australian Government, the policy objective of this regulation is to mitigate the risk of fatigue cracking in the horizontal stabiliser, a known safety concern for this aircraft model. The regulation provides operators with the option to either retire the horizontal stabiliser before it accumulates 10,000 hours of component time in service, or modify the stabiliser and implement an inspection scheme approved by CASA to detect and address any cracks. Compliance with these directives is essential to maintaining the airworthiness of the aircraft and ensuring the safety of passengers and crew. The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, administered by CASA, aim to ensure the safety and efficiency of civil aviation in Australia. Part 39, in particular, addresses specific safety directives for various aircraft types. Legislative instrument F2006B06142 pertains to the Pilatus Porter PC-6 series aeroplanes and mandates either the retirement or modification and inspection of the horizontal stabiliser to prevent fatigue cracking. This directive responds to a recognised problem of restricted inspection access for certain cracking sites on these aircraft. By providing two compliance options, the regulation seeks to enhance the safety and reliability of the Pilatus Porter PC-6 series, thereby protecting the interests of all aviation stakeholders.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, under PART 39 - 105, specifically address the airworthiness directives for Pilatus Porter PC-6 series aeroplanes, notably focusing on horizontal stabiliser inspection through AD/PC-6/38. This legislation applies to all Pilatus Porter PC-6 series aircraft, necessitating either the retirement of the horizontal stabiliser or its modification and inspection for cracks in accordance with a scheme approved by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. Aeronautical Designs Australia Pty Ltd EO-934 is an approved scheme under this directive. The requirement is to either retire the horizontal stabiliser before it accrues 10,000 hours of component time in service or modify and inspect it for cracks before reaching the same threshold, with subsequent re-inspections to occur at intervals not exceeding 100 hours. This regulation aims to mitigate the historical issue of fatigue cracking in the horizontal stabiliser of these aircraft, which can lead to significant safety concerns due to restricted inspection access in some areas. The scope of the regulation is national, applying across the Commonwealth of Australia, and it extends to all entities operating Pilatus Porter PC-6 series aeroplanes within its jurisdiction. While the primary focus is on addressing a specific safety issue, there are no exclusions or exemptions noted within the directive itself. However, the application of the directive may be further defined or refined through subordinate instruments issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, which may provide additional guidance or specific operational requirements to ensure compliance with the directive.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, under the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's (CASA) Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, includes an important directive concerning the Pilatus Porter PC-6 series aeroplanes, identified as AD/PC-6/38. This directive mandates that all operators of Pilatus Porter PC-6 series aircraft must either retire the horizontal stabiliser or modify it and inspect it for cracks in accordance with a scheme approved by CASA (Section 39-105). The directive aims to address the historical issue of fatigue cracking in the horizontal stabiliser, which has been a safety concern. The requirements set forth by this directive are quite specific. Operators must retire the horizontal stabiliser before it accumulates 10,000 hours of component time in service, or alternatively, modify the stabiliser and inspect it before reaching 10,000 hours of service time (Section 39-105). Furthermore, once the stabiliser is modified and inspected, it must be re-inspected at intervals not exceeding 100 hours (Section 39-105). This ensures ongoing safety and compliance with the directive. The obligations imposed by this directive are clear and significant. Operators must adhere to the outlined procedures, whether retiring or modifying and inspecting the horizontal stabiliser, to ensure the aircraft remains airworthy. They must also ensure that any inspection scheme used is approved by CASA. Specifically, the approved scheme in question is Aeronautical Designs Australia Pty Ltd EO-934, which is referenced in the directive as a compliant method for the inspection process (Section 39-105). Failure to comply with the requirements of AD/PC-6/38 can result in severe consequences. Although the specific penalties are not detailed in the provided text, non-compliance with Civil Aviation Regulations can generally lead to substantial fines and other enforcement actions by CASA. In more severe cases, non-compliance could also result in the grounding of the aircraft, which would have significant operational and financial repercussions for the operator. Therefore, adherence to these regulations is crucial to maintaining safety and compliance in the aviation industry.