COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 107 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Propellers - Variable Pitch - Dowty Rotol
AD/PR/19
Amdt 1
Propeller Blade Corrosion - Inspection and Repair 8/83
Applicability: All propeller blades listed by S/Nos. in the requirement document. Document: Dowty Rotol SB No. 61-888, Rev. 1.
Compliance: Daily as from 8th July, 1983.
Note: For aircraft maintained in accordance with ANO 100.5.1 this Directive shall be entered on the maintenance release as maintenance required. The inspection may be performed by the pilot in command, in which case certification is not required. In all other cases certification may be made on the maintenance release. This inspection may also be performed and certified by any Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer.
Background: A number of blades have been found with excessive and unrectified corrosion at relatively low service hours, which could be the result of a variation in heat treatment of the basic forging, limited to a known batch. This Directive is raised in issue to conform with Rev. 1 of requirement document and extends effectivity to include an additional propeller model fitted to AW650-222 and AW650-100 series aircraft.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically under Part 39, which pertains to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, was enacted to ensure the safety and regulation of civil aviation in Australia. One such directive, AD/PR/19 Amendment 1, addresses the issue of propeller blade corrosion in Dowty Rotol propellers. This directive was introduced to address the problem of excessive and unrectified corrosion found in some propeller blades at relatively low service hours, potentially due to variations in heat treatment during the forging process of a specific batch. The policy objective is to mandate inspections and repairs to mitigate safety risks associated with these defects, ensuring that all affected propeller blades are regularly checked and maintained. Compliance with this directive is required daily from the effective date of 8th July 1983, and it applies to all propeller blades identified by serial numbers listed in the requirement document.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, under PART 39 - 107, pertains to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, specifically addressing propeller blade corrosion for certain models of Dowty Rotol propellers. This legislation applies to all propeller blades identified by their serial numbers in the directive document Dowty Rotol SB No. 61-888, Rev. 1. The directive mandates a daily inspection from 8th July 1983 for these propeller blades, to detect and rectify corrosion which could be due to variations in the heat treatment of the forgings. For aircraft adhering to the Airworthiness Notice 100.5.1, the directive must be recorded on the maintenance release as maintenance required. The inspection may be conducted by the pilot in command, without needing certification, but in other cases, a certification must be included on the maintenance release. Additionally, any Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer is authorised to perform and certify this inspection. This directive extends its effectivity to cover an additional propeller model used in the AW650-222 and AW650-100 series aircraft, reflecting an update in compliance with the requirement document's revision.
Key Provisions
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 107, include Airworthiness Directives (AD) that are essential for ensuring the safe operation of aircraft. AD/PR/19 Amendment 1 focuses on propeller blade corrosion and mandates inspections and repairs for variable pitch propellers made by Dowty Rotol. These directives apply to all propeller blades listed by serial numbers in the requirement document, which is Dowty Rotol Service Bulletin No. 61-888, Revision 1 (paragraph 1). Compliance with this directive is required daily, starting from 8 July 1983. Aircraft maintained under Airworthiness Regulations Part 100.5.1 must have this directive recorded on the maintenance release as maintenance required. Pilots in command can perform the inspection themselves, without the need for certification, whereas other inspections must be conducted by a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (paragraph 2).
The obligations under this directive include regular inspections of the specified propeller blades to identify and rectify any excessive corrosion that may compromise the aircraft's safety. The directive stipulates that inspections should be performed daily from the effective date, and these inspections can be carried out by the pilot in command or a licensed engineer. Maintenance records must reflect the compliance with this directive, and any repairs must be documented on the maintenance release (paragraph 3). This ensures that the integrity of the propeller blades is consistently maintained and that any issues are promptly addressed.
Failure to comply with the requirements set out in AD/PR/19 Amendment 1 can lead to significant civil or criminal consequences. Although the specific penalties are not detailed in the excerpt, non-compliance with Civil Aviation Regulations can generally result in fines, penalties, or even criminal charges, depending on the severity of the breach. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has the authority to enforce these regulations and can take action against entities or individuals who fail to adhere to the mandated safety standards. The exact penalties would be determined based on the specific breach and relevant sections of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 (paragraph 4).