COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 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.
PZL M18 Dromader Series Aeroplanes
AD/PZL/6 Inspection of Safety Belts 7/2003
Applicability: All Models PZL M18, M18A, and M18B aircraft fitted with safety harnesses P/N D74.183.2L, D74.183.00.2P or D74.186.00.1 manufactured after 01 January 1994.
Requirement: Inspect and, if required, replace the safety harnesses in accordance with PZL Mandatory Service Bulletin E/02.184/2003.
Note: Polish AD SP-0010-2003-D refers
Compliance: Before 24 July 2003.
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 10 July 2003.
Background: The manufacturer has advised that some belt length adjusters have been found to have been incorrectly attached to the safety harness. Tests revealed that the incorrectly manufactured belts fail at less than the design strength.
David Villiers
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 23 May 2003
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 18 June 2003.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 were enacted to provide a framework for ensuring the safety of civil aviation within Australia, addressing gaps in the regulation of aircraft and aeronautical products to prevent unsafe conditions. This legislative instrument, issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), is an Airworthiness Directive (AD) aimed at correcting specific safety issues identified with certain aircraft models. The AD mandates inspections and necessary actions to rectify identified safety concerns, ensuring compliance with established safety standards. The policy objective behind these regulations is to maintain the highest possible safety standards in civil aviation by requiring the timely and effective correction of identified safety issues. The directive for the PZL M18 Dromader Series Aeroplanes, issued on 10 July 2003, exemplifies this commitment by requiring inspections and potential replacements of safety harnesses in specific aircraft models to address a manufacturing defect that compromises safety.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, as amended, and specifically Part 39 - 105, mandate the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to issue Airworthiness Directives (ADs) to ensure the safety of aircraft and aeronautical products within Australia. This particular AD/PZL/6 pertains to PZL M18 Dromader Series Aeroplanes, specifically models PZL M18, M18A, and M18B, which are fitted with safety harnesses manufactured after 01 January 1994. The directive applies to safety harnesses with part numbers D74.183.2L, D74.183.00.2P, or D74.186.00.1. The requirement outlined in this AD necessitates the inspection and, if necessary, the replacement of these safety harnesses in accordance with PZL Mandatory Service Bulletin E/02.184/2003, with compliance expected before 24 July 2003. This AD became effective on 10 July 2003 and was published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 18 June 2003. The directive is a direct response to issues identified by the manufacturer regarding incorrectly attached belt length adjusters, which have been found to fail at less than the design strength.
Key Provisions
The Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/PZL/6, issued on 7 July 2003 by David Villiers, a delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), applies to all PZL M18, M18A, and M18B aircraft models that are fitted with specific safety harness parts numbers (D74.183.2L, D74.183.00.2, or D74.186.00.1) manufactured after 1 January 1994 (section 3). The directive mandates an inspection and, if necessary, replacement of the safety harnesses in accordance with PZL Mandatory Service Bulletin E/02.184/2003. This requirement stems from findings that some belt length adjusters on the safety harnesses were incorrectly attached, causing them to fail at less than the design strength (section 4).
The AD imposes specific obligations on aircraft owners and operators. They must ensure that the inspections and necessary replacements of the safety harnesses are conducted before the compliance date of 24 July 2003 (section 5). This involves adhering to the instructions detailed in PZL Mandatory Service Bulletin E/02.184/2003, which likely includes specific procedures and standards to follow during the inspection and replacement process. Failure to comply with this directive could result in the aircraft being deemed unairworthy, potentially leading to operational restrictions or grounding of the aircraft.
The AD also includes consequences for non-compliance. If aircraft owners or operators fail to meet the requirements set out in the directive, they may face civil or criminal penalties. The exact penalties are not specified in the text, but non-compliance with CASA directives can generally result in enforcement actions, including fines or other sanctions. The directive becomes effective on 10 July 2003, and it was published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 18 June 2003 to ensure that all relevant parties are aware of the requirements and compliance deadlines (section 7). The directive is a critical safety measure aimed at preventing accidents related to the incorrectly manufactured safety harnesses.