AD/R22/30 Amdt 6 Main Rotor Spindle

Administered by Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

Legislation au F2020L00146 In force Legislative Instrument

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Explanatory Statement

Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998

AD/R22/30 Amdt 6 — Main Rotor Spindle

Legislation

Under section 98 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 (the Act), the Governor-General may make regulations for the purpose of carrying out and giving effect to the provisions of the Convention on International Civil Aviation relating to safety, amongst other things. Under regulation 39.001 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR), the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) may issue an airworthiness directive (AD) for a kind of aircraft or aeronautical product. Under subsections 98 (5B) and (5BA) of the Act, an AD is a legislative instrument unless it is expressed to apply in relation to a particular person, a particular aircraft or a particular aeronautical product.

Under subsection 33 (3) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901, where an Act confers a power to make, grant or issue any instrument of a legislative or administrative character (including rules, regulations or by-laws), the power shall be construed as including a power exercisable in the like manner and subject to the like conditions (if any) to repeal, rescind, revoke, amend, or vary any such instrument.

Under Annex 8 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the State of Design has overall responsibility for continuing airworthiness of an aircraft type, and must provide any information necessary to ensure the continuing airworthiness of a type to appropriate States of Registry. ADs (and their equivalents) are the most common form of continuing airworthiness information, and are issued by most International Civil Aviation Organization Contracting States.

The State of Registry of an individual aircraft is responsible for its continuing airworthiness. Under Annex 8, the State of Registry must develop or adopt requirements to ensure the continuing airworthiness of aircraft. When a foreign State of Design issued an AD before 1 October 2009 for a type of aircraft on the Australian Register, CASA, as Australia’s national airworthiness authority, must assess that information and, if appropriate, issue an Australian AD to mandate the requirements of the foreign State of Design. AD/R22/30 Amdt 6 applies to the Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Series helicopters.

The United States of America Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued AD 88‑26-01R2 affecting Robinson Helicopter Company R22 series helicopters in 1990. The United States of America is the State of Design for this helicopter type. CASA subsequently issued AD/R22/30 Amdt 5 to mandate the requirements of FAA AD 88‑26-01R2. As a result of a request from industry, CASA has issued AD/R22/30 Amdt 6 to clarify that the AD does not apply to later manufactured main rotor blade spindles with part number A158-3. This AD repeals and replaces the previous AD on this subject.

 

Documents Incorporated by Reference

The AD incorporates by reference Robinson Helicopter Company Service Bulletin No. 60A, as in force from time to time, which provides instructions for the rework of main rotor blade spindles and journal replacement. The document is freely available at the following internet address:

https://robinsonheli.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/r22_sb60.pdf

The AD also refers to, but does not incorporate, Robinson Helicopter Company Service Letter SL-68 which confirms that new part number A158-3 main rotor blade spindles are available to which the CASA and FAA ADs do not apply. The document is freely available at the following internet address:

https://robinsonheli.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/r22_sl68.pdf

Lastly, the AD refers to but does not incorporate, FAA AD 88-26-01R2, which is consistent with CASA AD/R22/30 Amdt 6 and which is freely available at the following internet address:

https://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgad.nsf/0/14227C9C7AFA225B86256A4E00473275?OpenDocument&Highlight=88-26-01

Consultation

This AD is being made at the request of industry, in particular an operator of the Robinson Helicopter Company R22 series helicopters. As this AD amendment is of a minor or machinery nature and does not substantially alter existing arrangements apart from clarifying the inapplicability of the AD to a later manufactured part, it is CASA’s view that it was not necessary or appropriate to undertake any further consultation under section 17 of the Legislation Act 2003.

Regulation Impact Statement

A Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) is not required because ADs are covered by a standing agreement between CASA and the Office of Best Practice Regulation under which a RIS is not required for ADs (OBPR id. 14507).

Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

A Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights is at Attachment 1.

Making and commencement

The instrument has been made by a delegate of CASA relying on the power of delegation under subregulation 11.260 (1) of CASR and subsection 94 (1) of the Act.

The instrument commences on 4 March 2020.

[Instrument number AD/R22/30 Amdt 6]

 

Attachment 1

Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the
Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011

AD/R22/30 Amdt 6 — Main Rotor Spindle

This legislative instrument is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

Overview of the legislative instrument

The United States of America Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued AD 88‑26‑01R2 affecting Robinson Helicopter Company R22 series helicopters in 1990. The United States of America is the State of Design for this helicopter type. CASA subsequently issued AD/R22/30 Amdt 5 to mandate the requirements of FAA AD 88‑26‑01R2. As a result of a request from industry, CASA has repealed and replaced AD/R22/30 Amdt 6 to clarify the inapplicability of the AD to a later manufactured part.

The primary purpose of this legislative instrument is to confirm the availability of later manufactured parts to which the AD does not apply.

Human rights implications

This legislative instrument does not engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms.

Conclusion

This legislative instrument is compatible with human rights as it does not raise any human rights issues.

Civil Aviation Safety Authority

Overview

The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR) were enacted to ensure the safety of civil aviation in Australia, addressing the need for consistent safety regulations across the industry. Under section 98 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988, the Governor-General has the authority to make regulations to enforce provisions of international conventions, including the Convention on International Civil Aviation, focusing on safety. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has the power to issue airworthiness directives (AD) under regulation 39.001 of the CASR to mandate safety requirements for aircraft and aeronautical products. The policy objective is to harmonise Australian aviation safety regulations with international standards, ensuring the safe operation of aircraft registered in Australia. AD/R22/30 Amdt 6, made by CASA, clarifies the inapplicability of certain AD requirements to later manufactured parts of Robinson Helicopter Company R22 series helicopters, responding to industry requests to ensure compliance and operational clarity. CASA, as Australia's national airworthiness authority, must align with international ADs issued by the State of Design, which in this case is the United States of America. The FAA issued AD 88-26-01R2 in 1990, which CASA subsequently adopted and mandated through AD/R22/30 Amdt 5. Due to a request from the industry, CASA issued AD/R22/30 Amdt 6 to clarify that the AD does not apply to later manufactured main rotor blade spindles with part number A158-3. This amendment ensures that operators are aware of the specific parts exempt from the AD requirements, thereby facilitating compliance and operational efficiency. The AD incorporates by reference Robinson Helicopter Company Service Bulletin No. 60A and refers to Service Letter SL-68 and FAA AD 88-26-01R2, which provide detailed instructions and confirmations regarding the affected parts.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 Amendment 2020 (AD/R22/30 Amdt 6) pertains to the Robinson Helicopter Company R22 series helicopters, which are registered in Australia. This amendment was issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to address a specific issue concerning the main rotor blade spindles of these helicopters. The amendment clarifies that certain later manufactured main rotor blade spindles with part number A158-3 are not subject to the airworthiness directive (AD) issued by CASA. This change was made in response to a request from the industry, specifically an operator of the R22 series helicopters. The amendment repeals and replaces the previous AD/R22/30 Amdt 5, ensuring that the new directive does not apply to the specified parts. The regulation incorporates by reference Robinson Helicopter Company Service Bulletin No. 60A and refers to Service Letter SL-68, both of which are freely available online, providing further details and instructions. This legislative instrument is consistent with the obligations under the Convention on International Civil Aviation and aims to maintain the safety and airworthiness of the aircraft in question.

Key Provisions

The key provisions of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 Amendment 22 (AD/R22/30 Amdt 6) primarily focus on the continuing airworthiness of the Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Series helicopters, specifically addressing the main rotor spindles. This amendment aims to clarify that the AD does not apply to main rotor blade spindles with part number A158-3, which are manufactured after a certain date. This clarification responds to industry requests and aims to ensure that operators and maintenance personnel are aware of which parts are subject to the AD requirements and which are not. This Act imposes obligations on the entities and individuals involved in the operation and maintenance of the Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Series helicopters. Specifically, operators and maintenance providers must ensure that they are aware of which main rotor blade spindles are subject to the AD requirements and which are not. Operators must adhere to the instructions provided in the Robinson Helicopter Company Service Bulletin No. 60A, which is incorporated by reference in the AD, for those parts that are subject to the AD. For the main rotor blade spindles with part number A158-3, operators and maintenance providers are not required to follow the AD requirements, thereby reducing potential confusion and unnecessary maintenance actions. The AD does not explicitly outline specific offences, penalties, or consequences for non-compliance within its text. However, the overarching Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 and the Civil Aviation Act 1988 provide a framework under which non-compliance with airworthiness directives can lead to serious consequences. Non-compliance with ADs can result in enforcement actions, including fines, suspension or revocation of aircraft certificates of airworthiness, and potential criminal charges. The severity of these consequences underscores the importance of adhering to AD requirements to ensure the continuing safety of aircraft operations.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.