COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 107 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Radio Communication and Navigation Equipment
AD/RAD/48 Collins TCAS II and TCAS 94 Systems 8/92 Applicability: All Collins Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance TCAS II and TCAS 94 systems. Requirement: 1. Deactivate and placard the TCAS equipment as follows:
- Pull and band the circuit breaker that applies electrical power to the TCAS system,
b. Fabricate a placard with the following words in 4mm high letters `TCAS II Inoperative’ or ‘TCAS 94 Inoperative’ as appropriate, and
c. Install this placard adjacent to the TCAS control unit within the pilot’s clear view.
2. Modify the TCAS equipment in accordance with either of the following Collins Service Bulletins:
- SB TTR-920-34-C Revision 1 dated 20 May 1991, or
b. SB TTR-920-34-07 Revision 1 dated 20 May 1991.
Note: FAA AD 91-10-01 Amendment 39-8002 refers.
Compliance: 1. Prior to further flight after 23 August 1992 or prior to flight in United States airspace for Requirement 1.
2. Prior to reactivating the TCAS equipment.
Note: Compliance with Requirement 2 is considered terminating action for this Directive.
Background: The FAA has received several reports of problems on aircraft equipped with Collins TCAS II or TCAS 94 systems. The crew members of the involved aircraft report that targets suddenly appear or are moving at a very high rate of speed toward their aircraft, which causes a ‘Traffic Advisory (TA)’ or ‘Resolution Advisory (RA)’. The sudden display of these advisories often causes the crew to rapidly change altitude, which could result in an undesirable disruption of the Air Traffic Control System.
Compliance with this Directive, prevents the sudden appearance of spurious TCAS advisories.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (the Regulations) were enacted by the Parliament of Australia to provide comprehensive rules governing civil aviation operations within Australia. A particular focus of these regulations is ensuring the safety of air travel through stringent requirements for airworthiness and maintenance of aircraft. Part 39 of the Regulations, which deals with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, includes AD/RAD/48 regarding Collins TCAS II and TCAS 94 Systems. This directive was introduced to address safety issues related to the operation of Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) equipment manufactured by Collins. The problem it was designed to address was the occurrence of spurious Traffic Advisories (TA) and Resolution Advisories (RA) that could potentially disrupt air traffic control and endanger flight operations. Compliance with this directive ensures that Collins TCAS II and TCAS 94 systems are either deactivated or modified to prevent such erroneous advisories.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 107, pertains to the safety of civil aviation in Australia and applies to all aircraft registered in Australia, including those owned by private entities, charter companies, and airlines operating within Australia's airspace. This legislation mandates the compliance of all Collins Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) II and TCAS 94 systems, requiring that such systems must be deactivated and placarded if they are inoperative. The directive applies to any aircraft equipped with these specific TCAS systems, and failure to comply with these requirements could result in unsafe conditions during flight. The directive extends its reach to ensure that any flight conducted after the specified date or within Australian airspace adheres to these safety measures. However, the regulation allows for modifications of the TCAS equipment in accordance with specified Collins Service Bulletins, which serve as the terminating action for compliance. This ensures that any issues identified with the TCAS systems are resolved to prevent potential disruptions to air traffic control.
Key Provisions
The main operative sections of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (Cth), specifically AD/RAD/48, pertain to Collins Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) II and TCAS 94 systems. These sections mandate that operators of aircraft equipped with these systems must deactivate and placard the equipment (section 1) and modify the equipment in accordance with specified Collins Service Bulletins (section 2). The requirement is to deactivate the TCAS system by pulling and banding the circuit breaker that supplies power to it, creating a placard that states either "TCAS II Inoperative" or "TCAS 94 Inoperative" in 4mm high letters, and installing this placard adjacent to the TCAS control unit within the pilot’s clear view. Modifications must align with either Collins Service Bulletin TTR-920-34-C Revision 1 or TTR-920-34-07 Revision 1, both dated 20 May 1991.
The obligations imposed by the Act on parties governed by this legislation include deactivating and placarding the TCAS equipment before any further flight after 23 August 1992 or prior to flight in United States airspace, as per the compliance requirements. Additionally, compliance with the second requirement, which involves modifying the TCAS equipment, is considered the terminating action for this directive. This means that once the modification is done, the aircraft operator is deemed to have fulfilled the directive's requirements.
Failure to comply with these directives can result in significant consequences. Although specific penalties are not detailed within the text, non-compliance with Civil Aviation Regulations can generally lead to enforcement actions which may include fines, grounding of aircraft, and other regulatory sanctions. Additionally, operating an aircraft without adhering to Airworthiness Directives can result in safety risks and potential legal liability for any incidents arising from non-compliance.