Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, amended under the Civil Aviation Act 1988, were enacted to ensure the safety and efficiency of civil aviation within Australia. One of the legislative instruments issued under this act is Airworthiness Directive AD/RB211/30, which was introduced to address potential safety issues associated with Rolls Royce RB211 Series Turbine Engines. This specific Airworthiness Directive focuses on the requirement for initial and repeat inspections of the thrust reverser to ensure compliance with safety standards and prevent unsafe conditions arising from improper rigging. The directive was issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to mandate corrective actions to maintain airworthiness and safeguard the public from aviation-related hazards. The policy objective behind AD/RB211/30 is to mitigate risks associated with thrust reverser deployment by ensuring engines meet the necessary inspection intervals and standards. This directive is intended to complement the broader regulatory framework established under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, aiming to enhance the overall safety of aviation operations by addressing specific technical issues that could compromise the airworthiness of the specified aircraft engines. The directive became effective on 16 May 2002, as notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 24 April 2002, and requires adherence to the outlined inspection procedures to maintain compliance with aviation safety standards.

Scope and Application

This Airworthiness Directive (AD) applies to specific Rolls Royce RB211 series turbine engines, namely the RB211-524G, -524G-T, -524H, and -524H-T series engines, as identified in Rolls Royce Mandatory Service Bulletin RB.211-78-9574, Revision 2. The AD mandates the performance of initial and repeat inspections as detailed in the aforementioned Rolls Royce Service Bulletin. These inspections are necessary to ensure the safety of the engines, specifically to check that the Thrust Reverser Cowl Position (TCRP) resolver rigging is correctly set to at least plus 1 percent, a critical factor in preventing the fuel control from failing to cut back thrust in the rare event of in-flight thrust reverser deployment. The AD mandates compliance within 700 flight hours after the effective date of the Directive and requires that the inspections be repeated at intervals not exceeding 700 flight hours. The AD becomes effective on 16 May 2002 and is subject to national geographic and jurisdictional reach within the Commonwealth of Australia. The AD does not explicitly mention any exclusions or exemptions, nor does it specify thresholds; however, it is enforceable through the subordinate instrument of the Rolls Royce Service Bulletin.

Key Provisions

The key operative sections of this Airworthiness Directive (AD/RB211/30) relate to Rolls Royce RB211-524G, -524G-T, –524H, and –524H-T series engines. Section 1 identifies the applicability of the directive to specific engine models, while Section 2 outlines the requirement for inspections as per Rolls Royce Mandatory Service Bulletin (SB) RB.211-78-9574, Revision 2. Section 3 specifies the compliance timeframe, which is within 700 flight hours from the effective date of the directive, and thereafter at intervals not exceeding 700 flight hours. The AD becomes effective on 16 May 2002, as noted in Section 4. This Act imposes several obligations on the parties or entities it governs. Firstly, it mandates that the specified Rolls Royce engines undergo initial and repeat inspections as detailed in Rolls Royce SB RB.211-78-9574, Revision 2. These inspections are critical to ensuring the engines' airworthiness and are to be conducted within 700 flight hours after the directive's effective date and subsequently at intervals not exceeding 700 flight hours. Compliance with these requirements ensures the safety of the aircraft using these engines, particularly in preventing an unsafe condition where the fuel control may not cut back thrust in the event of an in-flight thrust reverser deployment if the resolver rigging is less than plus 1 percent. Failure to comply with the AD may result in serious consequences. While the regulations do not explicitly state offences, non-compliance could lead to significant safety risks, potentially resulting in civil or criminal penalties. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has the authority to enforce compliance and may take action against entities that fail to adhere to the requirements set out in the directive. The exact nature and severity of penalties are not detailed in the text, but they could include fines, operational restrictions, or other regulatory measures designed to enforce compliance and ensure airworthiness standards are met.