COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 107 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Restraint Equipment
AD/RES/10
Amdt 4
Indiana Mills Safety Belts 4/94
Applicability: All safety belt assemblies model IMM 111040-1, -2, -3, -4 and -8 manufactured by Indiana Mills and Manufacturing Inc. and all safety belts with buckles P/N 10365 or IMM 10365.
Requirement: 1. Remove safety belt from service and replace with a safety harness or safety belt, as applicable, approved in accordance with CAO 108.42; or,
2. If the buckle is of the lever action type with P/N 10365 or IMM 10365, the seat belt may remain in service after the following modification. To improve access to the buckle release lever, remove and discard the decorative cover from the safety belt tongue assembly. This may be accomplished by prying off the plastic cover with a screwdriver.
Note: FAA AD 79-16-02, CAA (UK) AD 010-11-81 and Transport Canada AD CF- 91-39 refer.
Compliance: The compliance date of Amendment 2 of this Directive was 9 December 1993. This Amendment is effective from 31 March 1994.
Background: The FAA raised AD 79-16-02 as the push button release did not meet the release requirements of TSO-C22F. However, subsequent investigation by the U.K. CAA indicated that buckle assemblies P/N 10365 of both push button and lever types have had release problems and could have been fitted to harness assemblies other than Model IMM 111040. Lever action buckles have been involved in two fatal accidents when access to the release lever was restricted by the decorative cover on the tongue assembly.
Amendment 2 was raised to clarify background information regarding the buckle assemblies.
Amendment 3 was raised to clarify applicability to both push button and lever type buckles.
Amendment 4 is raised to provide an alternative means of compliance for lever action buckles.