COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 107 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Restraint Equipment
AD/RES/17
Amdt 1
American Safety Equipment Lap Belt/Shoulder Harness and/or Crotch Strap Buckle/Adaptor - Inspection and Modification
9/84
Applicability: All American Safety Equipment Corporation buckles with P/Nos. and used with Assy. Nos. as follows:
1. Metal to metal buckle model No. 4000, 440785, 5000B2, 5000B3 and 6000 only when used in any combination with adaptor Nos. ASE 442658, ASE 442659 and ASE 442640. Adaptors are used on shoulder harnesses and/or crotch straps.
2. Seat belt Assy. P/Nos. 443556; 444700; 444704; 444706; 444707; 445457;
446509; 447428; 447685; 447811; 448850; 449148; 449457; 500001-401, -403
and -405; 5000011-401; 500012; 500015-1, -5 and -7; 500018-1, -5 and -7;
500022; 500056; 500519; 500595-1, -2, -3, -4 and -6; 500620-401, -403 and -405;
500621-401 and -403; 500546- 401; 500755; 500791-1; 500834-401 and -403;
500836-401; 500945-401; 500948; 500951-401; 500952-401, and -403; 500964-
401; 500965-401; 501071-401; 501078-401; 501225- 401; 501435-401; 501492-
401; 501546-401 and -403; 501578-401; 501594-401 and -403; 501616-401;
501683-401; 501686-401 and -403; and 501690-401.
Requirement: American Safety Equipment S.B. No. CP-1003. NOTE: American Safety Equipment restraint systems are known to be fitted on Mitsubishi and Beech aircraft but are not necessarily confined to these aircraft. Mitsubishi International SL No. SL012/25-001 and Beech S.I. No. 1158 refer.
Compliance: Within 100 hours time in service after 31 July 1984 or at the next scheduled inspection for Maintenance Release issue after 31 July 1984 whichever is the later.
Background: The manufacturer has found that some buckles have incorrectly formed covers which could interfere with the proper release of the buckle. AMDT 1 to this Directive is issue to highlight aircraft manufacturers documentation on this subject.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Australian Parliament, establish comprehensive regulations for ensuring the safety of civil aviation within the country. Among these regulations is the schedule of airworthiness directives, specifically AD/RES/17 Amendment 1, which pertains to the inspection and modification of American Safety Equipment Corporation buckles and adaptors. This directive was introduced to address potential safety risks associated with incorrectly formed buckle covers that could interfere with the proper release of the buckle. The policy objective behind this regulation is to ensure the safety of passengers and crew by mitigating risks associated with faulty restraint equipment. Compliance with these directives is mandatory and must be achieved within specified timeframes to maintain airworthiness standards.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has issued an Airworthiness Directive under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically targeting American Safety Equipment Corporation buckles with certain part numbers and adaptors used in aircraft restraint systems. The directive applies to buckles used in conjunction with adaptors on specific seat belt assemblies, which are known to be fitted on Mitsubishi and Beech aircraft among others. Compliance with the directive requires an inspection and, if necessary, a modification to the buckles within 100 hours of their time in service after 31 July 1984 or at the next scheduled inspection for Maintenance Release issue, whichever is later. The directive aims to address a potential safety issue where incorrectly formed buckle covers may interfere with the proper release of the buckle, thereby ensuring the safety of passengers and crew. While the directive specifies the types of equipment and aircraft to which it applies, it does not explicitly mention exclusions or exemptions, suggesting that all specified equipment must comply unless otherwise detailed in subordinate instruments.
Key Provisions
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39, includes Airworthiness Directives (ADs) which are legally enforceable orders regarding the safety of aircraft. One such directive, AD/RES/17 Amendment 1, pertains to the inspection and modification of restraint equipment manufactured by American Safety Equipment Corporation (AD/RES/17(1)). This directive applies to certain buckles and adaptors used in various aircraft restraint systems (AD/RES/17(2)). The directive is specifically concerned with buckles and adaptors used in American Safety Equipment Corporation's metal-to-metal buckle model numbers 4000, 440785, 5000B2, 5000B3, and 6000, as well as specific seat belt assembly part numbers (AD/RES/17(3)). The compliance requirement states that affected aircraft must undergo an inspection and modification within 100 hours of time in service after 31 July 1984, or at the next scheduled inspection for Maintenance Release, whichever is later (AD/RES/17(4)).
Entities and parties governed by this directive must ensure that the specified buckles and adaptors are inspected for any incorrectly formed covers that could interfere with the proper release of the buckle. This involves detailed checks and potential modifications to ensure the safety of the aircraft occupants. This requirement applies to all aircraft that have these specific buckles and adaptors installed, regardless of the aircraft manufacturer, although the directive notes that these components are known to be fitted on Mitsubishi and Beech aircraft (AD/RES/17(5)).
Failure to comply with the requirements of AD/RES/17 Amendment 1 can result in serious safety issues, as incorrectly formed buckles could fail to release properly in an emergency, potentially leading to injury or death. Although the specific penalties for non-compliance are not detailed in the directive, general provisions within the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 allow for substantial fines and potential criminal charges for violations of ADs. The severity of the penalties reflects the critical importance of adhering to airworthiness directives to maintain the highest safety standards in aviation.