Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Parliament of Australia, govern the safety standards for civil aviation within the country. This legislation aims to ensure the highest safety standards in the aviation industry by regulating various aspects of aircraft operations, maintenance, and airworthiness. One specific area addressed by these regulations is the issue of airworthiness directives, which are critical in maintaining the safety and airworthiness of aircraft. The inclusion of detailed directives such as those for the British Aerospace (Scottish Aviation) Twin Pioneer Series Aeroplanes under PART 39 - 105, underscores the commitment to ensuring that specific aircraft models adhere to stringent safety protocols. The policy objective of these regulations is to prevent accidents and incidents by enforcing regular inspections and maintenance checks, as illustrated by the amendment to the airworthiness directive for the Twin Pioneer Series Aeroplanes, which mandates visual inspections of the main lift strut to ensure ongoing compliance with safety standards.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, under the authority of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, mandates specific inspection requirements for the British Aerospace (Scottish Aviation) Twin Pioneer Series Aeroplanes, as outlined in Part 39 - 105. This directive applies to all models of these aeroplanes, focusing on the main lift struts, and requires regular visual inspections to ensure compliance with safety standards. The inspections must be performed by authorised personnel, such as the pilot in command, and involve detailed checks of the strut regions, particularly around bolt heads and adjacent fairing rivets. These inspections are mandated at each daily inspection, every 50 hours of service or 31 days, and at intervals not exceeding 100 hours of service. The directive stipulates that the results of the inspections should be documented on the Maintenance Release, and a copy of the directive must be kept in the aircraft. This regulatory requirement ensures that the aircraft maintain airworthiness and safety in accordance with the specified standards.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105, includes an airworthiness directive concerning British Aerospace (Scottish Aviation) Twin Pioneer Series Aeroplanes (section 105). This directive, identified as AD/SA-TP/22 Amendment 2, applies to all models and mandates detailed visual inspections of the main lift strut. Requirement 1 stipulates that the underside of the strut in the region 6 inches (150 mm) on each side of the central stabiliser attachment must be visually inspected, with a focus on bolt heads and adjacent fairing rivets (section 2). Requirements 2 and 3 expand on this, requiring inspections using a 10x magnifying glass of the surface of the strut in the region 8 inches (200 mm) on each side of the central stabiliser attachment, and the upper and lower ends of the strut and stabilising strut, especially around the bolt heads of the attachment fittings (section 3). These inspections must be conducted in accordance with Scottish Aviation Technical News Sheet 42 Issue 3. The Act imposes obligations on the operators of these aircraft to ensure that the specified inspections are performed meticulously and in compliance with the outlined procedures. For Requirement 1, the pilot in command may perform the inspection, but it must be certified by entering AD/SA-TP/22 Amendment 2 against the Daily Inspection certification on the Maintenance Release. The directive must be kept in the aircraft, and a copy of this directive must be maintained (section Compliance 1). For Requirements 2 and 3, inspections must be carried out at intervals not to exceed 50 hours of time in service or 31 days, whichever occurs first, and at intervals not to exceed 100 hours of time in service (section Compliance 2 and 3). Failure to comply with the airworthiness directive can result in severe consequences. Although the specific penalties are not detailed within the provided text, non-compliance with airworthiness directives is generally subject to enforcement actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Penalties for non-compliance with such directives can include fines and other civil or criminal penalties as stipulated by the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and other relevant legislation. The severity of the penalties may depend on the nature and extent of the non-compliance, and could potentially result in significant financial and operational repercussions for the aircraft operator.