AD/SF340/87 - Sealing Around Terminal Lugs on Fire Detectors

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Parliament of Australia, were established to provide comprehensive regulations governing civil aviation within the country. This legislation was introduced to address the need for a unified and robust framework governing the safety and operation of civil aviation in Australia. One specific instrument under these regulations is the Airworthiness Directive issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to ensure the safety of aircraft in operation. The Airworthiness Directive (AD) for the SAAB SF340 Series Aeroplanes, issued on 13 November 2002 and effective from 26 December 2002, was introduced to address the problem of false warnings from the tail pipe hot detection system, which had caused flight delays, aborted flights, and in-flight engine shut downs. The policy objective of this AD is to mandate the resealing of the tail pipe hot detection harness to enhance moisture protection and harness strength, thereby mitigating the risk of false warnings.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, under the authority of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), include specific Airworthiness Directives (AD) that apply to certain aircraft models to ensure safety standards are met. One such AD, AD/SF340/87, specifically targets SAAB SF340 Series aeroplanes, including models SF340A with serial numbers 004 through 159 inclusive and Model 340B with serial numbers 160 through 459 inclusive. The directive mandates that modifications be made to the Tailpipe Hot Detection harness of these aeroplanes in accordance with Saab Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin (SB) SAAB 340-26-030 dated 28 October 2002, with compliance required before 26 December 2003. This directive aims to address false warnings caused by moisture ingress, corroded detectors, and damaged wiring, which have resulted in delayed or aborted flights and in-flight engine shut downs. Previous modifications as per SB SAAB 340-26-018 dated 26 September 1997 and SB SAAB 340-26-029 dated 28 October 2002 are considered acceptable, thus providing terminating action for this directive. This AD, published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 4 December 2002, underscores the jurisdictional reach of CASA in enforcing aviation safety across the nation.

Key Provisions

The key operative sections of this Airworthiness Directive (AD) are set out under the applicability, requirement, and compliance sections. The applicability section (paragraph 1) specifies that the AD applies to SAAB SF340 Series aeroplanes, specifically those with serial numbers (S/N) 004 through 159 inclusive for model SF340A and S/N 160 through 459 inclusive for model 340B. The requirement section (paragraph 2) mandates that the Tailpipe Hot Detection harness must be modified in accordance with Saab Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin (SB) SAAB 340-26-030 dated 28 October 2002. Additionally, any prior modifications made in accordance with SB SAAB 340-26-018 dated 26 September 1997 and SB SAAB 340-26-029 dated 28 October 2002 are considered acceptable terminating actions for this Directive. The compliance section (paragraph 4) sets the deadline for compliance at before 26 December 2003, with the AD becoming effective on 26 December 2002. The Act imposes several obligations and requirements on the parties it governs. Operators and owners of the specified SAAB SF340 Series aeroplanes must ensure that the required modifications to the Tailpipe Hot Detection harness are made in accordance with the provided service bulletins. This includes verifying that the modifications have been completed by a qualified and authorised personnel. Furthermore, operators and owners are required to maintain proper records of all modifications performed in compliance with this AD. These obligations are necessary to ensure the continued airworthiness of the aircraft and to mitigate the risks associated with the reported false warnings in the tail pipe hot detection system. Failure to comply with the provisions of this Airworthiness Directive may result in civil or criminal consequences. Specifically, non-compliance with the requirements outlined in the AD may lead to the aircraft being deemed unairworthy. This can result in the aircraft being grounded, preventing it from being operated until the required modifications have been completed. In severe cases, continued operation of an aircraft that does not comply with the AD may result in criminal charges being brought against the operator or owner. The maximum penalties for such offences are not explicitly stated in the text, but they may include fines and imprisonment, as per the general provisions of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and other relevant legislation.