Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, as amended, were enacted to ensure the safety and efficiency of civil aviation in Australia. Specifically, Part 39 - 107, which pertains to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, addresses the need to maintain aircraft and aeronautical products in a safe condition. This regulatory framework was established by the Parliament of Australia to ensure that all civil aviation activities within the country comply with stringent safety standards. The policy objective underpinning these regulations is to protect the public and all persons involved in civil aviation by mandating necessary safety measures and interventions, such as the issuance of Airworthiness Directives, to mitigate identified safety risks. The directive in question, AD/SUPP/19, issued on 13/2002, was introduced to address the specific issue of cracked rescue hoist mounting brackets on certain helicopter models, which could lead to catastrophic failures during operations. This directive requires a one-time inspection of the mounting brackets to ensure the continued safe operation of these critical components.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) under subregulation 39.1 (1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically targeting the Breeze Eastern Aerospace Rescue Hoist series BL-16600, excluding BL-16600-160. These hoists are installed in various helicopter models including Agusta A109, Bell 206, Bell 222, Bell 407, Eurocopter AS332, McDonnell Douglas MD-500, and Sikorsky S-61. Compliance with this directive is mandatory for all such hoists unless an equivalent model-specific airworthiness directive has already been fulfilled. The AD mandates a one-time inspection of the rescue hoist mounting bracket as per the instructions in Breeze Eastern Customer Aerospace Advisory Bulletin CAB-100-56, dated 11 November 1997, to be completed before the next usage of the rescue hoist after 26 December 2002. This directive was prompted by reports of cracked mounting brackets, which could lead to catastrophic failures during operations.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of the Airworthiness Directive (AD/SUPP/19) focus on the safety of Breeze Eastern Aerospace rescue hoists series BL-16600, excluding BL-16600-160, which are installed on various helicopter models such as Agusta A109, Bell 206, Bell 222, Bell 407, Eurocopter AS332, McDonnell Douglas MD-500, and Sikorsky S-61. Section (a) of the requirement section mandates that a one-time inspection of the rescue hoist mounting bracket be performed in accordance with Breeze Eastern Customer Aerospace Advisory Bulletin CAB-100-56, dated 11 November 1997. Section (b) stipulates that this inspection must be carried out in the circumstances outlined in the requirement section, and section (c) requires adherence to the instructions provided in the same section. Finally, section (d) of the compliance section mandates that the inspection must be completed before the next usage of the rescue hoist after 26 December 2002, unless it has already been performed. The AD imposes specific obligations on the operators and owners of the affected aircraft to ensure that the required inspections are conducted. Operators must ensure that the rescue hoist mounting bracket is inspected according to the specified advisory bulletin, and they must do so before the next usage of the hoist after the effective date of the AD, unless the inspection has already been completed. The AD also requires operators to ensure that the inspection is performed correctly and that any necessary repairs or replacements are made promptly to maintain the airworthiness of the hoist. The AD does not explicitly state any offences or penalties for non-compliance. However, the failure to adhere to the AD and perform the required inspection could potentially result in the aircraft being deemed unairworthy, which could lead to grounding of the aircraft and enforcement actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Additionally, the non-compliance with ADs is often a breach of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, which could lead to enforcement actions, including fines and other penalties under the Civil Aviation Act 1988. The exact penalties would depend on the specific circumstances and the discretion of CASA in enforcing the regulations.