COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
Fairchild (Swearingen) SA226 and SA227 Series Aeroplanes
AD/SWSA226/72 Main Landing Gear Door Jamming 12/95 DM
Applicability: Model SA226-T S/n T201 to T275, and T277 to T291; SA226-T(B) S/n T(B)276 and T(B)292 to T(B)417; SA226-AT S/n AT001 to AT074; and SA226-TC S/n TC201 to TC419.
Requirement: 1. For aircraft with the MLG door stop installed in accordance with Fairchild Aircraft SB SA226-32-043 Revised 6 September 1983:
- remove the four bolts P/N 27K51001-007 or the alternate P/N NAS 428-3-13 and four jam nuts P/N NAS509-3 from the P/N 27K51001-003 bracket assembly.
2. For all applicable aircraft: service the MLG struts in accordance with “Fluid Servicing - Landing Gear” instructions in SA-226 Maintenance Manual 32-00-00 Paragraph 1C.
Note: FAA AD 95-17-07 refers.
Compliance: 1. Within 50 hours time in service after the effective date of this Directive.
2. Unless carried out within the last 400 hours time in service, within 50 hours time in service after the effective date of this Directive.
This Directive has effect from 20 September 1995.
Background: There have been two incidents of aircraft making emergency MLG up landings when the MLG door stop bolts and striker plate hardware jammed and prevented the MLG from extending. Investigation revealed that misalignment of the bolts and the striker caused this jamming. This misalignment occurred because the strut did not fully extend upon gear retraction after the previous take off. This was caused by low hydraulic fluid in the strut.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, administered by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), were enacted to ensure the safety and efficiency of civil aviation in Australia. Specifically, Part 39 - 105 of the regulations includes Airworthiness Directives (ADs) designed to address safety issues identified in various aircraft models. One such AD, AD/SWSA226/72, pertains to the Fairchild (Swearingen) SA226 and SA227 series aeroplanes and was introduced to mitigate the risk of main landing gear (MLG) door jamming. This problem arose due to misalignment of the MLG door stop bolts and striker plate hardware, which could result from the strut not fully extending upon gear retraction, often due to low hydraulic fluid levels. The policy objective of AD/SWSA226/72 is to ensure that the specified aircraft models are compliant with safety standards by addressing the identified issue, thereby preventing potential emergency up landings.
Scope and Application
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically Part 39 - 105 Civil Aviation Safety Authority Schedule of Airworthiness Directives, governs the maintenance and safety standards for specific aircraft models. In this context, AD/SWSA226/72 pertains to Fairchild (Swearingen) SA226 and SA227 series aeroplanes, addressing issues related to the main landing gear door jamming. The directive applies to a specified range of serial numbers for the SA226-T, SA226-T(B), SA226-AT, and SA226-TC models, necessitating compliance with certain maintenance procedures to ensure airworthiness. The requirement includes the removal of specific bolts and jam nuts from the main landing gear door stop and servicing the main landing gear struts as per detailed maintenance instructions. Compliance must be achieved within a specified timeframe from the effective date of the directive, ensuring safety standards are consistently met across applicable aircraft. This legislation extends its reach to the Commonwealth level, impacting all entities and persons involved in the operation and maintenance of the specified aircraft models within Australia.
Key Provisions
The main operative sections of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, Part 39 - 105, which pertain to the Fairchild (Swearingen) SA226 and SA227 Series Aeroplanes, specifically AD/SWSA226/72, require certain actions to be taken to address the issue of main landing gear door jamming. For aircraft with the main landing gear door stop installed according to Fairchild Aircraft SB SA226-32-043, dated 6 September 1983, the requirement is to remove the four bolts P/N 27K51001-007 or the alternate P/N NAS 428-3-13 and four jam nuts P/N NAS509-3 from the P/N 27K51001-003 bracket assembly. Furthermore, all applicable aircraft must service the main landing gear struts in accordance with the “Fluid Servicing - Landing Gear” instructions in SA-226 Maintenance Manual 32-00-00, Paragraph 1C. These directives are applicable to specific serial numbers of the Fairchild SA226-T, SA226-T(B), SA226-AT, and SA226-TC models, and the directive has been in effect since 20 September 1995.
The obligations and requirements imposed by this Act on the parties or entities it governs include the timely removal of specific components from the bracket assembly and servicing the main landing gear struts as per the Maintenance Manual. Compliance with these directives is mandatory, and the compliance timeframes are stringent, with the requirement to be fulfilled within 50 hours of time in service after the effective date of the directive, or within 50 hours if the service was not carried out within the last 400 hours of time in service. This ensures that all relevant aircraft meet the safety standards set by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
The consequences for non-compliance with these directives can be significant. While specific offences and penalties are not detailed in the provided text, it is reasonable to infer that failure to adhere to these safety directives could lead to severe civil or criminal consequences. This might include penalties imposed by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, as well as potential legal repercussions under broader aviation safety legislation. The seriousness of the issue, given the history of emergency up landings due to main landing gear door jamming, underscores the critical nature of these compliance requirements.