COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 106 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY
SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
AlliedSignal (Garrett/AiResearch) Turbine Engines - TFE731 Series
AD/TFE731/16 HP Turbine Rotor Disc P/N 3072316-2/-3
and P/N 3073110-1/-2
5/89 DM
Applicability: TFE 731-3 series engines fitted with HP turbine rotor disc whose serial numbers are listed in the Requirement Document.
Requirement: Remove from service and inspect specific serial numbered HP turbine rotor disc P/N 3072316-2/-3 and P/N 3073110-1/-2 in accordance with Allied Signal Aerospace (Garrett) Service Bulletin TFE 731-A72-3388.
Compliance: Prior to achieving 150 operating cycles after 29 March 1989.
Background: A recent engine inflight shutdown was caused by the uncontained separation of an HP turbine rotor disc. Investigation determined that disc fracture occurred due to low cycle fatigue from an inclusion of foreign material within the disc.
This Directive is issued to remove from service and inspect suspect HP turbine discs.
Overview
The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically under Part 39, outlines various airworthiness directives to ensure the safety of aviation operations. One such directive, AD/TFE731/16, was enacted to address a critical safety issue concerning the AlliedSignal (Garrett/AiResearch) Turbine Engines - TFE731 Series, particularly those fitted with HP turbine rotor discs identified by certain part numbers and serial numbers. The directive was introduced in response to an in-flight engine shutdown incident, where it was determined that the shutdown was caused by the uncontained separation of an HP turbine rotor disc, a failure attributed to low cycle fatigue resulting from foreign material inclusion within the disc. This legislative measure aims to ensure compliance with safety protocols by mandating the removal from service and inspection of specific HP turbine rotor discs before they reach 150 operating cycles after 29 March 1989, in line with Allied Signal Aerospace (Garrett) Service Bulletin TFE 731-A72-3388.
Scope and Application
The AlliedSignal (Garrett/AiResearch) Turbine Engines - TFE731 Series AD/TFE731/16 HP Turbine Rotor Disc P/N 3072316-2/-3 and P/N 3073110-1/-25/89 DM applies to TFE 731-3 series engines that are fitted with a high-pressure (HP) turbine rotor disc whose serial numbers are specifically listed in the Requirement Document. This regulation is applicable to any entity or individual operating aircraft equipped with the affected engine series, thereby necessitating compliance with the directive to ensure the safety and airworthiness of such aircraft. The directive mandates the removal from service and inspection of the specified HP turbine rotor discs in accordance with Allied Signal Aerospace (Garrett) Service Bulletin TFE 731-A72-3388. Compliance with this directive is required prior to achieving 150 operating cycles after 29 March 1989. This directive is issued to mitigate the risk of in-flight shutdowns caused by the uncontained separation of the HP turbine rotor disc, a hazard identified due to low cycle fatigue from an inclusion of foreign material within the disc. The scope of this regulation is enforced under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, which is a federal instrument administered by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
Key Provisions
The primary operative sections of the AlliedSignal (Garrett/AiResearch) Turbine Engines - TFE731 Series AD/TFE731/16 pertain specifically to the HP turbine rotor disc parts numbers 3072316-2/-3 and 3073110-1/-2, which must be removed from service and inspected (section 1). This requirement applies to TFE 731-3 series engines with HP turbine rotor discs whose serial numbers are listed in the Requirement Document (section 2). The directive mandates that this action must be taken before the engine reaches 150 operating cycles after 29 March 1989 (section 3). This inspection is to be conducted in accordance with Allied Signal Aerospace (Garrett) Service Bulletin TFE 731-A72-3388 (section 4).
The obligations and requirements imposed by this Act are clear and specific. Operators of TFE 731-3 series engines must identify the affected HP turbine rotor discs and ensure they are removed from service prior to reaching 150 operating cycles after the specified date. The inspection must adhere to the procedures outlined in the Allied Signal Aerospace (Garrett) Service Bulletin TFE 731-A72-3388. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in significant safety risks, as evidenced by the recent engine inflight shutdown caused by uncontained separation of an HP turbine rotor disc due to low cycle fatigue from an inclusion of foreign material within the disc.
The consequences for non-compliance with the provisions of this legislation are significant. If an operator fails to adhere to the directives outlined in the AlliedSignal (Garrett/AiResearch) Turbine Engines - TFE731 Series AD/TFE731/16, there could be severe repercussions. Such non-compliance might lead to inflight incidents, which could potentially result in catastrophic outcomes. While the regulations do not explicitly state penalties within the referenced sections, non-compliance with civil aviation directives can lead to enforcement actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), including fines, suspension of airworthiness certificates, or other regulatory sanctions. The exact penalties would be determined based on the specific circumstances of the breach and the extent of the non-compliance.