Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, enacted by the Commonwealth of Australia, provide comprehensive guidelines to ensure the safety and airworthiness of aircraft operating within Australian airspace. Part 39, specifically, includes various Airworthiness Directives (ADs) aimed at addressing safety concerns and maintaining the highest safety standards. One such AD, AD/TSA-600/42 Amendment 1, pertains to the Aerostar (Piper/Ted Smith) 600 and 700 Series Aeroplanes and was introduced to address a specific safety issue identified in these aircraft models. This Amendment was necessitated by a local report indicating severe corrosion of the rear spar caps, which could lead to structural failure if left unchecked. The primary policy objective of this AD is to ensure the continued airworthiness of these aircraft by requiring regular inspections for signs of corrosion, thus preventing potential catastrophic failures and ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew on board. The AD/TSA-600/42 Amendment 1 mandates that inspections for rear spar corrosion be conducted on the upper skin of the left-hand and right-hand mainplanes, particularly focusing on the area between the mainplane root end and the nacelle. Any evidence of bulging in this area is to be reported to the Civil Aviation Authority for further investigation. This amendment, effective from 3 March 1994, aims to establish a repetitive inspection regime to catch any signs of corrosion early, thereby maintaining the structural integrity of the aircraft and ensuring compliance with safety standards.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, as amended, apply to all aircraft and aviation activities within Australia, ensuring compliance with safety standards set by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Specifically, Part 39 - 105 of the Regulations, which governs the issuance of airworthiness directives, mandates that all Aerostar (Piper/Ted Smith) 600 and 700 Series Aeroplanes must comply with Airworthiness Directive AD/TSA-600/42 Amendment 1. This directive requires inspection of the upper skin of the mainplanes for evidence of bulging due to severe corrosion, with findings to be reported to CASA. The directive applies universally to all models of the specified aircraft and requires compliance before 31 July 1993, with subsequent inspections every two years thereafter. Introduced on 3 March 1994, the amendment aims to detect corrosion at an earlier stage by implementing regular inspections, as the structural design may conceal extensive corrosion without visible signs of skin bulging.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, under Part 39 - 105, specifically address the safety directives concerning the Aerostar (Piper/Ted Smith) 600 and 700 Series Aeroplanes. This includes a schedule of airworthiness directives (AD) pertinent to these aircraft models. One such directive, AD/TSA-600/42 Amendment 1, issued in March 1994, pertains to the inspection for rear spar corrosion (section 1). This directive applies to all models within the Aerostar 600 and 700 series. The directive mandates that inspectors must examine the upper skin of both the left-hand (L/H) and right-hand (R/H) mainplanes, focusing particularly on the area above the rear spars. Inspectors should look for signs of bulging in the area between the mainplane root end and the nacelle, as bulging could indicate severe corrosion of the spar, necessitating further investigation. The obligations imposed by this directive include a thorough and systematic inspection process. Operators of the Aerostar 600 and 700 series aeroplanes must ensure that these inspections are conducted prior to 31 July 1993, with subsequent inspections to be performed at intervals not exceeding two calendar years. Operators must report their findings, including any instances of bulging or the outcomes of any subsequent rectification, to a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) District Airworthiness Office. This ensures that the Manager, Structures Section in Canberra is kept informed and can take appropriate action if necessary. Communication can be done either by regular mail or by fax using the provided fax number, 06 268 4594. Breaches of the requirements outlined in this directive may result in various consequences. Although the specific penalties for non-compliance are not detailed in the provided text, it is clear that failure to adhere to the inspection and reporting requirements could lead to serious safety implications. Non-compliance might result in the grounding of the aircraft until the required inspections are satisfactorily completed and any identified issues are resolved. Such breaches could also attract civil or administrative penalties under the broader Civil Aviation Regulations, which might include fines or other enforcement actions. It is essential for operators to comply with these directives to maintain the airworthiness of their aircraft and ensure the safety of all persons on board.