Overview

The Airworthiness Directive issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, specifically through the delegate David Alan Villiers, addresses the safety issue of undetected corrosion in the wing centre section of certain aircraft models. The directive, effective from 20 March 2003, was introduced in response to multiple reports of severe corrosion found in specific models of Univair, ERCO, Forney, and Mooney aircraft. The directive mandates regular inspections and corrective actions to prevent potential structural failures due to corrosion, ensuring the continued airworthiness of these aircraft. The directive aims to rectify the unsafe condition identified by requiring inspections for corrosion or corrosion damage and the necessary repairs if such damage is found, thus maintaining the structural integrity and safety of the affected aircraft.

Scope and Application

This Airworthiness Directive (AD) applies specifically to certain models of aircraft manufactured by Univair Corporation, Ercoupe, Forney, and Mooney, namely the Alon Model A-2 and A2-A aircraft, ERCO Model 415-C, 415-CD, 415D, 415-E, and 415-G aircraft, Forney Model F-1 and F-1A aircraft, and all Mooney M10 aircraft. The directive is issued under subregulation 39.1 (1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (CAR 1998) by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) delegate, David Alan Villiers. The directive mandates specific actions to address an identified unsafe condition concerning corrosion in the wing centre sections of these aircraft models. The requirement necessitates an inspection for corrosion or corrosion damage as outlined in the Univair Aircraft Corporation Service Bulletin (SB) No. 31 or its revision, and Advisory Circular 43-4A. If corrosion is detected, the directive requires the repair or replacement of damaged components, and if inspection openings are installed, they must be covered with plate assemblies as per the specified bulletins. Compliance with the directive must occur within 12 months from 20 March 2003 and then at intervals not exceeding three years, with additional inspections mandated before further flight after any inspection revealing corrosion or damage.

Key Provisions

This Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued under subregulation 39.1 (1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, applies to specific models of Univair Corporation, Ercoupe, Forney, and Mooney M10 series aeroplanes, namely Alon Model A-2 and A2-A aircraft, ERCO Model 415-C, 415-CD, 415D, 415-E, and 415-G aircraft, Forney Model F-1 and F-1A aircraft, and all Mooney M10 aircraft (AD/UNIVAIR/2, s. 1). The AD mandates that the action specified in the Requirement section must be taken in relation to these aircraft, under certain circumstances, in accordance with the instructions provided, and at specified times (s. 2). The AD imposes several obligations and requirements on the parties or entities it governs. Firstly, it requires the inspection of the wing centre section for corrosion or corrosion damage, as detailed in the Requirement section. This can be achieved by installing inspection openings to gain access to the wing walkway box structure, using a scope and light source, or removing the outer wing panels to gain visual access (s. 1(a)-(c)). If corrosion or corrosion damage is found, the AD mandates that the damaged components of the wing centre section structure be repaired or replaced in accordance with the Univair Aircraft Corporation Service Bulletin (SB) No. 31, SB No. 31 Revision 1, the applicable maintenance manual, and Advisory Circular 43-4A (s. 2). Additionally, if inspection openings are installed as per Requirement 1.a., cover plate assemblies must be installed in accordance with SB No. 31 or SB No. 31 Revision 1 (s. 3). Failure to comply with the AD may result in civil and criminal consequences. The AD requires compliance within the next 12 months after 20 March 2003, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 3 years (s. 4(1)). It also mandates that compliance occurs before further flight after any inspection in which corrosion or corrosion damage is found, and before further flight after each inspection required in Requirement 1 and 2 of this Directive (s. 4(2)-(3)). The AD does not explicitly state any specific penalties for non-compliance; however, non-compliance with ADs could lead to enforcement actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, which may include fines, suspension or revocation of aircraft certificates, or other regulatory measures. The AD is effective from 20 March 2003 and was notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 26 February 2003. The FAA received reports of severe corrosion in the wing centre section of the specified aircraft, and has determined that the original design configuration of these aircraft does not provide adequate means for routine inspections of the wing centre section wing walkway boxes. The inability to inspect this area has resulted in corrosion being undetected on these aircraft, which could potentially lead to wing centre section failure during flight (s. 7).