CASA ADCX 018/11 - Revocation of Airworthiness Directives

Overview

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 were enacted to ensure the safety of air navigation and have been amended to address gaps in regulatory requirements for aircraft and aeronautical products. Specifically, the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR) allow the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to issue airworthiness directives (ADs) for particular types of aircraft or aeronautical products. However, certain ADs have become redundant due to updated requirements now mandated in the Federal Aviation Administration Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) and the Cessna Continued Airworthiness Program (CAP). For instance, an AD concerning the retirement of windshield and cabin windows for Cessna P210 series aircraft has been revoked as the updated TCDS and CAP now mandate the retirement of these components after 13,000 hours of accumulated flight time. This change aims to reduce regulatory burdens and avoid duplication of requirements, without the need for public consultation or a Regulatory Impact Statement, as determined by the Office of Best Practice Regulation. The revocation of this AD was authorised by the Manager, Continuing Airworthiness in the Airworthiness and Engineering Branch on behalf of CASA, in accordance with the Civil Aviation Act 1988.

Scope and Application

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1988, as amended by F2011L01813, address the revocation of a specific airworthiness directive (AD) that previously applied to Cessna P210 series aircraft. This directive mandated the retirement of windshields and cabin windows upon reaching certain flight thresholds. The AD in question has been rendered redundant due to the adoption of more stringent requirements by the Federal Aviation Administration's Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) and the Cessna Continued Airworthiness Program (CAP). These new mandates, which require the retirement of these components at 13,000 hours, are considered mandatory under Civil Aviation Order (CAO) 100.5. Consequently, the AD has been revoked to avoid any potential duplication of requirements and to streamline compliance for the aviation industry. The revocation applies nationally within Australia and is applicable to all entities involved in the operation and maintenance of Cessna P210 series aircraft. No consultation with the public was necessary as the changes are considered administrative and do not require a Regulatory Impact Statement according to the Office of Best Practice Regulation. The revocation was authorised by the Manager, Continuing Airworthiness, within the Airworthiness and Engineering Branch of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), in accordance with the Civil Aviation Act 1988.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 (CAR) provide the regulatory framework for civil aviation in Australia, and under section 98 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 (the Act), the Governor-General has the authority to make regulations for the purposes of the Act and the safety of air navigation (section 98(1)). The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR) further elaborate on this by empowering the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to issue airworthiness directives (ADs) for specific kinds of aircraft or aeronautical products (regulation 39.001). These ADs, which are legislative instruments, are intended to ensure the safety and airworthiness of aircraft and aeronautical products (subsection 98(5B)). In the case of the Cessna P210 series aircraft, a particular airworthiness directive (AD/CESSNA 210/36) mandated the retirement of the windshield and cabin windows from service upon the accumulation of 19,400 and 12,000 pressurised flights respectively. However, this directive is now revoked as the retirement lives of these components are already mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) for the Cessna P210, which requires the retirement of the windshield, windows, and ice detector light lens upon the accumulation of 13,000 hours (CASA ADCX 018/11). This requirement is further supported by the Cessna Continued Airworthiness Program (CAP) No. 53-10-01, which also recommends the retirement of these components at 13,000 hours. As the FAA TCDS and CAP are part of the type design and airworthiness limitations respectively, they are considered mandatory (CAO 100.5). The obligations imposed by the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 and the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 include the requirement for aircraft operators and manufacturers to comply with all ADs issued by CASA. These ADs are designed to ensure the safety and airworthiness of aircraft and aeronautical products. In the case of the Cessna P210 series aircraft, the AD/CESSNA 210/36 has been revoked as the FAA TCDS and CAP provide sufficient airworthiness limitations to ensure the safety of these components. As such, CASA has determined that no further consultation with the Australian public is required for this revocation (CASA ADCX 018/11). Failure to comply with the airworthiness directives or the obligations imposed by the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 and the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 may result in enforcement action by CASA, including the imposition of fines, prosecution, and other civil or criminal consequences. The maximum penalties for breaches of these regulations are not specified in the Explanatory Statement, but may be found in the relevant legislation. It is important for aircraft operators and manufacturers to ensure compliance with all ADs and regulatory requirements to maintain the safety and airworthiness of their aircraft and aeronautical products.