CASA Briefing Newsletter - July 2013

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From the Director of Aviation Safety

 

John McCormick

 

Last month Australian aviation realised an historic achievement with the successful transition to new maintenance regulations for the regular public transport sector. CASA set a two year period for transition to the new rules and I am pleased to say all organisations that needed to make the change by the 26 June 2013 deadline were able to do so. In total 28 air operators and 117 maintenance organisations are now working under the new maintenance regulations. These regulations are in Parts 42 and 145 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. Part 42 covers continuing airworthiness requirements for regular public transport operators and Part 145 covers approved maintenance organisations servicing the aircraft and aeronautical products used in regular public transport operations.

 

It is important to acknowledge both people within the aviation industry and CASA worked extremely hard to achieve the successful transition to the new maintenance regulations. I congratulate everyone who played a part in the adoption of the new rules. This was no mean feat as this is the first major revision undertaken for decades of the maintenance requirements for regular public transport operations. Australian airlines, and the maintenance organisations that support them, are now operating to maintenance standards providing improved safety outcomes. The new regulations are structured to place a clearer focus on safety outcomes at all times, while simultaneously providing the aviation industry with increased flexibility. This flexibility will allow Australian aviation to respond positively to innovation and technological developments in the future. All regular public transport operators now comply with one of the world’s best practice continuing airworthiness management systems, which makes the responsibility and accountability for airworthiness management much clearer. Importantly, the new rules are more closely aligned with many other leading aviation nations, making it easier for Australia to do business with the rest of the world.

 

Naturally, it is important for all holders of regular public transport air operator’s certificates to ensure they only get maintenance work done by organisations with a Civil Aviation Safety Regulation Part 145 approval. Maintenance work on regular public transport aircraft cannot be performed in Australia by organisations without this approval. Similarly, regular public transport operators must now have a continuing airworthiness management approval issued under Civil Aviation Safety Regulation Part 42. Without this approval they cannot operate. Again, my congratulations to the many people who have worked very hard over the last two years to achieve an important step forward in Australian aviation safety.

 

Best regards

 

John F McCormick

 

Closed charter rules clarified

 

Charter air operators have been reminded of the requirement to comply with the rules covering their operations, particularly so-called ‘closed charters’. This follows a Federal Court decision which addressed the issue of closed charters. The Court determined a closed charter was an operation carrying passengers on a fixed schedule to and from fixed terminals, but where seats on the aircraft are not available to people generally. An example is a mining company which charters regular flights to take workers and contractors from a capital city to a remote mine. The general public cannot use these flights, so they are a closed charter. The Federal Court held operations under an arrangement where a booking agent charters an entire flight and then sells tickets for seats on the aircraft to the general public is not a closed charter, but rather regular public transport. Mail run operations operating to a fixed schedule from fixed locations may not carry members of the general public unless they have been authorised for regular public transport operations.

 

CASA has warned there are serious penalties for conducting what amounts to regular public transport operations without an appropriate authorisation. Where an operator is unsure about the status of their operations they should contact CASA for a determination. If the operations are found to be regular public transport then a regular public transport authorisation must be obtained and reflected on the air operator’s certificate. However, in a letter to all charter operators CASA says it may consider offering charter operators who need to obtain a regular public transport approval some flexibility in meeting all the requirements for regular public transport operations. In all cases where a regular public transport authorisation is necessary operators will need to make an application to CASA and each application will be dealt with a on a case-by-case basis.

 

Read the closed charters letter.

 

Control cable concerns widen

 

The warning about the dangers of corrosion cracking in stainless steel control cables has been widened. A new problem has been identified with control cable terminals manufactured from SAE-AISI 303Se stainless steel which have rubber sleeves or tape wrapped around them. Corrosion has now been found under the rubber sleeves used for the aircraft manufacturer’s part number identification. During an inspection which detected corrosion on one section of a terminal, a maintainer found additional corrosion at the edge and under the rubber sleeve when the sleeve was pulled back. This affected four flap control cable terminals which had been in service for about 13 years. Stainless steel’s resistance to corrosion primarily results from a thin chromic oxide film which develops in the presence of oxygen in the atmosphere. The rubber sleeves over the terminals prevent the chromic oxide film to form, allowing corrosion to develop.

 

The latest findings have prompted CASA to warn operators and maintainers to consider inspecting control cable terminals which have rubber sleeves, tape or other material wrapped around the terminal. This should be done irrespective of total time in service. Previously CASA has urged operators and maintainers to consider replacing all control cables having terminal fittings manufactured from stainless steel SAE-AISI 303Se before reaching 15 years time in service. Work is also underway to develop an airworthiness directive mandating recurring inspections of stainless steel control cables. CASA has set up a project to start the process of consultation with the aviation industry on the proposed airworthiness directive. Previously CASA was proposing to amend the Civil Aviation Orders to mandate these inspections.

 

Read the updated stainless steel control cable airworthiness directive.

 

Find out more about the inspection project.

 

Cessna flap switch warning

 

A warning has been issued about the possible malfunction of some electrically powered wing trailing edge flap systems in Cessna 100 and 200 series aircraft. The problem is with systems that have a flap position control switch which is internally spring-loaded to return to the off position. This happens when the switch is released from either the flaps up or down position. When the return-spring fails the flap switch does not return to the off position. This means the flap motor can run to the end of its travel, resulting in uncommanded full flap extension. CASA’s service difficulty reporting database shows flap switches have failed at around 3000 hours time in service – meaning the switch could have been operated 20,000 times. In an airworthiness bulletin CASA recommends all flap control switches should be replaced as required by the manufacturer. Cessna 100 and 200 owners and operators who have aircraft with spring loaded switches should consider replacing these switches when they have accumulated 20,000 operations. Although the switches had a high reliability design there is no known way to test for an impending failure.

 

Find out more about the Cessna flap switch issue.

 

For better service keep your details up to date

 

There’s now another reason for making sure you use CASA’s Self Service Portal as part of your aviation regulatory business. CASA has updated its finance system to automatically send receipts for regulatory service payments. This makes obtaining and managing receipts easier, which is especially important at the start of a new financial year. But for the system to work properly you must make sure your contact details held by CASA are up to date. The easiest way to do this is to use CASA’s Self Service Portal. By registering with the Self Service Portal you can view or manage more than 20 pieces of aviation data such as your personal details, contact details, licences, aircraft, medicals and subscriptions. Everyone with an aviation reference number can register with the Self Service Portal, which is easy and secure. Once registered you can make changes to address details, other contact details, your aircraft information and subscriptions.

 

Visit the CASA Self Service Portal now.

 

Deadline close for fitting ADS-B

 

A key deadline which mandates the fitting of Automatic Dependant Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) equipment to a range of aircraft is looming. All aircraft operating at or above flight level 290 must be fitted with ADS-B avionics equipment before 12 December 2013. Without approved ADS-B avionics aircraft will not be cleared by air traffic control for flight at or above flight level 290. Non-compliant aircraft will then have to fly below this flight level and may miss out on the fuel efficiencies created by cruising at optimum flight levels. Australia’s airlines are well placed to meet the deadline, although owners and operators of business jets have been slow to fit the new equipment. Currently only a small number of business jets are fitted with the satellite-based aircraft surveillance technology. Airservices Australia says it does not support exemptions for aircraft without the technology that seek to operate at or above flight level 290. This means business jet owners need to move quickly to have ADS-B fitted.

 

There are a range of benefits from using ADS-B which include safer and more efficient air traffic management, ability for continuous rather than stepped climbs and descents, greater flexibility in allocating appropriate flight levels and easier location of aircraft during search and rescue operations. ADS-B is a system in which electronic equipment on-board an aircraft automatically broadcasts the precise location of the aircraft via a digital data link. The data can be used by other aircraft and air traffic control to show the aircraft’s position and altitude on display screens without the need for radar.

 

Find out more about ADS-B and performance based navigation.

 

Get to a seminar and get up to date on the new rules

 

CASA is holding twenty AvSafety seminars for aviation industry people in regional centres and capital cities across Australia during August 2013. The seminars will empower people in the aviation industry to learn more about the latest changes to safety regulations. CASA’s aviation safety advisers will provide information on recent regulatory changes, how to stay up to date on regulatory development and how to take part in consultation. Information will be provided on the new pilot licensing regulations, electronic flight bags, new fatigue rules, performance based navigation and flying training regulatory changes. People attending the seminars will also be given a step-by-step guide on how to find and utilise important online safety tools such as OnTrack and Out-n-Back. Overall, the aim is to show pilots and other aviation people how to access the information they need and stay up to date with regulatory change, as well as to get safety education and advice. The seminars will explain how CASA will transition the aviation industry across to the new regulations and outline the responsibilities of people and organisations during the transition. In conjunction with a number of the AvSafety seminars there will be dedicated sessions devoted to performance based navigation. These sessions will focus on raising awareness about the need for instrument flight rules aircraft operating in Australia to be fitted with global navigation satellite system and automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast avionics. Everyone attending the seminars will be encouraged to ask questions and provide feedback to CASA.

 

Find an AvSafety seminar near you and register your place now.

 

Learn about the dangers of prop swinging

 

Starting an aircraft engine by swinging the propeller was once common place many years ago. However, propeller swinging modern aircraft is dangerous and should not be attempted without specific training. This warning is the central message of a short video on propeller swinging which is on CASA’s You Tube channel. The video looks at the safety issues relating to propeller swinging using pictures and interviews with experts. A real example is shown of what can go wrong when propeller swinging, with multiple aircraft damaged in the incident and lives put at risk. Well known training expert Bob Taite says a propeller should be treated like “a loaded gun”. Risks include kick back, losing balance or footing and the aircraft moving forward. Overall, the message is to avoid propeller swinging modern aircraft as there is too much that can go wrong. For vintage aircraft there is a right way and a wrong way to start by propeller swinging and pilots need to learn from a professional with experience.

 

View the

 

video now.Pilbara airspace getting busier

 

A review has been finalised of Pilbara airspace in Western Australia. The review covered airspace within 150 nautical miles of Newman, which includes eleven aerodromes. Fly in-fly out operations to mining sites have resulted in the commissioning of several new aerodromes supporting high capacity jet operations, increasing air traffic. Total movements at aerodromes in the area, including regular public transport operations, were approximately 35,055 a year. All aerodromes are non-controlled. The airspace reviewed is currently class G from the surface to flight level 180 then class E to flight level 245. Class A airspace is above flight level 245. With no radar coverage or extensive use of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast avionics in aircraft air traffic control is procedural. This can result in delays in getting to optimum cruising levels and in radio frequency congestion from pilot position reports. At several aerodromes VHF radio communication is not available on the ground. The review found at current traffic levels the existing airspace classifications are satisfactory, although changes will be needed to manage further increases in air traffic. The provision of a temporary enroute radar at Paraburdoo, in conjunction with greater use of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast equipment, has improved air traffic services and lowered the amount of radio communications.

 

Read the Pilbara airspace review.

 

Last chance to comment on pilot licence standards

 

There are only days left to have your say on the proposed standards that support the new pilot licensing suite of regulations. The time for comments on the draft of the manual of standards for Part 61 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations closes on 2 August 2013. Part 61 covers flight crew licensing and will take effect on 4 December 2013. The proposed standards open for comment cover the flight training and knowledge needed to obtain licences, ratings and endorsements, theory exams, flight tests, flight reviews, proficiency checks for ratings and English language proficiency. They will apply to all pilots and aircraft operators. Flight training organisations will be required to have a syllabus of training that meets the requirements set out in the Part 61 manual of standards. The majority of the proposed standards align with existing requirements set out by CASA in Civil Aviation Orders and various training syllabuses. They also comply with International Civil Aviation Organization standards and recommended practices, except where Australia’s aviation environment requires unique requirements.

 

Post your comments on Part 61 standards now.