CASA Briefing Newsletter - February 2013

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From the Director of Aviation Safety

 

John McCormick

 

Australian aviation has a new set of modern and improved regulations covering flight crew licensing and training. The new regulations became law this month, although they do not take effect until 4 December 2013. This means pilots and flying training organisations do not need to take any action now. Pilots will have four years to move their licences across to the new Part 61 Civil Aviation Safety Regulations from December 2013. All pilots will retain their current flying privileges during and after the transition. Flying training organisations will have three years from December 2013 to move across to the new Civil Aviation Safety Regulations Parts 141 and 142. Part 141 covers ‘simple' flying training – that is for recreational, private and commercial training in single pilot aircraft. It does not include intensive integrated training for private and commercial licences. Part 142 covers integrated and multi-crew pilot training, such as training for an air transport pilot licence. The new suite of licensing regulations also includes Part 64, which deals with approvals for people other than pilots to taxi aircraft and use aircraft radios.

 

The introduction of the new licensing rules will bring a range of benefits to Australian aviation. Safety standards will be lifted in a number of key areas, there is a closer fit with international licensing standards and training standards will be more clearly defined. In addition, the new suite of rules addresses important lessons learnt from past accidents in the areas of low level flying and night visual flying. For the first time all licensing regulations are located in one set of rules, instead of being spread across regulations and the Civil Aviation Orders. The new Part 61 also includes a recreational pilot licence, with medical standards based on the Australian road transport licensing medical requirements, along with some additional aviation specific standards. Pilots with a recreational licence will be able to operate smaller aircraft under day visual flight rules for private purposes, with some operational limitations. There is a new minimum age of 15 years for a student pilot licence, a move we hope will encourage more young people to enter the aviation industry.

 

CASA will be providing comprehensive information and education on the new licensing rules to help everyone in aviation make the transition as smoothly as possible. Our aim is minimise disruption to everyday operations, while ensuring any new requirements are properly met by individuals and organisations. We will be in regular contact with pilots and flying training organisations to keep everyone up to date on what needs to be done and when. As usual, the CASA web site should the first place you look when searching for information or looking for answers to your questions. CASA's aviation safety advisers will also be visiting aviation organisations throughout the year to provide briefings and address issues. Please remember that right now you do not have to take any action and that all current privileges will be maintained when you transition to the new licensing rules.

 

You can find out more about the new licensing rules on these web pages.

 

Best regards

 

John F McCormick

 

Your maintenance regs questions are answered!

 

Do you need a quick and easy way to understand the changes that are underway across all areas of maintenance regulations? If so, there is a new web resource that will answer many of the basic questions being posed by people in the aviation industry. CASA has published 11 common questions and answers about different aspects of maintenance regulation reform. They cover everything from the regulatory changes that have already been made, to the options for new rules for the charter, aerial work and private sectors. There is information for air operators, people in general aviation and licensed aircraft maintenance engineers. A wealth of information on maintenance regulation change has already been published on the CASA web site and the questions and answers supplement this material. Everyone in aviation is also reminded the comment period for the discussion papers canvassing options for improvements to the maintenance regulations covering charter, aerial work and private operations closes on 1 March 2013. If you want your views considered by CASA as proposals for new rules for these sectors are developed in the future make sure you get submissions in on time. CASA values all input and will carefully assess comments, suggestions and criticisms.

 

Go to the maintenance regulations questions and answers.

 

Find the maintenance discussion papers and comment by 1 March 2013.

 

Regulatory change briefings for aviation organisations

 

CASA's long-running program of AvSafety seminars for pilots is taking a breather for at least the first half of 2013. Over many years CASA has run AvSafety seminars in conjunction with local aero and flying clubs. In the past clubs chose set topics from a list provided by CASA and CASA's aviation safety advisers made formal presentations. While the program has been very successful, 2013 sees a fresh approach to delivering timely and essential regulatory information. As there are a range of important regulatory changes either underway or in development, CASA's aviation safety advisers will focus on visiting aviation organisations across Australia to brief managers and staff on the new regulations and their implementation. These briefings will cover the modernised suite of licensing regulations, rules covering electronic flight bags, updated fatigue regulations and requirements for performance based navigation and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast equipment and operations. Options for new maintenance regulations for the charter, aerial work private sectors will also be covered. A regional travel schedule has been published showing when CASA's advisers propose to visit capital city and major regional centres. Organisations that wish to book a briefing can use the schedule to make arrangements now. Local aero and flying clubs can also use the travel schedule to request a visit by an aviation safety adviser. CASA's advisers are still available to provide information and to discuss any safety and regulatory issues of interest to local aviation communities.

 

Look at the aviation safety adviser travel schedule and book your visit now.

 

Learn now about Performance Based Navigation

 

Everyone involved in instrument flight rules aircraft operations in Australia needs to know about changes that have been made to the regulations covering Performance Based Navigation. From December 2013 until early 2017 a range of new requirements come into effect relating to Performance Based Navigation. This means instrument flight rules aircraft operators and pilots need to learn about the new requirements now. To make the learning task easier CASA has developed a set of web pages dedicated to the Performance Based Navigation changes. The web pages explain Performance Based Navigation, set out the new requirements and their benefits, outline the impact of changes, identify key timelines and explain transitional provisions. There are also nine commonly asked questions with concise answers. “Performance Based Navigation sets standards for safe satellite-based navigation, taking advantage of the accuracy satellite systems can provide,” one answer explains. “In Performance Based Navigation, the navigation specifications are navigation performance standards an aircraft must meet to operate on a specific route or in particular airspace. They are all GPS based, but differ in their accuracy and functional requirements. For many operators, who have been doing Performance Based Navigation for years, there will be minimal change.”

 

Visit the Performance Based Navigation web resource now.

 

Watch to stay safe on the ground

 

Need to refresh your knowledge about aerodrome safety? Then you must view the aerodrome safety video now available on CASA's new You Tube channel. The 13 minute production looks at all aspects of safety on the ground in an engaging and easy to follow format. Experts such as flying instructors and air traffic controllers provide critical information as each aspect of safety during take-off and landing is reviewed. The key message of the video for pilots is to “expect the unexpected”. To manage the real risks of the aerodrome environment pilots are told to use common sense and to be constantly vigilant. The video covers safe taxiing, runway markings, signs, holding points, lights and air traffic control runway clearances. It looks at operations at both controlled and uncontrolled aerodromes.

 

View the aerodrome safety video now.

 

Be wary of tappet and camshaft wear

 

Owners, operators and maintainers of all Lycoming and Continental piston engines are being warned about the risks associated with undetected valve tappet body/lifter and camshaft lobe wear. This can cause an in-flight engine malfunction or loss of engine power. A CASA airworthiness bulletin says investigations into a recent increase in the number of Lycoming engines withdrawn from service due to metal contamination in the oil filter found in most cases this related to a now superseded Lycoming tappet body. The part was supplied from late 2009 until mid-2012. A further investigation of defect reports identified a range of issues with hydraulic valve lifters, tappet bodies and cam lobes. There have been failures in both Lycoming and TCM Continental engines. In some cases this related to the installation of reground camshafts and tappets into engines. The first indications of tappet face wear are very fine magnetic particles in the engine oil filter element. Tappet body/lifter and camshaft lobe wear is more difficult to detect in the early stages and oil filter elements must be diligently inspected. It is recommended consideration is given to using an approved engine oil additive.

 

Read the tappet and camshaft wear airworthiness bulletin in full.

 

Horn Island airspace review

 

A review of Horn Island and surrounding Torres Strait airspace has made eight recommendations. The review, undertaken by CASA's Office of Airspace Regulation, found the current class G airspace classification should continue, although traffic and passenger volumes need to be monitored. Horn Island aerodrome currently has about 28,000 aircraft movements a year, carrying more than 96,000 passengers. The aerodrome is used by two public transport operators, a range of other commercial and fixed wing operators and supports a large number of helicopter movements. The review found the Horn Island common traffic advisory frequency can become very congested, particularly during public transport operations. It also found there are some pilot training, education and compliance issues in relation to non-controlled aerodrome procedures, radio use and operating weather minima. Recommendations include the need for ongoing pilot education and training about these issues. Other recommendations cover the feasibility of developing a parallel taxiway and expanding the apron, including the Northern Peninsula aerodrome in the Horn Island common traffic advisory frequency and including more information for pilots in the En-Route Supplement Australia.

 

Read the Horn Island airspace report.

 

Updated advice on maintaining fire extinguishers

 

Updated advice has been issued on the maintenance of aircraft fire extinguishing systems. Fire extinguishers are defined as an aircraft component and must be covered by a maintenance schedule. In an airworthiness bulletin CASA recommends the aircraft manufacturer's maintenance and overhaul requirements should be used, although in some cases it may be necessary to follow the fire extinguisher manufacturer's maintenance data. If no maintenance or overhaul schedule is known one should be developed and approved or the system should be replaced. Where hand-held portable fire extinguishers are installed CASA sets out 14 regular maintenance tasks that should at least be followed. These include checking tamper seals, visual inspection of bottles, checking the operating head and trigger for signs of damage and weighing the extinguisher to make sure it is fully charged. The Australian standard for the maintenance of hand held fire extinguishers sets out six month, twelve month and five yearly recurring inspections. CASA has received reports of corrosion on the neck of bottles, which is a particular problem in coastal, high salt environments. This area of the extinguisher should be inspected by removing the head, if possible, or if not possible by inspecting past the head components using a torch.

 

Find out more by reading the fire extinguisher airworthiness bulletin.

 

R44 operators urged to fit new fuel tanks now

 

CASA has again strongly advised the operators of Robinson R44 helicopters to fit modified fuel tanks to the aircraft to reduce the risk of a post-accident fire. A letter has been sent to all R44 operators drawing attention to a revised Robinson service bulletin which specifies the installation of modified fuel tanks by April 2013. CASA has also issued a revised airworthiness bulletin on the issue. The airworthiness bulletin strongly recommends all R44 operators with aircraft subject to the Robinson service bulletin fit modified bladder tanks at the “earliest opportunity”. There have been a number of recent accidents and incidents involving R44s where post-crash fires have resulted from a helicopter roll over or low velocity impact. In both cases the aircraft were fitted with rigid aluminium fuel tanks. An accident at Cessnock on February 2011 saw the occupants of the R44 survive the initial impact with the ground but they did not survive a post impact fire. In another accident in February 2012 at Jaspers Brush much of the wreckage was consumed by a post impact, fuel-fed fire. Both occupants were killed.

 

Read the R44 fuel tank airworthiness bulletin.

 

Make sure your electronic records are compliant

 

Detailed guidance is now available on CASA's policies on the use of electronic records, signatures and management systems to meet regulatory requirements. The guidance material aims to assist people and organisations involved in operating, maintaining, designing or certifying aircraft. An advisory circular on electronically formatted certifications, records and management systems says the development of electronic information and retrieval systems has enhanced the ability of the aviation industry to meet regulatory requirements for the retention of records. There are legal provisions relating to electronic records in the Commonwealth Electronic Transactions Act and Part 11 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. In general, information, signatures, documents and records can be provided to CASA in an electronic format. Documents required to be retained may also be kept electronically. However, there are a range of requirements. These include logs needing to display in chronological order, systems being able to reconstruct documents if there is a loss of primary data storage, a reliable way of assuring the integrity of information and a mechanism for version control. The airworthiness bulletin also provides detailed information on requirements for electronic signatures and system security.

 

Read the electronic records advisory.