AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE
For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below issues the following Airworthiness Directive (AD) under subregulation 39.001(1) of CASR 1998.  The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.
Aircraft - General
AD/GENERAL/86
Darwin Inspection and Testing
Service Ultrasonic Inspection
16/2013
 
Applicability:
All aircraft that have had Ultrasonic Inspection carried out by Darwin Inspection and Testing Service (DITS) in the nominated period, 1 January 2010 through
8 February 2013.

Requirement:
1.    Review the aircraft records to determine whether any Ultrasonic Inspection has been carried out and certified by DITS on the aircraft or any aeronautical product fitted to the aircraft in the nominated period.
2.    If the aircraft records do not indicate any Ultrasonic Inspection work conducted by DITS during the nominated period, then no further action is required by this AD.
3.    If the aircraft records indicate Ultrasonic non-destructive inspection tasks were carried out by DITS during the nominated period and no repeat inspections have been conducted by an authorised person - Repeat those ultrasonic inspection tasks.
4.    If, during re-inspection of the aircraft or aeronautical product a defect is identified, submit a defect report to CASA noting this AD in the report.

Compliance:
For Requirement 1:  Within 7 days after the effective date of this AD.
For Requirement 3:  Within 30 days after the effective date of this AD,
For Requirement 4:  Within 2 days after accomplishing the inspection.

 
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 2 August 2013.

Background:
CASA has identified during the period 1 January 2010 through 8 February 2013 that the DITS carried out Ultrasonic non-destructive inspection tasks on aircraft using non-authorised personnel.  Furthermore, CASA cannot establish that inspections conducted by the personnel concerned during this period were conducted to a standard acceptable to the authority.  In addition, the organisation concerned cannot provide suitable records to CASA identifying work that was conducted during the nominated period.

 
 
 
 
Therefore, the need exists to have operators review their aircraft records and, where it is identified that Ultrasonic non-destructive inspection tasks have been carried out by DITS during the nominated period, this work will need to be repeated.  CASA understands that some operators have already repeated some Ultrasonic non-destructive inspection tasks, using authorised personnel, and therefore there is no further need to repeat such work.

Nicholas Ward
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
31 July 2013