Avionics News February 2016 - 16

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Continued from page 15

EUROPE

News & Regulatory Updates
TAWS operation in IFR and VFR, and
TAWS for turbine-powered airplanes
under 5,700 kg MCTOM able to carry
six to nine passengers (NPA 2015-21)
This notice of proposed amendment addresses a
safety issue related to terrain awareness warning
systems. The objective of this task is to mitigate the
risks of accidents categorized as a controlled flight
into terrain for turbine-powered airplanes having
a maximum certified take-off mass below 5,700
kg or a maximum operational passenger seating
configuration between six and nine.
Based on the regulatory impact assessment,
rulemaking would be only recommended for newly
manufactured aircraft performing commercial air
transport operations.
The NPA proposes to amend SPO.IDE.A.130
to require, "When used in commercial operations,
turbine-powered airplanes for which the individual
CofA was first issued after Jan. 1, 2019, with an
MCTOM of 5,700 kg or less and an MOPSC of six
to nine, shall be equipped with a TAWS that meets
the requirements for Class B equipment, as specified
in an acceptable standard."
The deadline for comments is March 18, 2016.

SOUTH PACIFIC

News & Regulatory Updates
Australia: Aircraft certificate
of release to service for
specialist maintenance
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority advised that
NPRM 1528SS - Proposed instrument - aircraft
certificate of release to service for specialist
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2016

maintenance, has been published for public
consultation.
When a Part 145 approved maintenance
organization holds a D rating, it has been approved to
provide one of the specialist maintenance processes
or techniques that may be applied to an aircraft
or aeronautical product. Such an approval is not
subject to limitations by aircraft and aeronautical
product type. Examples of the specialist maintenance
approval class include nondestructive testing, welding
and other specialist maintenance functions such as
composite repairs and painting.
A D-rated AMO may carry out specialist
maintenance on a wide range of type-rated aircraft
types. In some cases, this situation (multiple different
type-rated aircraft being painted, for example) can
become problematic, as the D-rated AMO would need
appropriate Part 66 license holder(s) for each aircraft
to be issued with a certificate of release to service.
The civil aviation legislation does not allow
an AMO to release an aircraft post-maintenance
unless a CRS has been issued. For a D-rated AMO,
the CRS issue would require the employment of
individuals who are not only competent to carry out
the maintenance for which the AMO is approved, but
also qualified under paragraph 145.A.30 (k) of CASR
for each and every type-rated aircraft type for which
the AMO might provide the maintenance service.
The CASA believes that, where a D-rated AMO
has been engaged by an A-rated AMO (an AMO
approved for the maintenance of the particular
type-rated aircraft type), a CRS in relation to the
specialist maintenance is not necessary. Given
that a maintenance certification for the specialist
maintenance would already have been made by
the D-rated organization at the completion of the
specialist maintenance, the final aircraft CRS can
safely be provided by the A-rated AMO controlling
the overall aircraft maintenance event.
Please forward your response to David Skeoch,
project leader. You may view this NPRM on the
CASA website at casa.gov.au/consultationopen.

Distribution and rejection of aircraft
components and aircraft materials
The CASA advised that Civil Aviation Order
100.16 (administration and procedure - distribution
http://casa.gov.au/consultationopen
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News February 2016
