"Craig Welch" pacific.net.sg> wrote in message
news:nbdpt39i99aj5qt394fnsaqtjdhrr18agr@4ax.com...

Craig
Does that mean you and I would have to defer our annual stoush? But we do
need members to keep the good fight going - and remember its 38 deg here at
present, I don't get paid for my time or expense, and I'm hanging out for a
beer right now (it having been 38 deg at the airport today during the
Bonanza PPP)

I finished earlier a long email to CASA over this and apologise for the
length but this may be of interest to many and thanks again to those who
indirectly contributed:

Requirement 2 or Compliance 2?
Two copies of the AD attached. (Not attached on the usenet posts, Brian)
For a reason. The shorter "fsm031" was the live CASA website doc on the
evening of 13 March. The longer version is the one existing since some time
on the 14 March. The difference - is on page 1, Requirement 1, section a,
proceed to "Compliance 2". The later version states proceed to "Requirement
2". The initial version - now gone - is the more correct.

If you follow the current instructions you are directed that if the plug is
NOT loose, proceed to Requirement 2.

Requirement 2 requires you to repeat the inspection and remedial steps.

So you go back to 1 a, the plug is not loose, off to Requirement 2, back to
1 a, and forever more you exist in an infinity loop. Still, on the bright
side, you are not taking any risk of flying!

Hilarious. But in a legal document like an AD, not funny and will be an
issue for discussion with the Minister's aviation adviser. Not only because
it was wrong but because CASA at DCEO level was advised of this on Friday
night by me. After-hours you say - see below.

Your publicity

I accept you did this in good faith based on bad advice. Experience taught
me to be very wary of "disaster" calls from my people as the disaster often
was boomerang shaped.

The clues for you are in the AD itself. Worth consideration next time this
occurs.

Page 1 "Applicability" - fuel injection servo. Alert, alert! Many of the
smaller older engines are NOT fuel injected. Ah, already a limited group.

Page 1 "Applicability" - some Lycoming and 1 only Continental / Superior
engine (still fuel injected) - so not even all fuel injection engines. More
limited group.

Page 1 "Applicability" - this is the alert critical item - engines or fuel
injection servo new, rebuilt, overhauled, or repaired ONLY SINCE 8/06.
Really limited group.

Page 3 - "Background" - the FAA have received 18 reports. Out of what size
aircraft fleet compared to Australia?

I doubt you will get 300.

AD Panic

The last line page 3. "substantial loss of engine power and subsequent
loss of control of the aeroplane".

Oh dear. Initial flight test for licence, and subsequent AFR, both retest
for a PFL which is the general intention if an engine stops or runs out of
power. Fly the aircraft to a nice paddock. The author draws a long bow to
link engine power loss with "loss of control". Might be a challenger for a
media job?

Let's Go Home

Five o'clock, let's knock off and head to the boozer or home. We've just
grounded perhaps 3000 aircraft, some at places they don't want to be and
without LAME on the airport, some charter operators who will have to cover
pax accommodation.

But who cares. Here's the website list of contacts - during business
hours. And we only have to get through Friday - when many of these people
will find out - and we've got a whole two days uninterrupted by these
grounded people. Any real world organisation that pulled a stunt like that
would be very short of customers afterward.

Where's the 24 hour hotline for people to contact? Could be one or two
staff on their mobiles, doesn't really matter. Would have done wonders for
CASA image.

Same goes for the error in the AD re Req 2. Advised Friday night, still
wrong today.

Question from several of our members - if the FAA wrote the AD, why did
CASA need to rewrite it? Answer - because they can, and thus increase the
chance of error!

Consultation

This was the death wish choice. AOPA is the representative of GA and was
not advised or consulted. Yes it had to be released urgently, no reason why
AOPA was not advised. Absolute bluidy rudeness as WE were going to get the
after hours calls CASA were not there to take.

And, we would have agreed the need was urgent, we could run an eapoa to
members, and we could have resolved the pilot maintenance matter and
probable risk group Thursday night - if anyone from CASA had the work ethic
to do so.

I suggest you keep a copy of the AOPA Mag on hand for yourself in the
future - it has all our contact numbers - and we are here to ASSIST if
consulted FIRST!

Pilot Maintenance

I emailed Coyne, Vaughan, Carmody 0646 Fri morning requesting pilot
maintenance for 1a and asking for a text Y or N to my mobile as I was at
meetings all day. No surprise - no text, just a NO email at 0816 from Greg.

That started both the email interchange and our own media work.

Finally CASA agreed to pilot maintenance for the initial check (1a).

Then took the credit. No mention whatever of consultation with AOPA leading
to the result. We helped save the CASA image, thanks for the thanks.

And we are to work with CASA in harmony?

LAME only a 2 or 3 day maximum

I admit this is anecdotal but CASA was allegedly media quoted that it
should only take a day or two for a LAME to be available to check the plug
(prior to issue of the exemption).

This is fairyland stuff. It is a simple item that is pilot capable. Have a
look at the CASA booklet "Pilot Maintenance" and what we CAN do, and ask one
of the AD team to demonstrate to you what was needed to check the plug.
Farcical.

Also, forget the 2 or 3 days, has no-one in CASA got any conception of what
it would cost an owner to fly a LAME to say William Creek or other bush
locations to do the simple check. With time and flight we are talking of
thousands of dollars. Ah, who cares, it's not CASA money and those GA
people are all rich bludgers aren't they.

The Exemption

Nice to see it on Friday.

One little point just for info - have a look at the Exemption, Schedule 3,
item 1 - the plug must be checked with bare hand.

Then have a look at the MSDS for avgas and oil - and hope for Occ Health and
Safety purposes there was no oil or fuel present around the plug.

Some may have wanted to wear disposable latex gloves a la washing up type?

SUMMARY

You can note from the above that I believe it could have been done better.
I have spelled that out because the above is excellent base material for my
AOPA Mag article. I'm working on titles already "Completely Abysmal Safety
Action" being the current winner.

Sorry for sounding negative. My overall concern is that CASA is not a
learning organisation - because it is under no pressure to so be. Judge and
jury!

Two things for you to push in future. First, ask the questions in such
cases using the word "specific" and see if you get answers. Second, and I
suspect this is a lost cause, ask them - would you do it this way if it was
your business????

PS - One more little thing:

I left it alone at the time but it was interesting to note that the
greatest concern from your Exec when I slammed them about the lack of
consultation over the English Language NPRM was that there was a bit in the
Pprune thread I attached about CASA shut down over Christmas.

So they posted to state how wonderful it was that CASA had finally worked
over the intervening days. Gee, so did many of us - surprise!

I can tell you that the publicity was a massive boomerang and did CASA no
good at all. Reason - it was not doing aviation ANY favour having people
working on days that most other competitive businesses have to work. All it
was demonstrating was that CASA has finally realised that they have a DUTY
to work "normal working hours and days" as a part of their licensing and
medical and ownership MONOPOLY situation.

Those to whom I have spoken all complimented CASA only on sharpening the
quill pens and opening a new sheet of parchment - not on some benevolence in
adopting common business practice.

I'd suggest a different PR slant on it next Christmas. CASA claims to be
an essential service - just imagine some CASA people if no petrol, bread,
police, beer, over the intervening days.

Brian