COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES Boeing 737 Series Aeroplanes 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 39.1 (1) of CAR 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. AD/B737/146 Oxygen Masks 10/2000 Applicability: Model 737 series aeroplanes with line numbers 1 through 2984 inclusive. Requirement: 1. Unless previously accomplished, perform a general visual inspection to determine the vendor of all oxygen masks in the passenger cabin in accordance with Boeing Service Bulletin (SB) 737-35-1049, including Appendix A, dated 17 September 1998. If the oxygen mask is not manufactured by Puritan-Bennett, no further action is required by this Directive for that mask. Note 1: For the purposes of this Directive, a general visual inspection is defined as: "A visual examination of an interior or exterior area, installation, or assembly to detect obvious damage, failure, or irregularity. This level of inspection is made under normally available lighting conditions such as daylight, hangar lighting, flashlight, or drop-light, and may require removal or opening of access panels or doors. Stands, ladders, or platforms may be required to gain proximity to the area being checked." 2. If the oxygen mask is manufactured by Puritan-Bennett, or if the manufacturer of the mask cannot be identified, perform a general visual inspection to determine the manufacturing date of the oxygen mask, in accordance with the applicable service bulletin. For each oxygen mask manufactured by Puritan-Bennett, or an unidentified manufacturer, if the mask was manufactured between May 1986 and July 1998 inclusive or if the manufacturing date cannot be determined accomplish either of the following: 1. Replace the lanyards on the masks with new lanyards in accordance with SB 737-35-1049, including Appendix A. b. Replace the existing oxygen mask with a new mask that was manufactured by Puritan-Bennett before May 1986 or after July 1998, or by another vendor, and that has the same Boeing part number, or that is approved by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for installation as an alternative to the Puritan-Bennett mask. 3. No person shall install an oxygen mask manufactured by Puritan-Bennett between May 1986 and July 1998 inclusive, on any aeroplane, unless the lanyard has been replaced with a new lanyard in accordance with Requirement 2. B of this Directive. COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 105 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES Note 2: FAA AD 2000-15-16 Amdt 39-11848 refers. Compliance: Requirement 1 - Before 12 September 2005. Requirement 2 - Before further flight. Requirement 3 - As of the effective date of this Directive. This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 5 October 2000. Background: The FAA received a report that passengers were unable to activate supplemental oxygen generators during an in-flight decompression due to stress corrosion cracking of the crimped copper alloy ferrules used to secure loops on the lanyard ends. This Directive is intended to prevent failure of the supplemental oxygen system to deliver oxygen to the passengers and flight attendants in the event of decompression, which could result in injury to passengers and flight attendants. Eugene Paul Holzapfel Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 28 August 2000 The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 6 September 2000.