AD/OXY/15 - Puritan Bennett Oxygen Masks Withdrawal From Service (Cth)

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (Civil Aviation Regulations 1998), PART 39 - 107 CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY SCHEDULE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

Oxygen Systems

AD/OXY/15 Puritan Bennett Oxygen Masks Withdrawal From Service

9/97 DM

Applicability: All Puritan-Bennett Aero Systems Company Series 174290 Constant Flow Airline Portable Oxygen Masks, Part Numbers:

174290-14

174290-24

174290-34

174290-44

174290-54

with a manufacturing date between 1 September 1992 to 30 August 1996.

Requirement: 1. Remove from service any passenger oxygen mask with the applicable part number and manufacturing date and replace with an FAA approved oxygen mask that incorporates a part number not covered by this AD.

2. Passenger oxygen masks incorporating the part numbers and manufacturing date detailed above are not be fitted to any aircraft.

Note: FAA AD 97-11-10, Amdt 39-10039.

Compliance: For Requirements 1 and 2, within seven days.

This airworthiness directive becomes effective on 2 July 1997.

Background: The FAA advise that notice was received from Puritan-Bennett that a design error was incorporated during a drawing revision to an orifice in the connector of Puritan- Bennett passenger oxygen masks (174290) series. When manufactured to this drawing revision, the airflow of these masks could be restricted to 1.7 litres per minute (less than half the oxygen flow required) when the orifice is connected to the Puritan-Bennett Model 176960 airline portable oxygen cylinder assembly. These masks are for passengers requiring emergency oxygen for immediate medical attention and are not the drop-down style used by passengers during emergency aircraft operations. The drawing revision error was utilised during manufacture between September 1992 and August 1996.