See Air Safety Information Paper `ATSB Survey of Licensed
Aircraft Maintenance Engineers in Australia'.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau recommends that CASA when
conducting surveillance of maintenance organisations, ensures that
ground equipment, tooling and spares holdings are appropriate, and
that there are systems in place to ensure that equipment is
adequately maintained.
When conducting surveillance of maintenance organisations, as
part of the Authority's entry control requirements and normal audit
activities, CASA reviews ground equipment, tooling and spares
holdings for adequacy, and to ascertain that there are systems in
place to ensure that maintenance equipment is adequately
maintained.
In addition, Certificates of Approval issued under CAR 30 covering
maintenance, are subject to the following conditions:
Each activity the certificate covers must only be carried out at a
place where the facilities and equipment necessary for the proper
carrying out of the activity are available, and;
The activities the certificate covers must be carried out in
accordance with a system of quality control that satisfies the
requirements of CAR 30 (2D).
These conditions require the organisation to have appropriate
equipment and tooling, and that the equipment is adequately
maintained.
Thank you for your response to ATSB air safety recommendations
R20010033, R20010034, R20010037, R20010038, and R20010040 relating
to issues raised in the ATSB Survey of licenced aircraft
maintenance engineers in Australia.
The ATSB has classified the response to R20010040 as MONITOR. The
ATSB will continue to monitor incidents relating to maintenance
issues for the next 6 - 12 months before reassessing the response
to the recommendation.
ATSB Note: The Bureau sent an e-mail to CASA on 20 August 2002
requesting further information and a response within 14 days.
I am writing in relation to an e-mail from [name supplied],
ATSB, to [name supplied], Corporate Affairs, CASA. [name supplied]
states that he is still seeking information that would allow ATSB
to close Air Safety Recommendation 20010040.
Air Safety Recommendation 20010040
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau recommends that the
Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority when conducting
surveillance of maintenance organisations, ensures that ground
equipment, tooling and spares holdings are appropriate, and that
there are systems in place to ensure that equipment is adequately
maintained.
The Authority notes that, in their letter dated 5 February 2002,
ATSB has classified the response to this Recommendation as
"MONITOR". The letter further states that ATSB will continue to
monitor incidents relating to maintenance issues for the next 6-12
months before reassessing the response to the
recommendation".
Could I ask for a report of the relevant findings from ATSB's
monitoring activities that has prompted [name supplied] to seek
further information at this time. The Authority considered that its
response, dated 31 August 2001, adequately closed the matter.
The Bureau wrote to CASA on 20 September 2002 as follows:
A review of occurrences notified to the ATSB since 1 Januaruy 2002,
has not identified any deficiencies where a maintenance
organisation's ground equipment, tooling and spares holdings were
considered inadequate or poorly maintained.
The ATSB considers that the absence of identified deficiencies in
this area since 1 January 2002 does not in itself provide the
assurance that air safety recommendation 20010040 has been
satisfactorily addressed.
The Authority's initial response, dated 31 August 2001, was not
accompanied by any supporting data. The intention of [name
supplied] to [name supplied] was to see if any further data is
available which would allow closure of this recommendation. Any
further clarification of action taken by the authority would be
welcomed.
Thank you for your letter of 20 September 2002 which relates to
Air Safety Recommendation 20010040. The view of the ATSB is that
the Air Safety Recommendation has still not been adequately
addressed by CASA.
Air Safety Recommendation R20010040:
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau recommends that the
Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority when conducting
surveillance of maintenance organisations, ensures that ground
equipment, tooling and spares holdings are appropriate, and that
there are systems In place to ensure that equipment is adequately
malntalned,
The Authority Instigated a systems audit approach in 1999, at first
In the High Capacity Regular Public Transport sector of the
Industry and later In the Low Capacity Regular Public Transport
sector. The systems audit approach is based on the management
system model and consists of four 'Systems Attributes', namely,
'Management Responsibility', 'Infrastructure', 'Processes' and
'Monitoring & Improvement'.
The lessons learned so far have been noted and are being addressed
in the writing of a new surveillance procedures manual, which is
nearing completion. Prior to introduction of the manual, CASA
surveillance staff will be provided with comprehensive training In
the use of the procedures. The training Is expected to be completed
in the first quarter of 2003 and will be followed up by an on the
job monitoring and mentoring process.
When the Authority has completed the training of its surveillance
staff in the new procedures, CASA will publish the manual on the
CASA internet site.
However, as an indication of the contents of the manual, I have
enclosed two extracts from the draft manual. One is an extract from
the chapter 'Audit Approach'. It shows the attribute
'Infrastructure' and its components. The other is an extract from
the chapter 'Audit Preparation'. It deals with the requirements for
audit preparation with respect to the same attribute.
Thank you for bringing this matter to the attention of the
Authority.
