The engineering justification supporting Australian supplemental type certificate SVA521 did not contain consideration of the effect an increase in the average operating speed could have on the rate of fatigue damage accumulation.
The cancellation of supplemental type certificate SVA521 will prevent its operational use, thereby addressing the safety issue.
On 9 December 2015, the holder of supplemental type certificate SVA521, Rebel Ag Pty Ltd, advised the ATSB that, at their request, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) had suspended the certificate. The suspension came into effect on 20 August 2015. The notice of suspension specifies that the suspension ceases on release of the ATSB’s investigation report into this accident.
Until the release of the ATSB’s investigation report into this accident, the outcome of the action by Rebel Ag Pty Ltd to seek suspension of supplemental type certificate (STC) SVA521 prevents its operational use, thereby addressing the safety issue. However, release of the ATSB’s investigation report rescinds the suspension of STC SVA521. The ATSB will monitor the status of the STC approval following the release of this investigation report.
On 8 February 2016, after the commencement of the ATSB’s investigation report release process, Rebel Ag Pty Ltd advised that CASA had, at their request, cancelled supplemental type certificate SVA521 on 22 January 2016. This action was confirmed by CASA on 11 February 2016. The notice of cancellation was published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette GOVERNMENT NOTICES (Gazette – C2016G00108) on 22 January 2016 (available at www.comlaw.gov.au).
