Attention:
Owners, operators and maintainers of Cessna 120 and 140 aeroplanes
| File Classification No.: | Z 5000-35 |
|---|---|
| RDIMS No.: | 17133868 |
| Document No.: | CASA 2021-02 |
| Issue No.: | 01 |
| Effective Date: | 2021-02-19 |
Purpose:
The purpose of this Civil Aviation Safety Alert (CASA) is to raise awareness of concerns with failures of aluminum seat belt mounting brackets addressed in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-15-13, and of the ongoing safety assessment undertaken by the FAA.
Background:
Textron Aviation published Cessna Single Engine Service Bulletin SEB-25-03 in 2015, in response to a fatal accident involving the failure of an aluminum seat belt bracket installed as original equipment on certain Cessna 120 and 140 aeroplanes. Shortly thereafter, the FAA published SAIB CE-15-13. The SAIB recommended that owners, operators, and maintenance personnel of the affected aeroplanes replace aluminum brackets with steel brackets.
In July 2020, a second accident occurred in Canada on a Cessna 140 where an aluminum seat belt bracket failed resulting in a fatality in an otherwise survivable accident.
Transport Canada (TC) has been informed by the FAA of their ongoing efforts to fully understand the failure of seat belt mounting brackets installed on Cessna 120 and 140 aeroplanes. In this regard, the FAA recently issued an Airworthiness Concern Sheet (https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2020/Dec/Cessna_Seat_Belt_Mounting_Bracket_ACS.pdf) requesting that owners, operators and maintainers report any damage or known failures observed on the seat belt mounting brackets common to Cessna 120 and 140 aeroplanes.
Recommended action:
TC recommends that owners, operators and maintainers of Cessna 120 and 140 aeroplanes follow the recommendations of FAA SAIB CE-15-13.
Damage or failure of the seat belt mounting bracket on Cessna 120 and 140 aeroplanes is a Reportable Service Difficulty.
Owners, operators and maintainers that are required to report under the CARs must submit a Service Difficulty Report (SDR) to TC.
Voluntary SDR reporting by the General Aviation community is recommended via the Web Service Difficulty Reporting System or by e-mail to TC at SDRS@tc.gc.ca.
Contact office:
For more information concerning this issue, contact a Transport Canada Centre; or contact Tim Stubbert, Continuing Airworthiness in Ottawa, by telephone at 1-888-663-3639, by facsimile at 613-996-9178 or by e-mail at cawwebfeedback@tc.gc.ca.
Original signed by
Rémy Knoerr
Chief, Continuing Airworthiness
National Aircraft Certification
The Transport Canada Civil Aviation Safety Alert (CASA) is used to convey important safety information and contains recommended action items. The CASA strives to assist the aviation industry's efforts to provide a service with the highest possible degree of safety. The information contained herein is often critical and must be conveyed to the appropriate office in a timely manner. The CASA may be changed or amended should new information become available.
Aluminum Seat Belt Mounting Bracket Failures
(PDF, 323 KB)