Still Not Watertight

Despite recent actions requiring applicants to provide comprehensive installation documentation (e.g., the origin and destination for every wire) in supplemental type certification (STC) applications, there still seems to be something quite wrong with the STC process for certifying add-ons. As evidence, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) of Australia issued a brace of airworthiness directives Jan. 23 that pick-up on actions taken by the German regulatory authority, Luftfarht-Bundesamt (LBA). Water purifiers in B737 and B747 aircraft were installed per STCs granted by the LBA.

"The LBA has advised that aeroplanes being equipped with an advanced potable water system by Lufthansa Technic have been found to have a severely overheated water purifier," CASA explained in its ADs. "The LBA has determined that overheating could result in an uncontained fire, complete loss of the water system contents and/or loss of various electrical/electronic systems due to water ingress. This Directive requires the disabling of the water purifiers," CASA decreed. (Emphasis added)

For B737s, the relevant CASA ADs are AD/B737/204, 205 and 206. For the B747, AD /B747/284 refers. All have an effective date of Jan. 29.

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My own note: If you read van Beveren's article that appeared in the Swiss publication FACTS, the necessary forms for the IFEN (add-on entertainment system) were in some cases missing or incomplete. I'm not sure why the FAA failed to notice that and allowed the certification to be approved. I think we will hear more about this at a later time.