CASA EX81/25

Instrument number CASA EX81/25

I, steven JAMES campbell, Executive Manager, National Operations & Standards, a delegate of CASA, make this instrument under regulations 11.160 and 11.205 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998.

[Signed S. Campbell]

Steven Campbell
Executive Manager, National Operations & Standards

16 October 2025

CASA EX81/25 – Serviceability of Equipment (Combination Flight Data and Voice Recorders) (CASA EX14/25) – Amendment Instrument 2025

1 Name of instrument

This instrument is CASA EX81/25 – Serviceability of Equipment (Combination Flight Data and Voice Recorders) (CASA EX14/25) – Amendment Instrument 2025.

2 Commencement

This instrument commences at the time that it is registered.

3 Amendments

CASA EX14/25 – Serviceability of Equipment under the Part 91, 121, 133 and 135 Manuals of Standards – Exemption Instrument 2025 is amended as set out in Schedule 1.

Schedule 1 Amendments

[1] After section 5

insert

5A Exemptions — Flight recording equipment: Part 91 operations

Application

(1) The exemption in subsection (2) applies to an aircraft that:

(a) is required, under Division 26.9 of the Part 91 MOS, to be fitted with both 1 FDR and 1 CVR; and

(b) is fitted with at least 1 combination recorder, in accordance with the requirements of section 26.35 of the MOS.

Exemption

(2) The operator, and the pilot in command, of an aircraft in an operation to which Part 91 of CASR applies are each exempted from compliance with subregulation 91.810(2) of CASR:

(a) to the extent that section 26.04 of the Part 91 MOS requires an FDR or a CVR, required to be fitted to an aircraft under Division 26.9 of the MOS, to be operative; and

(b) to the extent that section 26.38 of the MOS does not otherwise permit the equipment to be inoperative; and

One FDR or CVR within combination recorder is operative

(3) For paragraph (2)(c), the circumstances are:

(a) the aircraft is fitted with not more than 1 combination recorder; and

(b) the aircraft begins a flight from a departure aerodrome with no facility for an FDR, CVR or combination recorder to be repaired or replaced; and

(4) For paragraph (2)(c), the circumstances are:

(a) the aircraft is fitted with more than 1 combination recorder; and

(b) the aircraft begins a flight from a departure aerodrome with no facility for an FDR, CVR or combination recorder to be repaired or replaced; and

(c) all of the combination recorders fitted to the aircraft are inoperative, but at least 1 FDR or CVR within one of the combination recorders is operative.

Conditions

(5) The exemption in subsection (2) is subject to the following conditions:

(a) the approved minimum equipment list (MEL) for the aircraft must permit the aircraft to begin a flight with the relevant FDR or CVR within the combination recorder inoperative, under conditions no less prescriptive, including as to duration, than those mentioned in this section;

(b) an inoperative FDR or CVR within a combination recorder fitted to the aircraft, must not have been inoperative for more than 21 calendar days.

Note Section 26.38 of the Part 91 MOS also provides for circumstances in which it is permitted that an FDR, CVR or combination recorder may be inoperative at the beginning of a flight.

[2] Section 6, item 3 of the table, after paragraph (a) in column 2

insert

(aa) The approved MEL for the aeroplane must permit the aeroplane to begin a flight with the relevant data link recorder inoperative, under conditions no less restrictive, including as to duration, than those prescribed in this item.

[3] After section 6

insert

6A Exemptions — Flight recording equipment: Part 121 operations

Application

(1) The exemption in subsection (2) applies to an aeroplane that:

(a) is required, under Division 7 of Chapter 11 of the Part 121 MOS, to be fitted with both 1 FDR and 1 CVR; and

(b) is fitted with at least 1 combination recorder, in accordance with the requirements of section 11.31 of the MOS.

Exemption

(2) The operator, and the pilot in command, of an aeroplane operation to which Part 121 of CASR applies, are each exempted from compliance with subregulation 121.460(2) of CASR:

(a) to the extent that section 11.06 of the Part 121 MOS requires an FDR or a CVR, required to be fitted to an aeroplane under Division 7 of Chapter 11 of the MOS, to be operative; and

(b) to the extent that section 11.34 of the MOS does not otherwise permit the equipment to be inoperative; and

One FDR or CVR within combination recorder is operative

(3) For paragraph (2)(c), the circumstances are:

(a) the aeroplane is fitted with not more than 1 combination recorder; and

(b) the aeroplane begins a flight from a departure aerodrome with no facility for an FDR, CVR or combination recorder to be repaired or replaced; and

(4) For paragraph (2)(c), the circumstances are:

(a) the aeroplane is fitted with more than 1 combination recorder; and

(b) the aeroplane begins a flight from a departure aerodrome with no facility for an FDR, CVR or combination recorder to be repaired or replaced; and

(c) all of the combination recorders fitted to the aeroplane are inoperative, but at least 1 FDR or CVR within one of the combination recorders is operative.

Conditions

(5) The exemption in subsection (2) is subject to the following conditions:

(a) the approved minimum equipment list (MEL) for the aeroplane must permit the aeroplane to begin a flight with the relevant FDR or CVR within the combination recorder inoperative, under conditions no less prescriptive, including as to duration, than those mentioned in this section;

(b) an inoperative FDR or CVR within a combination recorder fitted to the aeroplane, must not have been inoperative for more than 21 calendar days.

Note Section 11.34 of the Part 121 MOS also provides for circumstances in which it is permitted that an FDR, CVR or combination recorder may be inoperative at the beginning of a flight.

[4] After section 7

insert

7A Exemptions — Flight recording equipment: Part 133 operations

Application

(1) The exemption in subsection (2) applies to a rotorcraft that:

(a) is required, under Division 7 of Chapter 11 of the Part 133 MOS, to be fitted with both 1 FDR and 1 CVR; and

(b) is fitted with at least 1 combination recorder, in accordance with the requirements of section 11.25 of the MOS.

Exemption

(2) The operator, and the pilot in command, of a rotorcraft operation to which Part 133 of CASR applies, are each exempted from compliance with subregulation 133.360(2) of CASR:

(a) to the extent that section 11.04 of the Part 133 MOS requires an FDR or a CVR, required to be fitted to a rotorcraft under Division 7 of Chapter 11 of the MOS, to be operative; and

(b) to the extent that section 11.28 of the MOS does not otherwise permit the equipment to be inoperative; and

One FDR or CVR within combination recorder is operative

(3) For paragraph (2)(c), the circumstances are:

(a) the rotorcraft is fitted with not more than 1 combination recorder; and

(b) the rotorcraft begins a flight from a departure aerodrome with no facility for an FDR, CVR or combination recorder to be repaired or replaced; and

(4) For paragraph (2)(c), the circumstances are:

(a) the rotorcraft is fitted with more than 1 combination recorder; and

(b) the rotorcraft begins a flight from a departure aerodrome with no facility for an FDR, CVR or combination recorder to be repaired or replaced; and

(c) all of the combination recorders fitted to the rotorcraft are inoperative, but at least 1 FDR or CVR within one of the combination recorders is operative.

Conditions

(5) The exemption in subsection (2) is subject to the following conditions:

(a) the approved minimum equipment list (MEL) for the rotorcraft must permit the rotorcraft to begin a flight with the relevant FDR or CVR within the combination recorder inoperative, under conditions no less prescriptive, including as to duration, than those mentioned in this section;

(b) an inoperative FDR or CVR within a combination recorder fitted to the rotorcraft, must not have been inoperative for more than 21 calendar days.

Note Section 11.28 of the Part 133 MOS also provides for circumstances in which it is permitted that an FDR, CVR or combination recorder may be inoperative at the beginning of a flight.

[5] After section 8

insert

8A Exemptions — Flight recording equipment: Part 135 operations

Application

(1) The exemption in subsection (2) applies to an aeroplane that:

(a) is required, under Division 7 of Chapter 11 of the Part 135 MOS, to be fitted with both 1 FDR and 1 CVR; and

(b) is fitted with not more than 1 combination recorder, in accordance with the requirements of section 11.32 of the MOS.

Exemption

(2) The operator, and the pilot in command, of an aeroplane operation to which Part 135 of CASR applies, are each exempted from compliance with subregulation 135.370(2) of CASR:

(a) to the extent that section 11.04 of the Part 135 MOS requires an FDR or a CVR, required to be fitted to an aeroplane under Division 7 of Chapter 11 of the MOS, to be operative; and

(b) to the extent that section 11.35 of the MOS does not otherwise permit the equipment to be inoperative; and

No recording function is operative

(3) For paragraph (2)(c), the circumstances are:

(a) the aeroplane begins a flight from a departure aerodrome with no facility for an FDR, CVR or combination recorder to be repaired or replaced; and

(b) the combination recorder is inoperative, and both the FDR and the CVR functions with the combination recorder, are inoperative.

Conditions

(4) The exemption in subsection (2) is subject to the following conditions:

(b) the inoperative combination recorder must not have been inoperative for more than 3 calendar days.

Note Section 11.35 of the Part 135 MOS also provides for circumstances in which it is permitted that an FDR, CVR or combination recorder may be inoperative at the beginning of a flight.