~ COMUNITY ain CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY CIVIL AIRCRAFT INSPECTION PROCEDURES Aviation @ @_— www.amevoice.com Issue 1 Everything from aviation videos to aircraft manuals, December, 1978. and fellow aviation enthusiasts. AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT CARBON MONOXIDE CONTAMINATION INTRODUCTION This Leaflet describes the nature and effects of carbon ‘monoxide (CO), and outlines the main causes of this type of contamination. It gives only ‘general guidance on the inspections, tests and repairs which should be carried out in order {to minimise the dangers of such contamination to crew and passengers, and must, therefore, be read in conjunction with the relevant aircraft Maintenance Manual L.1 The harmful effects of contaminants in the air breathed by crew and passengers are recognised in British Civil Airworthiness Requirements. It is stipulated in the Require- ‘ments that CO should not be present in occupied compartments in quantities exceeding 50 parts/million by volume, for any period exceeding five minutes: maximum allowable ‘oncentrations are also prescribed for other noxious substances such as fuel, oil, de-icing and hydraulic fuids, fire extinguishing agents, and the fumes given off by other materials when they are heated. Airworthiness Notices Nos. 40 and 41 deal specifically with CO contamination. THE NATURE AND EFFECTS OF CARBON MONOXIDE Carbon monoxide is a gas which is colourless, odourless, and tasteless, and is therefore impossible to detect by the senses. It is a product of the incomplete combustion of carbonaceous materials, and is found in varying amounts in the smoke and fumes emanating from the exhaust systems of aircraft engines and combustion heaters, 2.1 Ifa person breathes ait contaminated by CO, the CO will combine with the haemo- slobin in the blood and cause oxygen starvation in the body and brain, thus reducing the person's normal ability to reason and make decisions. Exposure to even small amounts of CO over a period of several hours can be as dangerous as a short exposure to much larger amounts. At altitude, with a smaller quantity of oxygen in the atmo- sphere, the susceptibility to CO poisoning is correspondingly increased. 22 The presence of CO in the air may often be assumed from the smell of exhaust fumes, and from the onset of symptoms such as mild tiredness, a feeling of warmth, and tightness across the forehead. These symptoms cannot, however, be relied upon to give adequate warning of CO contamination, and a person's judgement may become impaired by levels of CO in the blood lower than that at which the symptoms normally appear.AL/3-20 3 CAUSES OF CARBON MONOXIDE CONTAMINATION Carbon monoxide ‘may enter the interior of an aircraft in a number of ways. Defective cabin heating systems of the type which use the engine exhaust pipe as the heat source, and combustion heaters ‘which are independent of the aircraft engines, may introduce CO directly into the fuselage through the cabin heater outlets, while the engine and heater exhaust gases may enter from the outside, either on the ground or during flight. Exhaust gas leaking from any part of the engine exhaust system through cracks, or faulty slip joints, gaskets or muffs, can find its way into the aircraft through ineffectively sealed bulkheads, access panels or skin joints, and in some cases, particularly during starting, ground-running and taxying, the gas discharged from the engine exhaust pipes may enter through open windows or cabin fresh-air intakes. During flight, any poorly sealed doors or windows can result in reduced ‘cabin pressure, encouraging exhaust gas to be drawn into the cabin through the lower fuselage or wing roots. ROUTINE INSPECTIONS The physical inspection of all exhaust system and cabin heating components, of bulkheads and of access panels in the fuselage, should be carried out at the intervals prescribed in the Maintenance Schedule. 4.1 Alll parts of the engine exhaust system should be inspected for security, warping, dents, cracks, and evidence of gas leakage (ic. overheating or smoke traces) particularly at clips, slip-joints, clamps, expansion joints and heater jackets. Repair or replacement should be cattied out in accordance with the manufaciurer’s instructions. 42 Exhaust pipes under heater jackets should be inspected very carefully at the pre- sctibed intervals, and whenever CO contamination is suspected. In some cases the heater jacket is detachable, and can be completely removed to enable a thorough visual inspection of the exhaust pipe for signs of gas leakage. In cases where the jacket is integral with the exhaust pipe, itis recommended that a pressure test should be carried out by blanking the outlet from the heater jacket and applying air pressure, via a suitable non-return valve, through the inlet; there should be no leakage when the air supply is ‘turned off. 5 i reser ate Maintenance Manual should not be [NOTE Th ium est resus pried nthe apron Manns not be ‘propagation. she pees . ” 43 ‘The procedures for ensuring the serviceability of combustion heaters are outlined jin, Airworthiness Notice No. 41, and detailed in the appropriate manufacturer's and ‘aircraft manuals. The heater exhaust system should be inspected for the defects listed in paragraph 4.1 and the ducting carrying the heated fresh air from the combustion heater to the cabin should be examined for signs of exhaust contamination. Overhauls ‘of heaters should normally be carried out at the prescribed intervals (normally not exceeding two years). In some instances the combustion chambers are required to be pressure-tested at half the overhaul life. 44 Engine bulkheads and the bulkheads isolating combustion heaters, are designed to ‘prevent the transmission of flame, heat or gas to the airframe structure or cabin. Any joins or openings for controls, pipes, or fittings, are sealed with heat-resistant material. ‘All bulkheads should be examined for cracks, damage, ineffective sealing, and signs of ‘smoke or overheating.AL/3-20 4.5 Access panels, particularly those fitted in the underside of the fuselage or giving direct access to the cabin, are generally sealed with a rubber or elastomeric gasket between the panel and the fuselage skin. These gaskets prevent the entry of exhaust ‘gases into the fuselage and are thus important in preventing CO contamination. The fasteners and gaskets of access panels should be examined for security and effectiveness whenever the panels are removed. 46 Lap joints and butt joints in the exterior skin of an aircraft are often sealed by the use of a liquid sealant when the skins are riveted during manufacture. When modifi- cations or skin repairs are carried out the same methods should be used to prevent the entry of exhaust gas, and an inspection should be made to ensure that the sealing is effective. 47 Cabin windows and windscreens are usually secured to the metallic structure of the aircraft by means of rubber sealing channels or strips. Poor sealing of these glazed panels could allow exhaust gas into the fuselage, and the seals should be examined for security, condition and fit. 48 On twin-engined aircraft, exhaust gas may enter the wheel wells or flap shrouds ‘and flow along the leading and trailing edges of the wings into the fuselage. ‘The sealing in these areas, and the landing gear doors, should be checked for effectiveness, TESTS FOR CO CONTAMINATION When doubt exists as to the extent of ‘contamination of the air in the crew or passenger compartments, a test should be carried out to determine the CO concentration. This test is usually carried out by a sampling process, detection being based on the colour reaction of CO with iodine pentoxide, selenium dioxide and fuming sulphuric acid. A typical apparatus and test are described in paragraph 5.1. 5.1 The apparatus usually consists of a hand-operated bellows, which is used to draw 2 specified volume of air through a sampling tube, the presence of CO being indicated by the staining of crystals in the indicating portion of the tube. 5.1.1 The sampling tube is a sealed glass capéule containing crystals which are white ‘on one side of a datum line and pigmented with the reagent on the other side of the datum line. ‘The white (indicating) part of the tube has two scales marked on the outside of the glass, one graduated for small CO concentrations and the other graduated for large ‘CO concentrations, the units used generally being parts per million (ppm). 5.1.2 When carrying out atest the ends of a sampling tube should be broken to expose the chemicals, and the indicating end of the tube should be inserted in the air intake opening of the bellows assembly. The bellows should then be fully compressed, and ‘when released will expand under internal spring pressure to draw a specified quantity of air through the sampling tube, The number of times the bellows is operated depends on which scale is being used, and this information should be obtained from the manufacturer's published literature. The presence of CO in the air drawn through the sampling tube will result in a green-brown staining of the indicator erystals, the extent of staining depending on the quantity of CO in the sample. ‘The CO con- centration can then be read directly from the appropriate scale, at the dividing line between the white and stained crystals. 3