Commonwealth Numbered Regulations

1988 NO. 158 CIVIL AVIATION REGULATIONS - REG 53

53. (1) An authorised person may, for the purpose of ensuring the safety of
air navigation, conduct an investigation into any matter connected with any
defect in an Australian aircraft (including the making of a test of an
aircraft or of any aircraft component installed or provided in an aircraft).

(2) An investigation under subregulation (1) may extend to defects generally
or may be limited to the investigation of a particular defect or a particular
kind of defect.

(3) The authorised person may, for the purposes of carrying out the
investigation:

   (a)  by order in writing served on a person, require the production to the
        first-mentioned person of any documents, aircraft components or other
        things that are in the possession, or under the control, of the person
        on whom the order is served;

   (b)  retain any document, aircraft component or other thing produced during
        the course of the investigation for such period as is necessary for
        the purpose of carrying out the investigation; and

   (c)  make and retain copies of, or take extracts from, any document so
        produced.

(4) Where the retention of a document, aircraft component or other thing
produced for the purposes of an investigation is no longer necessary, the
Authority or the authorised person shall return the document, aircraft
component or other thing to the person by whom it was produced.