AD/A320/175 Amdt 1 103VU Panel Hinge Pin (Cth)

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

On the effective date specified below, and for the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below revokes Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/A320/175 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.001(1) of CASR 1998.  The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.

Airbus Industrie A319, A320 and A321 Series Aeroplanes

AD/A320/175 Amdt 1 103VU Panel Hinge Pin 10/2007

Applicability:	Aircraft models listed in Table 1, all manufactures serial numbers, except those that have received either of the following:
•    Airbus modification 36115 during production, or •    Airbus Service Bulletin (SB) A320-25-1535 dated 27 April 2007 whilst in service.
Table 1 - Aircraft Models
A318-111 A318-112 A319-111 A319-112 A319-113 A319-114 A319-115	A319-131 A319-132 A319-133 A320-111 A320-211 A320-212 A320-214	A320-215 A320-216 A320-231 A320-232 A320-233 A321-111 A321-112	A321-131 A321-211 A321-212 A321-213 A321-231 A321-232
Requirement:	Install a hinge pin stopper on the internal door of the 103VU box in accordance with the instructions given in SB A320-25-1535 or later approved EASA revision.
Note:  EASA AD 2007-0214 refers.
Compliance:	Before 31 March 2009.
This Amendment becomes effective on 27 September 2007.
Background:	Heat damaged and severed electrical wires have been found in several 103VU boxes.  Those electrical damages are caused by a contact between the horizontal hinge pin and adjacent electrical harness.  Investigation revealed that the pre-mod 36115 manufacturing process used to secure the pin by deforming the hinge ends, or the hinge pin ends, does not prevent the pin translatory motion.

To avoid harness damage and subsequent failure on the associated systems, the original issue of this Directive mandated the inspection of 103 VU panel hinge pin according to Airbus All Operators Telex (AOT) 25A1440.  In service experience has shown that AOT 25A1440 inspection procedure and its associated corrective actions were not sufficient to detect and solve hinge pin migration.

This Amendment mandates the installation of a hinge pin stopper on the internal door of the 103VU box.

The original issue of this Directive became effective on 9 June 2005.

Charles Lenarcic
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority

17 August 2007