Ad/A330/107 - Air Cooling Heat Shield Holes (Cth)

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below issues the following Airworthiness Directive (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 A330 Series Aeroplanes

AD/A330/107 Air Cooling Heat Shield Holes 10/2009

Applicability:

Airbus A330-201, A330-202, A330-203, A330-223, A330-243 aeroplanes, all manufacturer serial numbers (MSN), on which Airbus modification 49520 has been embodied in production or on which Airbus Service Bulletin (SB) A330-21-3096 Revision 01 dated 10 October 2005 has been embodied in service, except those on which Airbus modification 58551 has been embodied in production.

Requirement:

Plug the 6 receptacle holes on the heat shield of the LH Air conditioning pack and plug the 4 receptacle holes on the heat shield of the RH Air conditioning pack in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A330-21-3148 dated 30 January 2009 or later approved revision.

Note:  EASA AD 2009-0150 dated 9 July 2009 refers.

Compliance:

Within 24 months after the effective date of this AD, unless previously accomplished.

This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 24 September 2009.

Background:

Further to the accident which occurred to a Boeing 747-131 (flight TWA800), the FAA published SFAR 88 (Special Federal Aviation Regulation 88).

Accordingly, CASA AD/A330/58 required the installation of new heat shield panels with drainage over the air conditioning packs in order to avoid an undetected fire in this zone following a fuel leak from the centre tank.

These new heat shield panels have holes.  In case of fuel leaking through these holes from the centre tank, any fuel vapour may develop into a potential source of ignition, possibly resulting in a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the aeroplane.  Airbus has developed a repair solution for these holes to prevent a fuel vapour ignition source in this area and improve the protection of the hot air equipment.

To be fully compliant with SFAR 88, this AD requires the installation of plugs on the heat shield panels of the Left Hand (LH) and Right Hand (RH) Air Conditioning packs.

James Coyne
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority

14 August 2009