AD/A330/69 Fuel Tanks Modifications (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/A330/69 Fuel Tanks Modifications 13/2006

Applicability:	A330 aircraft, all certified models, all serial numbers.
Note 1:  Applicability for each of the actions mandated by this Directive is defined in the Requirement Statements.
Requirement:	1.    All models, without Airbus Modification 47634 embodied during production - Perform a detailed visual inspection of the P-clips in the wings and centre fuel tanks and, if necessary, apply the corrective actions, in accordance with the instructions of Service Bulletin (SB) A330-28-3092 Revision 01 dated 14 December 2005.
2.    All models, without Airbus Modification 49135 and 49630 and 51825 and 55118 embodied during production or modified whilst in service in accordance with both SB A330-28-3082 and SB A330-28-3101 - Modify the electrical bonding of equipment installed in fuel tanks in accordance with SB A330-28-3082 dated 14 June 2004 and SB A330-28-3101 dated 5 June 2006.
3.    A330-301, -321, -322, -341 and -342 models, without Airbus Modification 44252 embodied during production or modified whilst in service in accordance with SB A330-55-3016 - Increase the distance between metallic parts on the trimmable horizontal stabiliser (THS) trim tank in accordance with the instructions of SB A330-55-3016 dated 20 August 1996.
Later approved revisions of the above service bulletins may be utilised to achieve compliance with the relevant Requirements of this Directive.
Note 2:  EASA AD 2006-0322 refers.
Compliance:	For Requirements 1, 2 and 3 - No later than 31 December 2009.
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 21 December 2006.

Background:	Following the in-flight accident which occurred to a Boeing 747-131 (flight TWA800), the United States Federal Aviation Administration published Special Federal Aviation Regulation 88 (SFAR 88).  Subsequent to the issue of SFAR 88 the European Joint Aviation Authority required all holders of type certificates for passenger transport aircraft certified after 1 January 1958 with a capacity of 30 passengers or more, or a payload of 3,402 kg or more, to carry out a definition review against explosion hazards.
As a result of this review, the European Aviation Safety Agency has identified several deficiencies that require modification to decrease the likelihood of fuel tank explosions.  Consequently this Directive requires the following actions:
Replacement of the white P-clips by blue P-clips which are more fuel resistant to remove the risks of fuel quantity indicator (FQI) and fuel level sensor system (FLSS) harnesses chafing against the metallic part of the P-clip. Modification of electrical bonding of equipment installed in fuel tanks in order to re-establish the conformity with the design definition by introducing additional bonding leads, electrical bonding points and electrical bonding of a support bracket for a diffuser assembly installed between Rib 1 and Rib 2 on the stringers of the No.1 bottom skin panel. Modification to increase the distance between metallic parts on the THS Trim Tank.

James Coyne
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority

9 November 2006