AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE
For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below revokes Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/A320/87 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.1 (1) of CAR 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/A320/87
Amdt 1
Wing Centre Box Bottom Panel 9/2002
Applicability: All Model A320-111, -211, 212, and -231 aircraft, except aircraft on which Airbus modification 22418 has been incorporated in production, or Airbus Service Bulletin A320-57-1043 incorporated in-service.
Requirement: Perform a high frequency eddy current inspection of the wing centre box bottom
panel in accordance with Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin A320-57-1082 Revision 3.
Note: DGAC AD 2002-342(B) refers.
Compliance: Unless already accomplished, at the latest of the following thresholds:
- Before accumulation of 13,200 flight cycles or 39,700 flight hours, whichever occurs first; or,
- Within 3,500 flight cycles from 5 September 2002, but without exceeding the accumulation of 20,000 total flight cycles.
Repeat the inspection at the intervals specified in the Requirement document. This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 5 September 2002.
Background: This Directive requires inspections to detect fatigue cracks in the wing centre box bottom panel, which could affect the structural integrity of the aircraft. Cracking was found during full scale fatigue tests.
Amendment 1 is issued in response to a revision of the Requirement document and related DGAC AD which introduce revised inspection threshold and intervals, as a result of a review of A320 in-service aircraft fleet mission parameters and those originally considered.
Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 Series Aeroplanes
AD/A320/87 Amdt 1 (continued)
The original issue of this Airworthiness Directive became effective on 29 January 1998.
David Alan Villiers
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 15 July 2002
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 14 August 2002.