AD/A320/87 Amdt 1 - Wing Centre Box Bottom Panel

Overview

The Airworthiness Directive AD/A320/87 Amdt 1, issued in 2002, amends the previous directive AD/A320/87 from 1998. It was enacted by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) under subregulation 39.1 (1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998. This legislation targets the issue of potential structural integrity risks due to fatigue cracks in the wing centre box bottom panel of Airbus Industrie A319, A320, and A321 Series Aeroplanes. The policy objective is to ensure that all affected aircraft undergo necessary inspections to mitigate these risks and maintain airworthiness standards. The directive became effective on 5 September 2002, requiring inspections to be completed before specific flight cycle or flight hour thresholds, with further inspections at specified intervals thereafter.

Scope and Application

This Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 applies to all Airbus Industrie A320-111, -211, 212, and -231 aircraft, excluding those on which Airbus modification 22418 has been incorporated in production, or Airbus Service Bulletin A320-57-1043 has been incorporated in-service. The AD mandates 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 to detect any fatigue cracks that could compromise the aircraft’s structural integrity. The inspection must be performed before the aircraft accumulates 13,200 flight cycles or 39,700 flight hours, whichever comes first, or within 3,500 flight cycles from 5 September 2002 but not exceeding 20,000 total flight cycles. The AD became effective on 5 September 2002 and was notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 14 August 2002. The AD applies nationwide within Australia and is issued under the authority of a delegate from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of this Airworthiness Directive (AD) provide specific requirements and timeframes for conducting high-frequency eddy current inspections on certain Airbus Industrie A320 series aircraft. Section 3 of the AD specifies the applicability of the directive to all Model A320-111, -211, -212, and -231 aircraft, excluding those that have already incorporated Airbus modification 22418 in production or Airbus Service Bulletin A320-57-1043 in-service (Section 3). The requirement section (Section 4) mandates that an inspection be performed in accordance with Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin A320-57-1082 Revision 3, with a note referring to DGAC AD 2002-342(B). The compliance section (Section 5) stipulates that the inspection must be completed before the aircraft accumulates either 13,200 flight cycles or 39,700 flight hours, whichever comes first, or within 3,500 flight cycles from 5 September 2002, but not to exceed 20,000 total flight cycles. The AD imposes specific obligations and requirements on the parties it governs. Aircraft operators and maintenance providers must ensure that the high-frequency eddy current inspection is performed on the wing centre box bottom panel of the specified aircraft models within the stipulated timeframes. The inspection must adhere strictly to the guidelines provided in Airbus Industrie Service Bulletin A320-57-1082 Revision 3. Additionally, the AD requires that the inspections be repeated at intervals specified in the requirement document. Operators must also maintain accurate records of the inspections performed to demonstrate compliance with the directive. Breach of this Airworthiness Directive could lead to serious safety implications and legal consequences. Section 39.1(1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 (CAR 1998) stipulates that failure to comply with an AD can result in civil or criminal penalties. The specific penalties are not detailed in the text, but generally, under CAR 1998, non-compliance can lead to fines and other enforcement actions. In severe cases, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) can take measures such as grounding the aircraft or restricting its operation until compliance is achieved. The potential penalties underscore the importance of adhering to the requirements set forth in the AD to ensure the continued airworthiness and safety of the aircraft.