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 39.1 (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/A330/29 'SAMM' Elevator Servo-control 4/2004
Applicability: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A330 aircraft, models -202, -223, -243, -301, -321, -322, -323,
-341, -342, and -343, all serial numbers, fitted with “SAMM” elevator servo-control with Part Number (P/N) SC4800-2 through SC4800-7 and SC4800-8 except those aircraft which have received in production AIRBUS INDUSTRIE modification 47674 or in service AIRBUS INDUSTRIE Service Bulletin (SB) A330-27-3076 R2 or earlier revisions.
Requirement: 1. Check the play of the piston rod eye-end of the active and damping servo- controls (FIN 2CS1, 2CS2, 3CS1 and 3CS2) in accordance with paragraph 3.B.(2) of Airbus SB A330-27-3062R4 or earlier revisions.
2. Depending on the play measured for each servo-control, perform the corrective action as detailed in Airbus SB A330-27-3062 R4 or earlier revisions.
3. Replace all servo-controls P/N SC4800-2 through SC4800-7 and SC4800-8 with servo-controls P/N SC4800-7A or SC4800-9 in accordance with Airbus SB A330-27-3076 R2 or earlier revisions.
Note 1: DGAC AD 2001-518(B) refers.
Note 2: Fitment of P/N SC4800-7A or -9 servo-controls provides terminating action to this Directive.
Compliance: For Requirements 1 and 2: Unless already accomplished, initial inspection before the accumulation of 30 months servo-control time in service since new, or within 100 flight hours from the effective date of this Directive, whichever occurs later, thereafter at intervals not to exceed 15 months from the previous inspection.
For Requirement 3: Not later than 31 August 2004.
This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 15 April 2004.
Airbus Industrie A330 Series Aeroplanes
AD/A330/29 (continued)
Background: Rupture of the active elevator servo-control piston rod due to degradation of the lubricating liner from the eye end spherical bearing can lead to loss of damping and subsequent loss control of the elevator. This Directive addresses the unsafe condition by repetitive inspection and eventual replacement of the servo-control with a servo- control that has better retention of the lubricating liner.
James Coyne
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 4 March 2004
The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 24 March 2004.
Overview
The Airworthiness Directive AD/A330/29 was enacted in 2004 to address a safety issue identified with the Airbus Industrie A330 Series aeroplanes. This directive was issued under subregulation 39.1 (1) of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), specifically by James Coyne as the delegate of CASA. The problem it was designed to address was the potential rupture of the active elevator servo-control piston rod due to degradation of the lubricating liner from the eye end spherical bearing, which could result in loss of damping and subsequent loss of control of the elevator. The policy objective of the directive is to ensure the continued airworthiness of the specified aircraft models by mandating regular inspections and, where necessary, corrective actions to mitigate the identified safety risk.
Scope and Application
The Airworthiness Directive AD/A330/29 issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) applies specifically to Airbus Industrie A330 aircraft models -202, -223, -243, -301, -321, -322, -323, -341, -342, and -343, all serial numbers, that are fitted with "SAMM" elevator servo-controls with certain part numbers. This directive excludes aircraft that have already received specific modifications or service bulletins. The directive mandates actions to address an unsafe condition related to the degradation of the lubricating liner of the elevator servo-control piston rod, which could lead to loss of control. The requirement includes checking the servo-control play, performing corrective actions based on the measured play, and replacing the affected servo-controls with improved versions. Compliance with this directive must be met by a specified timeline, with initial inspections occurring within certain service hours or time frames post the directive's effective date, and subsequent inspections at intervals not exceeding 15 months. This directive is effective throughout the Commonwealth of Australia and was published in the Australia Gazette on 24 March 2004.
Key Provisions
The main operative sections of this Airworthiness Directive (AD) are outlined in the requirement section. This particular AD, AD/A330/29, applies to Airbus Industrie A330 series aeroplanes with specific models and serial numbers, fitted with a certain "SAMM" elevator servo-control part number, excluding those that have already undergone certain modifications or service bulletins (sections 2 and 3). The requirement section mandates that the aircraft owner or operator must check the play of the piston rod eye-end of the active and damping servo-controls, perform corrective actions based on the measured play, and replace all relevant servo-controls with a specified part number. This must be done in accordance with detailed instructions provided in Airbus Service Bulletins (section 4).
The AD imposes specific obligations on the parties it governs. First, the aircraft owner or operator must ensure that the inspection and corrective actions are carried out before the accumulation of 30 months of servo-control time in service since new, or within 100 flight hours from the effective date of this Directive, whichever occurs later. Additionally, they must adhere to a schedule for subsequent inspections, which must take place at intervals not exceeding 15 months from the previous inspection (section 5). For the replacement of the servo-controls, the AD specifies that this must be completed by a certain deadline, which in this case is 31 August 2004 (section 6).
Failure to comply with the requirements of this AD may result in serious safety implications, including potential loss of control of the elevator due to rupture of the active elevator servo-control piston rod. There are no explicit penalties or civil/criminal consequences stated in the AD itself, but non-compliance could lead to actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) which might include fines, enforcement actions, or even grounding of the aircraft until compliance is achieved. The severity of such actions would depend on CASA's enforcement policies and the specific circumstances of non-compliance.