EASA AD No.: 2013-0207

TE.CAP.00110-003 © European Aviation Safety Agency. All rights reserved. 1/3 Proprietary document. Copies are not controlled. Co nfirm revision status through the EASA-Internet/Int ranet. 

## EASA AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

AD No.: 2013-0207

Date: 09 September 2013

Note: This Airworthiness Directive (AD) is issued b y EASA, acting in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 on behalf of the European Communit y, its Member States and of the European third countries that participate in the ac tivities of EASA under Article 66 of that Regulation.

This AD is issued in accordance with EU 748/2012, P art 21.A.3B. In accordance with EC 2042/2003 Annex I, Part M.A.301, the continuing airworthiness of an aircraft shall be en sured by accomplishing any applicable ADs. Conseque ntly, no person may operate an aircraft to which an AD applies, except in accordan ce with the requirements of that AD, unless otherwi se specified by the Agency [EC 2042/2003 Annex I, Part M.A.303] or agreed with the Authority of the State of Registry [EC 216/2008, A rticle 14(4) exemption].



### Design Approval Holder’s Name: BAE SYSTEMS (OPERATIONS) LTD Type/Model designation(s): BAe 146 and AVRO 146-RJ aeroplanes

TCDS Number: EASA.A.182

Foreign AD: Not applicable

Supersedure: This AD supersedes EASA AD 2012-0184 d ated 12 September 2012.



### ATA 53 Fuselage – Rear Fuselage Skin and Frames – I nspection / Repair

Manufacturer(s): BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd, Brit ish Aerospace plc, British Aerospace (Commercial Aircraft) Ltd, British Aerospace (Opera tions) Ltd, British Aerospace Regional Aircraft Ltd, British Aerospace Regional Aircraft trading as Avro International Aerospace.

Applicability: BAe 146 and AVRO 146-RJ aeroplanes, all models, all serial numbers

Reason: In 2012, a pressurisation problem occurred on an AVRO 146-RJ100 aeroplane during climb-out. Subsequent investigation results identified a 42.87 inch (1089 mm) long crack in the fuselage skin in the rear fus elage drum, near the rear passenger door. The skin crack had initiated in the step of the skin land adjacent to a lap joint. In addition to the skin cr ack, cracks were found in Frames 41X and 42.
This condition, if not detected and corrected, coul d lead to degradation of the structural integrity of the aeroplane. Prompted by this finding, BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd issued Inspection Service Bulletin (ISB) 53-239, providing instructio ns to inspect the internal area of the rear fuselage drum for cracks, corrosion and any other defects and EASA issued AD 2012-0178 which required accomplishment o f a one-time inspection of the affected fuselage area and, depending on fin dings, repair of cracked structural items. Following the issuance of that AD , some new information on additional damage found on the aeroplane that had t he pressurisation problem resulted in a further review of the cracking event. This review concluded that the event was more serious than previously consider ed and that the compliance time must be reduced in order to mitigat e the risk of cracking on other aeroplanes. As a result, EASA issued AD 2012- 0184 which supersededEASA AD No.: 2013-0207

TE.CAP.00110-003 © European Aviation Safety Agency. All rights reserved. 2/3 Proprietary document. Copies are not controlled. Co nfirm revision status through the EASA-Internet/Int ranet. EASA AD 2012-0178.
After analysing the responses to EASA AD 2012-0184, which covered the initial inspection of stringer 30, left hand (LH) and right hand (RH), BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd also assessed the similar design f eatures at other skin lands in the rear fuselage drum, namely at stringer 2 right and stringers 11 and 18, LH and RH. As a result, they determined that inspectio ns at the other stringers would be required and also that repeat inspections of all these stringers would be necessary. Consequently, BAE Systems (Operations ) Ltd ISB.53-239 Revision 1 and 2 were issued to include these new i nspections.
For the reasons described above, this AD retains th e requirements of EASA AD 2012-0184, which is superseded, and requires accomp lishment of additional inspections of the affected fuselage area, includin g repetitive inspections, and depending on findings, repair of cracked structural items.

Effective Date: 23 September 2013

Required Action(s) and Compliance Time(s): Required as indicated, unless accomplished previous ly:
(1) Within the compliance time as specified in Tabl e 1 of this AD, as applicable, and thereafter, at intervals not to exc eed values specified in Table 2 of this AD, as applicable to aeroplane modi fication status, accomplish an external eddy current inspection in a ccordance with the instructions of paragraph 2.C of BAE Systems (Opera tions) Ltd ISB.53-239 Revision 2.
Table 1 - Compliance time

Flight cycles (FC) accumulated since aeroplane first flight on the effective date of this AD Compliance Time

9 000 FC or more Within 1 000 FC or 6 months, whichever occurs first after the effective date of this AD
Less than 9 000 FC Before exceeding 10 000 FC since aeroplane first flight

Table 2 – Repeat inspection intervals

(2) Inspection and any necessary corrective action accomplished before the effective date of this AD on stringer 30, LH or RH, in accordance with BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd ISB.53-239 at Initial issu e, is acceptable to comply with the requirements of paragraph (1) of th is AD for that stringer 30 LH or RH.
(3) Inspections and corrective actions accomplished before the effective date of this AD, in accordance with BAE Systems (Operati ons) Ltd ISB.53-239 at Revision 1, are acceptable to comply with the in itial inspections required by paragraph (1) of this AD.
(4) If, during any inspection as required by paragr aph (1) of this AD, any crack, corrosion, or any other irregularity is detected, b efore next flight, contact BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd for approved repair in structions and, within the compliance time as specified in those instructi ons, accomplish the repair accordingly. If no compliance time is define d in the repair BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ aeroplanes post modification HCM50070E, or post modification HCM50070F or post modification HCM50259A BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ aeroplanes pre modification HCM50070E, and pre modification HCM50070F and pre modification HCM50259A

4 000 FC 7 500 FCEASA AD No.: 2013-0207

TE.CAP.00110-003 © European Aviation Safety Agency. All rights reserved. 3/3 Proprietary document. Copies are not controlled. Co nfirm revision status through the EASA-Internet/Int ranet. instructions, accomplish the repair before next fli ght.
(5) Accomplishment of a repair, as required by para graph (4) of this AD, does not constitute a terminating action for the inspect ions required by this AD.

Ref. Publications: BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd ISB.53-239 Revision 2, dated 15 July 2013.
The use of later approved revisions of this documen t is acceptable for compliance with the requirements of this AD.

Remarks: 1. If requested and appropriately substantiated, EA SA can approve Alternative Methods of Compliance for this AD.
2. This AD was posted on 29 July 2013 as PAD 13-110 for consultation until 26 August 2013. The Comment Response Document can b e found at http://ad.easa.europa.eu

. 3. Enquiries regarding this AD should be referred t o the Safety Information Section, Executive Directorate, EASA. E-mail: ADs@easa.europa.eu

. 4. For any question concerning the technical conten t of the requirements in this AD, please contact: BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd, Customer Information Department, Prestwick International Airport, Ayrshire, KA9 2RW, Scotland, The United Kingdom; Telephone +44 1292 675207, Facsimile +44 1 292 675704; E-mail: RApublications@baesystems.com

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