EASA AD No.: 2014-0065

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EASA AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

AD No.: 2014-0065

Date: 14 March 2014

Note: This Airworthiness Directive (AD) is issued by EASA, acting in accordance with Regulation 

(EC) No 216/2008 on behalf of the European Community, its Member States and of the 

European third countries that participate in the activities of EASA under Article 66 of that 

Regulation.

This AD is issued in accordance with EU 748/2012, Part 21.A.3B. In accordance with EC 2042/2003 Annex I, Part M.A.301, the 

continuing airworthiness of an aircraft shall be ensured by accomplishing any applicable ADs. Consequently, no person may operate an 

aircraft to which an AD applies, except in accordance with the requirements of that AD, unless otherwise 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, Article 14(4) exemption].

Design Approval Holder’s Name:

AIRBUS

Type/Model designation(s):

A320 aeroplanes

TCDS Number: EASA.A.064

Foreign AD: Not applicable

Supersedure: This AD supersedes DGAC France AD 2002-342 dated 26 June 2002.

ATA 57 Wings – Centre Wing Box Lower Surface Panel – Inspection / 

Repair

Manufacturer(s): Airbus (formerly Airbus Industrie)

Applicability: Airbus A320-211, A320-212 and A320-231 aeroplanes, all manufacturer serial 

numbers (MSN), except those on which Airbus Modification (mod) 22418 has 

been embodied in production.

Reason: During center fuselage certification full scale test, damage was found in the 

center wing box (CWB) lower surface panel.

This condition, if not detected and corrected, could affect the structural integrity

of the CWB.

To prevent such damage, Airbus developed mod 22418 which consists in shotpeening of the lower panel in the related area. Mod 22418 has been embodied 

in production from aeroplane MSN 0359. For unmodified in-service aeroplanes,

Airbus issued Service Bulletin (SB) A320-57-1082 to introduce repetitive High 

Frequency Eddy Current (HFEC) inspections on the external face of the center 

wing box lower panel between Frame (FR)41 and FR42 to detect damage.

DGAC France issued AD 2002-342 to require these inspections and, 

depending on findings, applicable corrective action(s). Airbus also issued SB 

A320-57-1043 as an optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections

required by DGAC France AD 2002-342. 

Since that AD was issued, the results of a survey, carried out on the A320 fleet, 

highlighted some differences between the mission parameters, mainly on the 

weight of fuel at landing and on the average flight duration, which are higher 

than those defined for the analysis of the fatigue related tasks.
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These findings have led to an adjustment of the A320 reference fatigue 

mission. Consequently, the threshold and intervals of these repetitive 

inspections have been revised and a new threshold figure expressed in flight 

hours (FH) has been established.

In addition, it has been identified that, on aeroplanes that have been modified in 

accordance with Airbus SB A320-57-1043 (Airbus mod 22418) at Revision 05 

or an earlier Revision, the shot peening may have been improperly done on the 

Chromic Acid Anodizing (CAA) protection, which has no fatigue benefit effect.

Therefore, the inspections per Airbus SB A320-57-1082 are required again on 

these aeroplanes.

Consequently, new shot-peening procedures with proper CAA protection

removal instructions have been developed and their embodiment through 

Airbus SB A320-57-1043 Revision 06 cancels the repetitive inspections per 

Airbus SB A320-57-1082, as required by DGAC France AD 2002-342.

For the reasons described above, this new AD retains the requirements of 

DGAC France AD 2002-342, which is superseded, but requires these actions to 

be accomplished within reduced thresholds and intervals. In addition, the 

optional terminating action provision (SB A320-57-1043) is amended by 

including reference to the SB at Revision 06.

Effective Date: 28 March 2014

Required Action(s) 

and Compliance 

Time(s):

Required as indicated, unless accomplished previously:

(1) For aeroplanes in pre-SB A320-57-1043 (at any revision) configuration 

on which a repair has been accomplished in accordance with Airbus 

SB A320-57-1082 (at any revision up to Revision 03 inclusive): Within 30 

days after the effective date of this AD, contact Airbus for approved repair 

instructions and accomplish those instructions accordingly.

(2) For all aeroplanes: Within the compliance times as defined in Table 1 or 

Table 2 of this AD, as applicable, and, thereafter, at intervals not to exceed 

7 200 flight cycles (FC) or 14 400 FH, whichever occurs first, accomplish a 

HFEC inspection of the CWB lower surface panel in accordance with the 

instructions of Airbus SB A320-57-1082 Revision 04.

Table 1 – Initial Inspection for aeroplanes in pre-SB A320-57-1043

(any revision) configuration

Compliance Time (whichever occurs later, A or B)

A

Within 20 700 FC or 41 400 FH, whichever occurs first since 

aeroplane first flight

B

Within 7 200 FC or 14 400 FH, whichever occurs first since last 

inspection per Airbus SB A320-57-1082 up to Revision 03

Table 2 – Initial Inspection for aeroplanes in post-SB A320-57-1043

(any revision up to Revision 05) configuration

Compliance Time (whichever occurs later, A, B or C)

A

Within 7 200 FC or 14 400 FH, whichever occurs first since 

embodiment of Airbus SB A320-57-1043

B

Within 3 750 FC or 7 500 FH, whichever occurs first after

31 July 2012 (as specified in SB A320-57-1082 at Revision 04)

C

Within 850 FC or 1 700 FH, whichever occurs first after the 

effective date of this AD
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(3) If, during any inspection as required by paragraph (2) of this AD, any 

damage is found, before next flight, contact Airbus for approved repair 

instructions and, within the compliance time specified in those instructions, 

accomplish the repair, including any follow-on actions, as applicable,

accordingly.

(4) Modification of an aeroplane in accordance with the instructions of Airbus 

SB A320-57-1043 Revision 06 constitutes terminating action for the

repetitive inspections as required by paragraph (2) of this AD for that 

aeroplane.

Ref. Publications: Airbus SB A320-57-1043 original issue dated 16 February 1993, Revision 01 

dated 14 June 1996, Revision 02 dated 14 May 1997, Revision 03 dated

24 October 1997, Revision 04 dated 15 March 1999, Revision 05 dated

30 April 2002, or Revision 06 dated 05 December 2013.

Airbus SB A320-57-1082 original issue dated 31 October 1996, Revision 01 

dated 10 December 1997, Revision 02 dated 26 July 1999, Revision 03 dated 

30 April 2002, or Revision 04 dated 05 December 2013.

The use of later approved revisions of these documents is acceptable for 

compliance with the requirements of this AD.

Remarks: 1. If requested and appropriately substantiated, EASA can approve 

Alternative Methods of Compliance for this AD.

2. This AD was posted on 24 January 2014 as PAD 14-020 for consultation 

until 21 February 2014. The Comment Response Document can be found 

at http://ad.easa.europa.eu/.

3. Enquiries regarding this AD should be referred to the Safety Information 

Section, Executive Directorate, EASA. E-mail: ADs@easa.europa.eu.

4. For any question concerning the technical content of the requirements in 

this AD, please contact: AIRBUS – Airworthiness Office – EIAS;

Fax +33 5 61 93 44 51; E-mail: account.airworth-eas@airbus.com.