EASA AD No.: 2012

- 0274

TE. CAP.0011 0

- 00 3 © European Aviation Safety Agency. All rights reserved. 1 / 3 Proprietary document. Copies are not controlled. Confir m revision status through the EASA

- Internet/Intranet. 

## EASA AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

AD No

. : 2012 - 0 274

Date: 21 December 2012

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 EC 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 Age ncy [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): A330 and A340

- 200/

- 300 aeroplanes

TCDS Number s : EASA.A.004 and EASA.A.015

F orei gn AD: Not applicable Supersedure: None



### ATA 52 Doors
– Forward and Aft Cargo Compartment Doors

– Inspection /

Repair

Manufacturer(s): Airbus (formerly Airbus Industrie) Applicability: Airbus A330

- 201, A330

- 202, A330

- 203, A330

- 223, A330

- 223F, A330

- 24 3, A330

- 243F, A330

- 301, A330

- 302, A330

- 303, A330

- 321, A330

- 322, A330

- 323, A330

- 341, A330

- 342 and A330

- 343 aeroplanes, all manufacturer serial numbers (MSN). Airbus A340

- 211, A340

- 212, A340

- 213, A340

- 311, A340

- 312 and A340

- 313 aeroplanes, all MSN

. Reason : One A330 operator recently reported a case where two adjacent frame (FR) forks of a forward cargo door were found cracked. F R 20B was found cracked through, FR 21 was found cracked half through. At the time of the findings , the affected a eroplane had accum ulated around 21 000 flight cycles ( FC ) and it ha d already been inspected in accordance with EASA AD 2011

- 0007R1 and ALI Task 523106

- 01

- 1

. However, during those inspections, t he forward cargo door handle access panel is not required to be removed, which exp lains why the cracks at these two internal frame location s were not detected. After further analysis, i t w as determined that, i n case of cracked or ruptured (forward or aft) cargo door frame, the loads will be transferred to the remaining structural elemen ts. However, the second load path is able to sustain the loads for a limited number of flight cycles only. This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to r upture of two vertical frames , result ing in reduced structural integrity of the forward or aft cargo door. To address this condition, Airbus issued four separate A lert Operator sEASA AD No.: 2012

- 0274

TE. CAP.0011 0

- 00 3 © European Aviation Safety Agency. All rights reserved. 2 / 3 Proprietary document. Copies are not controlled. Confir m revision status through the EASA

- Internet/Intranet. T ransmission s (AOT) , giving instructions for repetitive inspections of the affected areas. For the reasons described above , this AD requires repetitive detailed visu al inspections of aft cargo door at FR60 and FR60A and forward cargo door at FR21 and FR20B , where the cargo door handle access panels are located , as follow:

- outer skin rivets for sheared, loose or missing rivets at frame fork ends ,

- who le inner forks for cracks and for sheared, loose or missing rivets at frame web and flange after removal of handle access panels, and the accomplishment of the applicable corrective actions. Note: Accomplishment of the above inspections does not cancel accomplishment of the inspections as required by EASA 201 1

- 0007R 1 , nor accomplishment of th os e in accordance with ALI Task 523106

- 01

- 1

. Effective Date: 28 December 2012 Required A ction(s) and Compliance Time(s) : Required as indicated, unless accomplished previously: Pa ra graph (1) is applicable to A330 aeroplanes up to MSN 0162 inclusive, except those on which Airbus SB A330

- 52

- 3044 has been embodied in service and to A340 aeroplanes up to MSN 0164 inclusive, except those on which Airbus SB A340

- 52

- 4054 has been embodied i n service

. (1) Before the accumulation of 15 8 00 FC since the aeroplane first flight or within 1 00 FC after the effective date of this AD , whichever occurs later, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 4 00 FC , accomplish a detailed visual inspection of outer skin rivets and whole inner forks at the frame fork end of FR 60 and FR 60A of the Aft cargo door in accordance with the instructions of AOT A330

- A 52 L001

- 12 or A340

- A52L002

- 12 , as applicable to aeroplane type. Paragraphs (2) to (4) are applicable to al l aeroplanes. ( 2 ) Within the compliance time defined in Table 1 of this AD and thereafter , at intervals not to exceed 8 00 FC , accomplish a detailed visual inspection of outer skin rivets and whole inner forks at the frame fork end of FR 21 and FR 20B of the forward cargo door in accordance with the instructions of AOT A330

- A 52 L003

- 12 or A340

- A52L004

- 12 , as applicable to aeroplane type.

Table 1

– F orward C argo D oor Inspections FC accumulated from the aeroplane first flight, on the effective date of this AD Co mpliance time

less than 18 400 FC Before the accumulation of 10 600 FC from the aeroplane first flight , or within 100 FC after the effective date of this AD, whichever occurs later equal to or more than 18 400 FC W ithin 5 0 FC after the effective date o f this AD

.

( 3 ) If , during any of the inspections as required by this AD, a discrepancy is found , before next flight, contact Airbus to obtain the necessary approved repair instructions for corrective action and accomplish those instructions accordingly. (4) Repair of forward and/or aft cargo door ( s ) in accordance with the repair instructions as required by paragraph (3) of this AD does not constituteEASA AD No.: 2012

- 0274

TE. CAP.0011 0

- 00 3 © European Aviation Safety Agency. All rights reserved. 3 / 3 Proprietary document. Copies are not controlled. Confir m revision status through the EASA

- Internet/Intranet. terminating action for repetitive actions of this AD for that cargo door, unless it is specified in the re pair instruction

. Ref. Public ations: Airbus AOT A330

- A 52 L001

- 12 dated 03 December 2012

. Airbus AOT A340

- A52L002

- 12 dated 03 December 2012

. Airbus AOT A330

- A 52 L003

- 12 dated 03 December 2012

. Airbus AOT A340

- A52L00 4

- 12 dated 03 December 2012

. The u se of lat er 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. Based on the required actions an d the compliance time, EASA have decided to issue a Final AD with Request for Comments, postponing the public consultation process until after publication

. 3. Enquiries regarding this A D should be referred to the Safety Information Section, Executive Director ate , 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

– EIAL; E

- mail: airworthiness.A330

- A340@airbus.com

.