E ASA AD No : 20 12

- 0 118

CAP.0011 0

- 001 © European Aviation Safety Agency. All rights reserved. 1 / 3 Proprietary docu ment. Copies are not controlled. Confirm revision status through the EASA

- Internet/Intranet. 

## EASA AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

AD No
. : 20 1 2 - 0 118

Date: 0 4 July 201 2

Note: This Airworthiness Directive ( AD) is issued by EASA, acting in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 on behalf of the Europ ean 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 1702/2003, Part 21A.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 ope rate 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) exemptio n]. 

### Design Approval Holder’s Name : AIRBUS Type/Model designation(s) : A318, A319, A320 and A321 aeroplanes

TCDS Number: EASA.A.064

F oreign AD : Not applicable Supersedure : This AD supersedes EASA AD 2007

- 0161 dated 11 J une 2007

.



### ATA 53 Fuselage
– Centre Fuselage / Main Landing Gear (MLG) Door Keel Beam Hinge and Actuator Fitting s – Inspection
Manufacturer(s): Airbus (formerly Airbus Industrie) Applicability: Airbus A318

- 111, A318

- 112, A318

- 121, A318

- 12 2, A319

- 111, A319

- 112, A319

- 113, A319

- 114, A319

- 115, A319

- 131, A319

- 132, A319

- 133, A320

- 211, A320

- 212, A320

- 214, A320

- 215, A320

- 216, A320

- 231, A320

- 232, A320

- 233, A321

- 111, A321

- 112, A321

- 131, A321

- 211, A321

- 212, A321

- 213, A 321

- 231 and A321

- 232 aeroplane s , all manufacturer serial numbers

. Reason: Several cases of cracks have reportedly been found on the MLG door hinge fitting and on the MLG door actuator fitting on the keel beam. This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to in

- flight detach ment of a MLG door , possibly resulting in injury to persons on the ground and/ or damage to the aeroplane. To address this potential unsafe condition , EASA issued E ASA AD 2007

- 0161, to require a one - time inspection of the affected fitting s and accomplishmen t of the applicable corrective actions. Since that AD was issued, some cracks have been found on fittings that had succe s sfully passed the one - time inspection as required by EASA AD 2007

- 0161. Analys e s of these cracks have lead Airbus to reconsider the rep etitive inspections of the MLG door hinge and actuator fittings on the keel beam , in accordance with the ALI task 533154

- 02

- 1 requirement as defined in Airbus 

### A318/A319/A320/A321 Airw orthiness Limitation Items (ALI ) Document, by introducing more restrictiv e inspection threshold s and intervals. For the reasons stated above, this AD , which supersedes EASA AD 2007

-E ASA AD No : 20 12

- 0 118

CAP.0011 0

- 001 © European Aviation Safety Agency. All rights reserved. 2 / 3 Proprietary docu ment. Copies are not controlled. Confirm revision status through the EASA

- Internet/Intranet. 0161 and the ALI task 533154

- 02

- 1 requirements, expands the AD applicability to all A318/A319/A320/A321 aeroplanes and requires repetitive inspectio n s of the MLG door hinge and actuator fittings on the keel beam at a new threshold and interval and , depending on findings, the accomplishment of applicable corrective actions.
Effective Date: 1 8 July 2012 Required A ction(s) and Compliance Time(s): Required as indicated, unless accomplished previously : (1) Initially, w ithin the compliance time indicated in Table 1 of this AD, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 2 250 f light c ycles (FC), accomplish Detailed Visual, High Frequency Eddy Current (HFEC) and Ultrasonic inspections of the left

- hand (LH) and right

- hand (RH) MLG door actuator fitting s on the keel beam , in accordance with the instructions of Airbus Service Bulletin (SB) A320

- 53

- 1195 Revision 0 3

. Table 1

– Complian ce Time

- A or B , whichever occurs later

Airbus SB A320 - 53 - 1195 Revision 03 A Before the accumulation of 3 000 FC since the aeroplane first flight , or w ithin 2 250 FC after the last inspection in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A320

- 53

- 1195 (at any revision) , or ALI task 533154

- 02

- 1, as applicable. B Within 1 500 FC after the effective date of this AD

.
(2) Initially, w ithin the compliance time indicated in Table 2 of this AD, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 3 000 FC, accomplish Detailed Visual and HFEC inspections of the LH and RH MLG door hinge fitting s on the k eel b eam , in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A320

- 53

- 1196 Revision 0 2

. Table 2

– Compliance Time

- A or B , whichever occurs later

Airbus SB A320 - 53 - 1196 Rev ision 02 A Before the accumulation of 3 000 FC since the aeroplane first flight , or w ithin 3 0 00 FC after the last inspection in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A320

- 53

- 1196 (at any revision) , or ALI task 533154

- 02

- 1 as applicable

. B Within 1 500 FC after the effective date of this AD

(3) If, during any inspection as required by paragraph (1) or (2) of this AD, any discrepancy (as defined in Airbus SB A320

- 53

- 1195 Revision 03 or Airbus SB A320

- 53

- 1196 Revision 02 , as applicable ) is found, before next flight, depending on findings, accomplish the applicable corrective actions in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A320

- 53

- 1195 Revision 0 3 , or Airbus SB A320

- 53

- 1196 Revision 0 2 , as applicable

. ( 4 ) The accomplishment of a corrective action on an aeroplane, as required by paragraph (3) of this AD, does not constitute terminating action for the repetitive inspection requirements of this AD for that aeroplane. (5 ) For a eroplanes for which a Repair Approval Sheet (RAS) has been issued by Airbus to cover findings from an inspection performed before the effective date of this AD in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A320

- 53

- 1195 or Airbus SB A320

- 53

- 1196 or ALI task 533154

- 02

- 1E ASA AD No : 20 12

- 0 118

CAP.0011 0

- 001 © European Aviation Safety Agency. All rights reserved. 3 / 3 Proprietary docu ment. Copies are not controlled. Confirm revision status through the EASA

- Internet/Intranet. requirements, the RAS instructions must be accomplish ed . Thereafter, the repetitive inspection requirements of paragraph (1) and (2) of this AD are applicable. ( 6 ) From the effective date of this AD, complying with the requirements of this AD cancels the ALI task 533154

- 02

- 1 requirements.
Ref. Public ations: Airbus SB A320

- 53

- 1195 Revision 0 3 , dated 08 November 2011

. Airbus SB A320

- 53

- 1196 Revision 0 2 , dated 08 November 2011. 

### Airbus A318/A319/A320/A321 ALI document reference AI/SE

M4/95A.0252/96 issue 11, approved by EASA on 09 November 2010. The use of later approved revisions of th e s e document s 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 30 April 2012 as PAD 12

- 03 9 for consultation until 28 May 2012. The Comment Response Document can be f ound at http://ad.easa.europa.eu

. 3. Enquiries regarding this A D should be referred to the Safety Information Sect ion , 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 9 3 44 51 ; E

- mail: account.airworth

- eas@airbus.com

.