E ASA AD No.: 20 15

- 0134

TE. CAP.0011 0

- 00 4 © European Aviation Safety Agency. All rights reserved. 1 / 4 Proprietary document. Copies are not controlled. Confirm revision status through the EASA

- Internet/Intranet. 

## EASA AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

A D No

. : 20 15 - 0134

Date: 08 July 2015

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 EU 1321/2014 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 Agency [EU 1321/2014 Annex I, Part M.A.303] or agreed with the Authority of the State of Registry [EC 216/2008, Article 14(4) exemp tion]

. 

### Design Approval Holder’s Name: AIRBUS Type/Model designation(s): A3 30 and A340 aeroplanes

TCDS Number s : EASA.A.0 04 and EASA.A.015

F oreign AD: Not applicable Supersedure: This AD supersedes EASA AD 2015

- 0089 dated 22 May 2015

.



### ATA 34 Navigation
– Angle of Attack Sensors

– Re placement

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

- 201, A330

- 202, A330

- 203, A330

- 223, A330

- 223F, A330

- 243, 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) , and Airbus A340

- 211, A340

- 212, A340

- 213, A340

- 311, A340

- 312, A340

- 313, A340

- 541, A340

- 542, A340

- 642 and A340

- 643 aeroplanes , all MSN

. Reason: An occurrence was reported where an Airbus A321 aeroplane encou ntered a blockage of two Angle o f Attack (AOA) probes during climb, leading to activation of the Alpha Protection (Alpha Prot) while the Mach number increased. The flight crew managed to regain full control and the flight landed uneventfully. It was determined that the affected AO A probes are also fitted on A330 and A340 aeroplanes. When Alpha Prot is activated due to blocked AOA probes, the flight control laws order a continuous nose down pitch rate that, in a worst case scenario, cannot be stopped with backward sidestick inputs, even in the full backward position. If the Mach number increases during a nose down order, the AOA value of the Alpha Prot will continue to decrease. As a result, the flight control laws will continue to order a nose down pitch rate, even if the speed is a bove minimum selectable speed, known as VLS. This condition, if not corrected, could result in loss of control of the aeroplane

.E ASA AD No.: 20 15

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- 00 4 © European Aviation Safety Agency. All rights reserved. 2 / 4 Proprietary document. Copies are not controlled. Confirm revision status through the EASA

- Internet/Intranet. Investigation results indicate d that aeroplanes equipped with certain UTC Aerospace ( UTAS , formerly known as Goodrich) AOA sensor s, or equipped with certain SEXTANT/THOMSON AOA sensors, appear to have a greater susceptibility to adverse environmental conditions than aeroplanes equipped with the latest Thales AOA sensor , Part Number (P/N) C16291AB , which was designed to improv e AOA indication behaviour in heavy rain conditions. Having determined that replacement of these AOA sensors is necessary to achieve and maintain the required safety level of the aeroplane, EASA issued AD 2015

- 0089 , to requ ire modification of the aeroplanes by replacement of the affected P/N sensors , and , after modification, prohibits ( re - ) installation of those P/N AOA sensors

. Th at AD also required repetitive detailed visual inspections (DET) and functional heating tests of certain Thales AOA sensors and provided an optional terminating action for those inspections. Since EASA AD 2015

- 0089 was issued, based on further analysis results, Airbus issued Operators Information Transmission (OIT) Ref. 999.0017/15 Revision 1, instruc ting operators to speed up the removal from service of UTAS P/N 0861ED2 AOA sensors. For the reasons described above, this AD retains the requirements of EASA AD 2015

- 0089, w h i c h is supersede d , but reduces the compliance times for aeroplanes with UTAS P/N 0861ED2 AOA sensors i nstalled.
Effective Date: 1 5 July 2015 Required A ction(s) and Compliance Time(s) : Required as indicated, unless accomplished previously: ( 1 ) For aeroplane s on which UTAS P/N 0861ED or P/N 0861ED2 AOA sensors are installed, within the compliance time as specified in Table 1 of this AD, as applicable, replace the Captain and F irst Officer AOA sensors with Thales P/N C16291AB AOA sensors in accordance with the instruction s of Airbus SB A330

- 34

- 3 315 , or SB A340

- 34

- 42 94 , or SB A340

- 34

- 5 105 , as applicable, depending on aeroplane type.

Table 1

– AOA Sensors Replacement
P/N AOA Sensor ( s ) installed Compliance Time (after 01 June 2015, the effective date of EASA AD 2015

- 008 9 ) P/N 0861ED 22 months P/N 0861ED2 7 months

( 2 ) For aeroplane s on which SEXTANT /THOMSON P/N 45150320 AOA sensors are installed, within 2 2 months after 01 June 2015 [ the effective date of EASA AD 2015

- 0089] , replace each SEXTANT/THOMSON P/N 45150320 AOA sensor with a Thales P/N C16291 AB AOA sensor in accordance with the instruction s of Airbus SB A330

- 34

- 3228, or SB A340

- 34

- 4234, as applicable, depending on aeroplane type

. ( 3 ) For an aeroplane on which one or more Thales P/N C16291AA AOA sensors are installed, before exceeding 17 000 f light h ours (FH) accumulated by each Thales AOA sensor since its first installation on an aeroplane, or within 6 months after 01 June 2015 [ the effective date of EASA AD 2015

- 0089] , whichever occurs later, and thereafter at interval s not to exceed 3 800 FH, accomplish a DET and a functional heating test of each P/N C16291AA AOA sensor in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A330

- 34

- 3215 Revision 02 (or later) , or SB A340

- 34

- 4215 Revision 02 (or later) , or SB A340

- 34

- 5062 Revision 01 (or later) , as applicable depending on aeroplane type

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- 00 4 © European Aviation Safety Agency. All rights reserved. 3 / 4 Proprietary document. Copies are not controlled. Confirm revision status through the EASA

- Internet/Intranet. ( 4 ) If, during any DET or functional heating test as required by paragraph ( 3 ) of this AD, discrepancies are detected, before next flight, replace all affected AOA sensor s with Thales P/N C16291AA AOA sensors that have passed a DET and a functional heating test in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A330

- 34

- 3215 Revision 02 (or later), or SB A340

- 34

- 4215 Revision 02 (or later), or SB A340

- 34

- 5062 Revision 01 (or later), as applicable , dependi ng on aeroplane type, or with Thales P/N C16291AB AOA sensors , in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A330

- 34

- 3215 Revision 02 (or later) , or SB A340

- 34

- 4215 Revision 02 (or later) , or SB A340

- 34

- 5062 Revision 01 (or later) , as applicable , depending on aeroplane type

. ( 5 ) An a eroplane with Airbus mod ification (mod) 58555 (installation of Thales P/N C16291AB AOA sensors ) but without Airbus mod 46921 (installation of UTAS AOA sensors ) embodied in production , is not affected by the requirements of paragraphs (1) through ( 4 ) of this AD , provided it is determined that no AOA sensor having a P/N as listed in Table 2 of this AD has been installed on that aeroplane since its date of manufacture

. ( 6 ) Modification of an aeroplane by replacing each Thales P/N C16291AA AOA sensor with a Thales P/N C16291AB AOA sensor in accordance with the instruction s of Airbus SB A330

- 34

- 3228, or SB A340

- 34

- 4234, or SB A340

- 34

- 5070, as applicable depending on aeroplane type, constitutes terminating action for the repetitive DET and functional heating test s as required by paragraph ( 3 ) of this AD for that aeroplane. Conditions for installation of an AOA sensor on an aeroplane: ( 7 ) For an aeroplane on which only Thales P/N C16291A B AOA sensor s are installed, f r om 01 June 2015 [ the e f f ective date of EASA AD 2015

- 0089] , or after modification of the aeroplane as specified in paragraph ( 6 ) of this AD, as applicable, do not install a Thales P/N C16291A A AOA sensor on that aeroplane. ( 8 ) For an aeroplane on which Thales P/N C16291AA and /or Thales P/N C16291AB AOA sensors are installed, from 01 June 2015 [ the effective date of EASA AD 2015

- 0089] , or after modification of the aeroplane as required by paragraph (2) of this AD , as applicable, do not install any AOA sensor with a P/N as listed in T able 2 of this AD on that aeroplane

. (9 ) A fter modification of an aeroplane as required by paragraph (1 ) of this AD, do not install any AOA sensor with a P/N as listed in Table 2 of this AD on that aeroplane, with the exception that it remains allowed to install a UTAS P/N 0861ED AOA sensor in the standby position of that aeroplane

. Table 2

– AOA Sensors AOA Sensor Manufacturer P/N SEXTANT/THOMSON P/N 45150320 UTAS (formerly Goodrich) P/N 08 6 1ED P/N 08 6 1ED2 ( 1 0 ) Installation of AOA sensor s having a P/N approved after 01 June 2015 [ the effective date of EASA AD 2015

- 0089] is equal to compliance with the requirements of paragraph (1) or (2) of this AD, as applicable , provided the conditions as specified in paragraphs ( 1 0 .1) and ( 1 0 .2) of this AD are met. ( 1 0 .1) The AOA sensor P/N must be approved by EASA, or approved under Airbus DOA; and ( 1 0 .2) The installation must be accomplished in accordance with aeroplane modification instructions approved by EASA, or approved under Airbus DOA.E ASA AD No.: 20 15

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- 00 4 © European Aviation Safety Agency. All rights reserved. 4 / 4 Proprietary document. Copies are not controlled. Confirm revision status through the EASA

- Internet/Intranet. Ref. Public ations: Airbus OIT 999.0017/15 Revision 01, dated 29 June 2015. Airbus SB A330

- 34

- 3315 original issue dated 26 March 2015

. Airbus SB A330

- 34

- 3228 original issue dated 07 October 2009

. Airbus SB A330

- 34

- 3215 Revision 02 dated 29 March 2010

. Airbus SB A340

- 34

- 4294 original issue dated 26 March 2015

. Airbus SB A340

- 34

- 4234 original issue dated 07 October 2009

. Airbus SB A340

- 34

- 4215 Revision 02 dated 29 March 2010

. Airbus SB A340

- 34

- 5105 original issue dated 26 March 2015

. Airbus SB A340

- 34

- 5062 Revision 01 dated 29 March 2010

. Airbus SB A340

- 34

- 5070 original issue dated 09 October 2009

. The use of later approved revisions of these documents is acceptable for compliance with the requiremen ts 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 and 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 AD should be referred to the Safety Information Section, Certification Directorate, EASA. E

- mail: ADs@easa.europa.eu

. 4. For any question concerning the technical conte nt of the requirements in this AD, please contact: AIRBUS

– Airworthiness Office

– EIAL, E

- mail: airworthiness.A330

- A340@airbus.com

.