E ASA AD No.: 20 13

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TE. CAP.0011 0

- 00 3 © 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

AD No

. : 20 13 - 0232 R1

Date: 02 October 2013
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 ope rate an aircraft to which an AD applies, except in accordance with the requ irements 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) exempt ion]. 

### Design Approval Holder’s Name: AIRBUS Type/Model designation(s): A300

- 600 and A300

- 600ST aeroplanes

TCDS Number s : France No. 145 and EASA.A.014
F oreign AD: Not applicable
Revision : This AD revises EASA AD 2013

- 0232 dated 24 September 2013.



### ATA 57 Wings
– T op S kin at F ront S par between R ibs 1 and 7
–

Inspection / Modification
Manufacturer(s): Airbus ( formerly Airbus Industrie) Applicability: Airbus A300

- 600 and A300

- 600ST aeropl a nes, all certified models, all manufacturer serial numbers

. Reason: During full

- scale fatigue testing conducted in the early 1990’s , cracks were found o n the top skin of the wing between R ibs 1 and 7, starting at the front spar fastener holes. This condition, if not detected and corrected, could adversely affect the structural integrity of the wing. Conse quently, Airbus issued Service Bulletin (SB) A300

- 57

- 6045 and DGAC France issued AD 97

- 374

- 238 for A300

- 600 aeroplanes and AD 1999

- 008

- 020 for A300

- 600ST aeroplanes to require repetitive detailed inspection s of the wing top skin and, in case of findings, an Eddy Current (EC) inspection , and , depending on the size of the cracks, repair

. After those ADs were issued , f urther cracks to the wing top skin were reported by operators, within an area not covered by the existing ADs. To address this potential unsafe condition, Airbus revised SB A300

- 57

- 6045 to extend the area to be inspected. In addition , a fleet survey and updated Fatigue and Damage Tolerance analyses were performed in order to substantiate the second A300

- 600 Extended Service Goal (ESG2) exercise. The results of these analyses have determined that the inspection threshold s and interval s must be reduced to allow timely detection of these cracks and the accomplishment of applicable corrective action (s)

.E ASA AD No.: 20 13

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TE. CAP.0011 0

- 00 3 © European Aviation Safety Agency. All rights reserved. 2 / 4 Proprietary document. Copies are not controlled. Confirm revision status through the EASA

- Internet/Intranet. As the ESG2 exercise is only applicable to A300

- 600 aeroplanes, A300

- 600ST aeroplanes are now addressed through new Airbus SB A300

- 57

- 9026. For the reasons described above, this AD retains the requirements of DGAC France AD 97

- 374

- 238 (B) and AD 1999

- 008

- 020 (B) , which are superseded, but requires those actions, for A300

- 600 aeroplanes only, within reduced thresholds and intervals. This AD has been revised to correct Tables 1, 2, and 3 , where the A300C4

- 600R aeroplanes were inadvertently omitted

. Effective Date: 08 October 2013 Required A ction(s) and Compliance Time(s) : Required as indicated, unless accomplished previously: (1) Initially, w ithin the compliance time defined in T able 1 of this AD , and , ther e after , at interval s not to exceed those defined in Table 2 of this AD , as applicable to aeroplane configuration , accomplish a detailed inspection of the wing top skin between R ibs 1 to 7 in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A300

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- 6045 Revision 09 or SB A300

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- 9026 , as applicable to aeroplane type

.

Table 1: Inspection threshold (whichever occurs first since aeroplane first flight)
Aircraft Operation Compliance Time FC FH A300B4

- 600 A300B4

- 600R A300C4

- 600 A300C4

- 600R Normal Range 17 100 38 400

Short Range 17 100 38 400
A300F4

- 600 A300F4

- 600R A300

- 600ST Normal Range 22 000 49 500

Short Range 22 000 49 500
Table 2: Inspection interval (whichever occurs first since last inspection)
Aircraft Operation Compliance Time FC FH A300B4

- 600 A300B4

- 600 R A300C4

- 600 A300C4

- 600R Normal Range 5 100 11 000

Short Range 5 500 8 300
A300F4

- 600 A300F4

- 600R A300

- 600ST Normal Range 6 500 14 100

Short Range 7 000 10 600

Table 3: Grace Period ( whichever occurs later after the effective date of this AD)

Aircraft Grace Period

FC FH A300B4

- 600 A300B4

- 600R A300C4

- 600 A300C4

- 600R 1 000 2 200

A300F4

- 600R A300

- 600ST 1 300 2 800E ASA AD No.: 20 13

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TE. CAP.0011 0

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

- Internet/Intranet. Note: The grace period specified in Table 3 may be applied once for the initial or the next repetitive inspection after the effective date of this AD as required by paragraph (1) of this AD. (2) If, during any inspection as required by paragraph (1) of this AD, a crack is found in the top skin in the area forward of the front spar attachment, before next flight , contact Airbus for approved repair instructions and , within the compliance time defined in those instructions, accomplish the repair accordingly

. (3) If, during any inspection as required by paragraph (1) of this AD, any crack is found or suspected in the top skin at or aft of the spar attachment, b efore next flight , accomplish an EC inspection of the affected or suspected area to confirm and measure the length of the crack , in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A300

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- 6045 Revision 09 or SB A300

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- 9026, as applicable to aeroplane type

. (4) If , during an y EC inspection as required by paragraph ( 3 ) of this AD, a crack is confirmed, but less than 6 mm in length , within 50 FC or 110 FH, whichever occurs first after crack confirmation, and, thereafter, at interval s not to exceed 50 FC or 110 FH, whichever occurs first, accomplish a detailed inspection of the crack in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A300

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- 6045 Revision 09 or SB A300

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- 9026, as applicable to aeroplane type. (5) If , during an y inspection as required by paragraph ( 3 ) or (4) of this AD, as applicable, a crack is confirmed and is equal to or more than 6 mm but less than 75 mm in length , accomplish the following actions : ( 5 .1) B efore next flight after crack confirmation , accomplish a temporary repair in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A300

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- 6045 R evision 09 or SB A300

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- 9026, as applicable to aeroplane type

. ( 5 .2) Within 50 FC or 110 FH, whichever occurs first , after the temporary repair as required by paragraph ( 5 .1) of this AD, and, thereafter, at interval s not to exceed 50 FC or 110 FH, whichever occurs first, accomplish a detailed inspection in accordance with Air bus SB A300

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- 6045 Revision 09 or SB A300

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- 9026, as applicable to aeroplane type

. ( 5 .3) Within 250 FC or 550 FH, whichever occurs first, after embodiment of the temporary repair as required by paragraph ( 5 .1) of this AD , contact Airbus for approved permanent repair procedure s and accomplish these procedures accordingly. ( 5 .4) P ermanent repair as required by paragraph ( 5 .3) of this AD constitutes terminating action for the repetitive inspections required by paragraph ( 5 .2) of this AD. (6) If , during an inspection as required by paragraph ( 3 ) or (4) of this AD, a crack is confirmed and is equal to or more than 75 mm in length , before next flight , contact Airbus for approved repair instruction s and accomplish those instructions accordingly. (7) Accomplishment of i nspection s and / or repair as required by paragraph (2) , (3), (4) , (5) or ( 6 ) of this AD , as applicable, do es not constitute terminating action for the repetitive inspection s required by paragraph (1) of this AD. (8) Inspections and / or repair , accomplished before the effective date of this AD in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A300

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- 6045 at original issue up to Revision 08 , are acceptable to comply with the initial requirements of this AD. From the effective date of this AD, the actions required by this AD must be accomplished in accordance with Airbus SB A300

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- 6045 Revision 09 or SB A300

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- 9026 , as applicable to aeroplane type

.E ASA AD No.: 20 13

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TE. CAP.0011 0

- 00 3 © 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 SB A300

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- 6045 Revision 09 dated 21 May 2013

. Airbus SB A300

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- 9026 original issue dated 06 June 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. The original issue of this AD was posted on 16 August 2013 as PAD 13

- 120 for consultation until 13 September 2013

. No comments were received during the consultation period. 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 SAS

– EIAW (Airworthiness Office) E

- mail: continued.airworthiness

- wb.external@airbus.com

.