{"id":"F2008L03644","name":"AD/A320/227 - Cockpit Door Latch/Striker Assembly","slug":"ad-a320-227-cockpit-door-latch-striker-assembly","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":75303,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2008L03644-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Airbus Industrie A319, A320 and A321 Ser","sectionType":"division","heading":"Airbus Industrie A319, A320 and A321 Series Aeroplanes","content":"### Airbus Industrie A319, A320 and A321 Series Aeroplanes\n\n| AD/A320/227 | Cockpit Door Latch/Striker Assembly | 11/2008 |\n| ----------- | ----------------------------------- | ------- |\n\n```html\n

Applicability:

Aircraft models listed in Table 1, all serial numbers, if equipped with cockpit door electrical latch/striker assembly Part Number (P/N) AR4714-1 or AR4714-3.

Table 1

A318-111
A318-112
A318-121
A318-122
A319-111
A319-112

A319-113
A319-114
A319-115
A319-131
A319-132
A319-133

A320-111
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
A321-231
A321-232

Requirement:

1. Replace the P/N AR4714-1 and AR4714-3 cockpit door latch/striker assemblies with modified units (Modification 35218) in accordance with Airbus Service Bulletin (SB) A320-25-1444 Initial Issue dated 29 April 2005, Revision 1 dated 19 July 2005, Revision 2 dated 1 August 2006 or later Revision approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

2. P/N AR4714-1 or AR4714-3 cockpit door latch/striker assemblies may not be installed on any aeroplane as a replacement spare.

Note: EASA AD 2008-0151 refers.

Compliance:

For Requirement 1 - Not later than 31 March 2009.

For Requirement 2 - After 31 March 2009.

This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 23 October 2008.

Background:

An A320 aircraft experienced an event where it was not possible to open the reinforced cockpit door, even after power had been removed from the aircraft. Investigation has identified that the cockpit door latch/striker assembly may have overheated, causing permanent internal damage prior to being electrically isolated by the internal thermal fuse. This condition, in case of a rapid decompression in the cockpit, would prevent the necessary unlocking/opening of the door, which may lead to failure of the aircraft structure.

\n```\n\n| | To prevent this, an improved strike package/door bolting system, including a Polymer Positive Temperature Coefficient (PPTC) element (overheat protection) was introduced by Airbus Modification 35219 in production and modification 35218 (SB A320-25-1444) in-service. The PPTC is a resettable thermistor and is installed on the frame of the electrically-operated cockpit door latch/striker assembly.The in-service implementation of this modification was originally managed by an Airbus campaign but the rate of installation by operators has not met the expected timescales, making mandatory action necessary to address this. |\n| --- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n\n![](image.001.png) \nCharles Lenarcic \nDelegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority\n\n9 September 2008","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/A320/227","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/A320/227","content":"## AD/A320/227","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"Cockpit Door Latch/Striker Assembly","sectionType":"part","heading":"Cockpit Door Latch/Striker Assembly","content":"## Cockpit Door Latch/Striker Assembly","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"11/2008","sectionType":"part","heading":"11/2008","content":"## 11/2008","sortOrder":3}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This AD maintains its original narrow scope — addressing a specific safety-critical defect in cockpit door latch assemblies on specific Airbus models. The scope has not expanded beyond this original safety purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Technical aviation terminology throughout (part numbers, service bulletins, modification numbers)","Specific reference to external technical documents (Airbus Service Bulletin A320-25-1444, EASA AD 2008-0151)","Two distinct compliance deadlines with different triggers (fixed date vs. 'after' date)","Detailed aircraft model applicability table with 27 specific model variants","Conditional applicability based on equipment (only aircraft with specific part numbers)"],"plain_english_summary":"This CASA Airworthiness Directive orders operators of certain Airbus A318/A319/A320/A321 aircraft fitted with cockpit door latch/striker parts AR4714-1 or AR4714-3 to replace them with improved units (Mod 35218 per Airbus Service Bulletin) by 31 March 2009 and prohibits reinstalling the old parts thereafter. It fixes locks that can overheat and jam, preventing crew from opening the cockpit during rapid decompression and avoiding potential structural damage."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The intervention expanded scope compared with the original Airbus-managed approach. Airbus initially ran a voluntary in-service campaign to fit the improved assemblies; the AD converts that voluntary programme into a mandatory regulatory requirement with a firm replacement deadline (31 March 2009) and a prohibition on installing the older part numbers as spares after that date (Requirement 1–2; Background). Mechanically, the AD removes operator discretion and imposes enforceable compliance, shifting costs and scheduling responsibility onto operators and maintenance organisations."},"complexity_factors":["Single airworthiness directive with two operative requirements (replace parts; ban installation as spare).","Applicability limited to 29 specific model/variant entries and two specific part numbers (AR4714-1, AR4714-3).","Reference to a single Airbus Service Bulletin (A320-25-1444) with allowance for later EASA-approved revisions (cross-reference to external regulatory approval).","Clear, short compliance timeline (one deadline: 31 March 2009, plus effective date 23 October 2008).","Technical background describing root cause and the modification (PPTC thermistor / Mod 35218/35219) but no nested exceptions or conditional relief provisions.","Cross-reference to EASA AD 2008-0151 (note only) rather than multiple layered legislative cross-references."],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does (mechanically):**\n\n- Applies to Airbus A318/A319/A320/A321 aeroplanes of the model/variant entries listed in Table 1 (29 variant entries) when they are fitted with cockpit door electrical latch/striker assembly Part Number AR4714-1 or AR4714-3 (Applicability).\n- Requires operators to replace those latch/striker assemblies with modified units introduced by Airbus Modification 35218, following Airbus Service Bulletin A320-25-1444 (Initial Issue 29 Apr 2005; Revs 1 & 2; or a later revision approved by EASA) (Requirement 1).\n- Prohibits installing P/N AR4714-1 or AR4714-3 as replacement spares after 31 March 2009 (Requirement 2).\n- Sets compliance deadlines: replacements must be done by 31 March 2009; the spare-part prohibition takes effect after 31 March 2009; the Directive itself became effective on 23 October 2008 (Compliance).\n- Cross-references EASA AD 2008-0151 and allows use of later EASA-approved revisions of the Airbus Service Bulletin (Note / Requirement 1).\n\n**Who this affects:**\n\n- Aircraft owners and operators of the listed Airbus models who currently have, or could install, the affected latch/striker assemblies (P/N AR4714-1 or AR4714-3).\n- Maintenance organisations that supply, install or certify cockpit door latch/striker assemblies on those aeroplanes.\n\n**Why it matters (safety mechanism and background):**\n\n- Airbus found that the original latch/striker assembly could overheat and suffer internal damage before an internal thermal fuse acted. That damaged assembly might lock the reinforced cockpit door so it could not be opened even after power removal. In a rapid cockpit decompression this could prevent required unlocking/opening and thereby risk structural failure (Background).\n- Airbus introduced an improved strike package/door bolting system that incorporates a resettable overheat protection element (a PPTC thermistor) in production (Mod 35219) and for in-service aircraft via Modification 35218 (SB A320-25-1444). The AD forces operators to install that modification by the stated date to mitigate the overheating/door-jamming risk.\n\n**Who pays, who decides, what behaviour changes:**\n\n- Operators/owners pay for parts, labour and aircraft downtime to perform the replacement and for records/certification required by maintenance rules.\n- The civil aviation regulator (delegate of CASA, as published) requires and enforces the replacement and the spare-part ban (Requirement 1–2; Compliance).\n- Operators must: identify affected aeroplanes, schedule and perform the modification per the Airbus Service Bulletin (or EASA-approved revision), and stop installing the old part numbers as of the prohibition date.\n\n**Implementation mechanics, trade-offs and risks:**\n\n- The AD references a specific Airbus Service Bulletin and allows later EASA-approved revisions; this means work must follow the approved SB and any approved amendments (Requirement 1).\n- Costs and operational disruption are concentrated on affected operators (parts, technician hours, aircraft out-of-service time). The stated benefit (reduced door-jamming risk) is safety-focused and concentrated for all aircraft fitted with the original assemblies (Background; Requirement 1).\n- Practical implementation risks include spare-part availability, scheduling replacements across a fleet, and verifying parts/serial numbers during maintenance. The AD imposes an absolute prohibition on fitting the specified older P/Ns after the date, so supply-chain control and recordkeeping are required (Requirement 2; Compliance).\n- The AD was issued because Airbus’s voluntary campaign did not deliver the installation rate expected; making compliance mandatory shifts the timing and cost burden from an optional campaign to a regulatory obligation for operators (Background).\n\n**Where to look in the text:**\n- Which aeroplanes: Applicability / Table 1.\n- What to do and which documents to use: Requirement 1 (replace using SB A320-25-1444 / Mod 35218).\n- Spare-part ban: Requirement 2.\n- Deadlines and effective date: Compliance.\n- Reason for the AD: Background (overheat risk and earlier voluntary campaign details)."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-a320-227-cockpit-door-latch-striker-assembly","history":"/api/acts/ad-a320-227-cockpit-door-latch-striker-assembly/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-a320-227-cockpit-door-latch-striker-assembly/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-a320-227-cockpit-door-latch-striker-assembly/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-a320-227-cockpit-door-latch-striker-assembly/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-a320-227-cockpit-door-latch-striker-assembly/documents"}}