Commonwealth legislation

AD/A330/18 - Forward Fuselage Frame 12A Stiffener

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Commonwealth

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legislative instrument

Plain English Summary

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This Airworthiness Directive requires operators of most Airbus A330 aircraft to inspect both left and right frame 12A stiffener fittings with a high‑frequency eddy‑current inspection and to repair any cracks following Airbus Service Bulletin A330‑53‑3135 (Requirement).

The CASA delegate issued the AD under CASR subreg 39.1(1); inspections must occur before 13,000 flight cycles and repeat every 10,000 cycles if no crack is found (Applicability; Compliance). Operators pay for inspections and repairs; corrective timing is set by the SB flow chart.

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Current sections

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AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

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For the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below issues the following Airworthiness Directive (AD) under subregulation 39.1 (1) of CASR 1998. The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.

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Airbus Industrie A330 Series Aeroplanes

AD/A330/18 Forward Fuselage Frame 12A St

AD/A330/18 Forward Fuselage Frame 12A Stiffener 8/2003

Applicability: All Model A330 aircraft, except for aircraft with Airbus Modification 49694 incorporated in production or Airbus Service Bulletin (SB) A330-53-3130 incorporated in-service.

Requirement: 1. Perform a high frequency eddy current inspection of the stiffener fitting, left hand and right hand sides of frame 12A of the forward fuselage, in accordance with SB A330-53-3135.

If cracks are detected, accomplish the corrective actions described in the flow chart of SB A330-53-3135, which defines the required compliance time according to the length of detected cracks.

If no cracks are detected, repeat the Requirement 1 inspection.

Note: DGAC AD 2003-205(B) refers.

Compliance: 1. Before the accumulation of 13,000 flight cycles.

At intervals not to exceed 10,000 flight cycles.

This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 7 August 2003.

Background: During a scheduled inspection, cracks were detected in the frame 12A stiffener upper attachment fitting on the floor beam, left hand and right hand sides of the fuselage.

Investigation revealed that the cause of cracking was the high level of fatigue of the fitting due to longitudinal forces. The combined effect of cabin pressurisation and bending induced by thermal effects led to a longitudinal force in the floor beam.

View image in the official source

David Villiers

Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 17 June 2003

View image in the official source

The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 16 July 2003.

Source text

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

Airbus Industrie A330 Series Aeroplanes

AD/A330/18 Forward Fuselage Frame 12A St AD/A330/18 Forward Fuselage Frame 12A Stiffener 8/2003

AD/A330/18 Forward Fuselage Frame 12A Stiffener 8/2003

Applicability: All Model A330 aircraft, except for aircraft with Airbus Modification 49694 incorporated in production or Airbus Service Bulletin (SB) A330-53-3130 incorporated in-service.

Requirement: 1. Perform a high frequency eddy current inspection of the stiffener fitting, left hand and right hand sides of frame 12A of the forward fuselage, in accordance with SB A330-53-3135.

If cracks are detected, accomplish the corrective actions described in the flow chart of SB A330-53-3135, which defines the required compliance time according to the length of detected cracks.

If no cracks are detected, repeat the Requirement 1 inspection.

Note: DGAC AD 2003-205(B) refers.

Compliance: 1. Before the accumulation of 13,000 flight cycles.

At intervals not to exceed 10,000 flight cycles.

This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 7 August 2003.

Background: During a scheduled inspection, cracks were detected in the frame 12A stiffener upper attachment fitting on the floor beam, left hand and right hand sides of the fuselage.

David Villiers

Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority 17 June 2003

The above AD is notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 16 July 2003.