AD/A330/20 Amdt 1 - Leading Edge Slat Type A Actuators

Applicability and exclusions: The AD applies narrowly to Airbus A330 series aeroplanes with leading edge slat rotary actuator Type A fitted with PN 954A0000-01, PN 954A0000-02 or PN 954B0000-01. It expressly excludes aeroplanes on which Airbus modification 50138, SB A330-27-3100, or SB A330-27-3105 have been embodied. These exclusions function as immediate compliance filters: if the modification or listed SB is embodied, the AD’s inspection/replacement regime for those actuators does not apply to that aeroplane.

Inspection and replacement requirements: Requirement 1 mandates an inspection of the torque limiter assembly for grease contamination, performed in accordance with Airbus SB A330-27-3104 Revision 1. If grease is found at any inspection, the AD requires replacement of the rotary actuator. If no grease is found, the inspection is to be repeated at intervals specified by the AD. The AD differentiates between actuators that have been subject to MRB task 27.80.00-07 since delivery and those that have not: the inspection requirement only applies to actuators that have been subjected to that MRB lubrication task since delivery (Note 1).

Maintenance programme change: Requirement 3 instructs operators to discontinue use of MRB task 27.80.00-07 “Lubrication of Slats Rotary Actuators” for rotary actuators Type A PN 954A0000-01, PN 954A0000-02 or PN 954B0000-01 in leading edge slat No.1, and to remove that task from the aeroplane maintenance programme (AMM 12.22.27). The AD makes a clear mechanical change to scheduled maintenance by deleting a repetitive lubrication activity for a subset of actuators.

Final replacement obligation: Requirement 4 mandates removal from service of Type A PN 954A0000-01, PN 954A0000-02 or PN 954B0000-01 and replacement with modified actuators according to SB A330-27-3100. For PN 954B0000-01 specifically, embodiment of SB A330-27-3105 is accepted as an alternative means of compliance. The AD sets a concrete deadline for completion of replacement: at the latest by 30 June 2008.

Technical cause and safety objective: The Background explains that investigations found grease migration from the power gear stage into the torque limiter output shaft seal, with parts of the torque limiter contaminated. This contamination can cause linkage drive jamming and structural damage, creating a potential for loss of slat No.1 leading edge. The AD’s safety objective is to prevent that outcome by removing contaminated actuators and stopping the lubrication practice that permitted migration in certain configurations.

Timing and compliance metrics: The AD anchors compliance times to specific flight-hour counts and dates. For example, Requirement 1 (excluding subparagraphs 1(a) and 1(b)) must be accomplished within 1,000 flight hours after 7 August 2003, while Requirement 1(a) must be accomplished within 7,500 flight hours after 7 August 2003. Repetitive inspections (Requirement 1(b)) are required at intervals not exceeding 7,500 flight hours. Requirement 2 (which is included in the AD text though not expanded in the table) must be done not later than 2,500 flight hours after the required repetitive inspection. The amendment becomes effective on 4 August 2005.

Interfaces with maintenance documentation: The AD references AMM 12.22.27 (where the MRB task is logged) and specific Airbus SBs for inspection and replacement (SB A330-27-3104 Revision 1; SB A330-27-3100; SB A330-27-3105). That makes the AD operationally realised through standard maintenance documentation and engineering support from the manufacturer.

International coordination: The AD records that DGAC AD F-2005-067 and EASA approval No.3629 dated 20 April 2005 are related, and that this directive supersedes DGAC AD 2003-121(B). Those references indicate the AD is part of harmonised foreign airworthiness action on the same technical issue.

Narrow scope and targeted intervention: Conceptually, the AD is an equipment-specific safety intervention targeted at a small subset of actuators and at a particular maintenance practice (repetitive MRB lubrication task). The AD is not a broad fleet-wide requirement for all slat actuators or for other slat positions; for instance, it explicitly states Type B actuators are not affected by the MRB deletion (Note 2). The AD therefore changes operator behaviour in limited, specific areas of maintenance scheduling and parts inventory.

Operators of Airbus A330 series aeroplanes: The primary economic and operational burden falls on operators that actually have the specified Type A rotary actuators (PN 954A0000-01, 954A0000-02 or 954B0000-01) installed on leading edge slat No.1 and that have not embodied the listed modifications or SBs. These operators must perform the inspections mandated by Requirement 1, carry out repetitive inspections where required, remove the MRB lubrication task from their AMM for the affected actuators, and ultimately remove and replace the affected actuators by the specified deadline. Costs to operators include the labour and potential downtime required to inspect and replace actuators, costs of replacement parts (modified actuators), and administrative time to amend maintenance programmes (AMM 12.22.27).

Maintenance organisations and engineers: Licensed maintenance organisations and engineers who perform the inspections and replacements must follow Airbus SB A330-27-3104 Revision 1 for the inspection procedure and SB A330-27-3100 or SB A330-27-3105 (for PN 954B0000-01) for replacement. They must also ensure work cards and the AMM reflect deletion of MRB task 27.80.00-07 where required. The AD therefore affects the work scope and task lists for line and base maintenance teams servicing affected aeroplanes.

Aircraft owners, lessors and lessees: Lessors and owners whose A330 aircraft are in service are affected to the extent the aircraft in their fleets are fitted with the relevant actuators. Where replacement is required by 30 June 2008, ownership structures, lease turnaround scheduling and availability will influence who bears the direct cash cost and operational downtime. The AD does not allocate cost responsibility between owner and lessee; operators should consult contracts and lease terms.

Parts suppliers and manufacturers: Airbus and actuator suppliers are implicated because the AD makes SBs the normative means of compliance and requires modified actuators as replacements. The directive notes the supplier’s investigation identified grease migration. The supply chain will therefore need to provide modified actuators or serviceable spares consistent with SB A330-27-3100 or SB A330-27-3105, and to support operators with instructions in SB A330-27-3104 Revision 1.

Regulators and authorised persons: The AD is issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and signed by its Delegate (James Coyne). Regulatory oversight bodies will monitor compliance dates and the amendment’s effective date (4 August 2005). The AD references DGAC and EASA documents, indicating coordination with overseas regulators; foreign regulators and their delegated agents may be involved for internationally registered aircraft, but the AD text itself applies to the Australian regulatory environment for Australian-registered aeroplanes.

Affected tasks in maintenance programmes: Operators maintaining affected actuators must change their scheduled maintenance programme. Specifically, the AD instructs removal of MRB task 27.80.00-07 from AMM 12.22.27 for the affected actuators in leading edge slat No.1. That change affects planned maintenance intervals and may alter inspection responsibility and preventive maintenance scheduling.

Non-affected parties: The AD explicitly states that rotary actuators Type B are not affected by the deletion of the MRB repetitive lubrication task (Note 2). Aeroplanes on which the listed Airbus modification or SBs have been embodied are excluded from the AD’s applicability. Aeroplanes without the listed PN actuators fitted are likewise not affected.

Timelines that impact operators: Operators must reconcile the AD’s time anchors with their flight-hour tracking. The compliance table anchors many requirements to the original AD effective date (7 August 2003) and sets a final replacement deadline of 30 June 2008. Because those dates are specified, operators will have been required to have acted according to the times stated; the AD’s amendment became effective on 4 August 2005.

Key duties imposed by the AD are expressed in the enumerated Requirements and supporting notes.

Duty to inspect (Requirement 1): Operators must carry out an inspection of the torque limiter assembly for grease contamination in accordance with Airbus SB A330-27-3104 Revision 1, except where Type A actuators have not been subjected to MRB task 27.80.00-07 since delivery. The AD differentiates between three outcomes: (a) if grease is found at the inspection, replace the rotary actuator; (b) if grease is not found, repeat the inspection at the intervals specified; and (c) if grease is found in any subsequent repetitive inspection, replace the rotary actuator. The inspection duty is thus conditional and iterative.

Duty to replace when contamination is present (Requirement 1(a) & 1(b) linked): The AD requires replacement of any rotary actuator in which grease contamination is detected, consistent with SB A330-27-3104 Revision 1. Replacement is mandatory on detection; the AD provides no option for alternative mitigations when grease is found.

Duty to amend maintenance programme (Requirement 3): Operators must discontinue use of MRB task 27.80.00-07 “Lubrication of Slats Rotary Actuators” for the specified Type A actuators in leading edge slat No.1 and must remove that task from the AMM 12.22.27. This is a duty to change established preventive maintenance procedures for that configuration.

Duty to remove and replace certain actuators (Requirement 4): Operators must remove from service the specified Type A actuators PN 954A0000-01, PN 954A0000-02 or PN 954B0000-01 and replace them with modified actuators in accordance with SB A330-27-3100. For PN 954B0000-01, incorporation of SB A330-27-3105 is accepted as a means of compliance. The AD imposes a hard deadline for completing Replacement Requirement 4, which is set no later than 30 June 2008. The AD therefore creates an inventory change duty: operate only modified actuators beyond the deadline.

Duty to follow specified service bulletins: The AD identifies Airbus SB A330-27-3104 Revision 1 as the inspection standard and SB A330-27-3100 (or SB A330-27-3105 for PN 954B0000-01) as replacement standards. The AD makes compliance contingent on following those manufacturer procedures.

Duty to meet timing and intervals: The AD sets explicit compliance timeframes. For Requirement 1 (excluding 1(a) & (b)) the inspection was to be carried out within 1,000 flight hours after 7 August 2003 unless already accomplished. For Requirement 1(a) the time is within 7,500 flight hours after 7 August 2003. Repetitive inspections must be at intervals not exceeding 7,500 flight hours. Requirement 2 must be complied with not later than 2,500 flight hours after the required repetitive inspection. Requirement 3 is effective from the Amendment effective date. These time-limited duties require operators to track flight-hour accrual and to schedule work accordingly.

Rights and scope of discretion: The AD specifies acceptable means of compliance (SBs) but does not create discretionary alternatives except where it explicitly accepts SB A330-27-3105 as an alternative for PN 954B0000-01. The AD does not state any wider discretion for operators to adopt alternative repair or inspection techniques; therefore operators’ room for regulatory discretion is limited to documented alternative methods approved via the regulator or to the narrow SB alternative stated.

Rights to relief or equivalence: The AD text does not include provisions for requesting alternative methods of compliance or deviations; the AD references SBs as the means of compliance. The AD does not explicitly state how an operator might seek approval for alternative procedures; such processes, if available, are not described in the AD text supplied.

Record-keeping and maintenance programme update duty: By requiring removal of an MRB task from AMM 12.22.27, the AD implicitly requires operators to alter their approved maintenance programme documentation and keep records of the change, the inspections performed, and replacements carried out. The AD does not enumerate record-keeping standards, but the practical duty to amend the AMM and document that change is explicit.

Duty-binding dates: The AD’s effective date and the deadlines anchor the operator’s duty to comply. The Amendment is effective 4 August 2005 and the original issue’s effective date is 7 August 2003; the replacement deadline is 30 June 2008. Operators are required to have met the timing obligations according to these anchors.

The AD text supplied does not specify statutory penalties, fine amounts, or the precise enforcement mechanism within the document itself. What the AD does set are mandatory actions and compliance timelines the regulator has declared necessary to maintain airworthiness for affected aircraft. The Amendment is declared effective on 4 August 2005 and the original AD became effective on 7 August 2003, so the AD imposes time-bound obligations. The AD also identifies the Civil Aviation Safety Authority as issuer and is signed by the Authority’s delegate, James Coyne; that identifies the regulatory provenance of the duty.

Because the AD is an airworthiness directive issued by CASA, compliance is framed as an airworthiness obligation on operators of Australian-registered aircraft. The AD prescribes what must be done (inspections per SB A330-27-3104 Revision 1, replacements per SB A330-27-3100 or SB A330-27-3105, removal of MRB tasks from AMM 12.22.27), the applicable aircraft (the narrow PN and configuration set), the deadlines for actions (flight-hour intervals anchored to 7 August 2003 and a final replacement deadline of 30 June 2008), and the AD’s effective date (4 August 2005). The AD text does not itself enumerate enforcement procedures such as audits, show-cause processes, suspension of certificates, or civil or criminal penalty amounts.

Practically, failing to implement an AD typically results in an aircraft not being in conformity with the type design and airworthiness requirements, which operationally can render the aircraft unairworthy until rectified; however, the AD does not itself specify those downstream administrative consequences. The AD does record that the directive supersedes earlier DGAC AD 2003-121(B) and references related DGAC and EASA approvals, which indicates coordinated international regulatory recognition. Where an operator does not perform the required inspections or replacements, the operator would be non-compliant with this directive as written; the AD text, however, does not detail the specific enforcement steps CASA will take against such an operator.

The AD’s instruction to remove an MRB task from AMM 12.22.27 is an express requirement that maintenance programmes be amended to reflect the directive. The AD does not explain inspection audit schedules or how CASA will verify AMM amendments. Similarly, the AD makes no provision within the text for alternative means of compliance beyond the one accepted alternative SB for PN 954B0000-01. Any process to approve alternative methods or to seek relief would therefore be external to the AD text and, if available, would follow general regulatory processes not described in this directive.

In short, the AD defines binding technical and timing requirements but does not, within its own text, set out penalties or administrative enforcement mechanics. CASA is the issuing authority and the AD’s effective date and specified deadlines create enforceable obligations under airworthiness regulation; further enforcement detail, if applicable, is not contained in the supplied AD text.

The AD references and aligns with foreign airworthiness directives and approvals, indicating an interaction with international regulatory instruments. The AD specifically notes DGAC AD F-2005-067 and EASA approval No. 3629 dated 20 April 2005, and states that this directive supersedes DGAC AD 2003-121(B) (Note 3). These references show the AD is part of coordinated airworthiness action across jurisdictions, and that CASA’s directive tracks decisions or findings made by other aviation regulators. The AD does not cite domestic statutory provisions or Civil Aviation Regulations within the supplied text but is issued under CASA’s delegated regulatory authority.

The AD interacts with manufacturer documentation and the operator’s approved maintenance programme. It directs operators to carry out inspections and replacements “in accordance with the instructions” of Airbus SB A330-27-3104 Revision 1 and SB A330-27-3100, and accepts SB A330-27-3105 as an acceptable means of compliance for PN 954B0000-01. It also requires an amendment to the AMM, specifically removing MRB task 27.80.00-07 from AMM 12.22.27 for the affected actuators (Requirement 3). The AD therefore superimposes a mandatory change into the maintenance regimen that is normally governed by the approved maintenance programme; operators must align their AMMs with the directive.

The AD’s deadlines and compliance times are explicitly anchored to the AD’s original effective date (7 August 2003) and the Amendment effective date (4 August 2005). This means compliance tracking and flight-hour counting are performed relative to those regulatory dates rather than purely to the calendar or to the date of embodiment of the SBs. The AD’s interaction with operators’ safety management systems, flight-hour accounting, and maintenance scheduling therefore requires practical alignment of record-keeping and internal procedures with the AD’s timing metrics.

By directing deletion of a MRB task from AMM 12.22.27, the AD interacts with the maintenance planning system that may have been developed under manufacturer recommended MRB items. It effectively overrides a previously scheduled MRB lubrication action for the specified actuators, changing the preventive maintenance regime and the tasks accepted in the operator’s approved maintenance programme. This modifies the balance between scheduled maintenance and part replacement for the particular actuator configuration.

The AD does not specify processes for requesting alternative methods of compliance, exemptions, or deferred compliance. It also does not specify interface rules with contractual arrangements such as lease agreements or with continuing airworthiness responsibilities allocated between lessor and lessee; those interactions are therefore left to the parties and to standard regulatory processes outside the text of the AD. The AD functions as an imperative technical direction that intersects with operator obligations under airworthiness regulation, manufacturer service instructions, and international regulatory alignments.

The document is an amendment to the original AD/A330/20. The AD records that the original issue of the directive became effective on 7 August 2003. This Amendment (labelled AD/A330/20 Amdt 1) becomes effective on 4 August 2005. The text states that the amendment introduces a requirement to replace certain actuators without changing the previous requirements. The compliance table clarifies which timing requirements remain unchanged and which are updated or clarified by the amendment.

The AD notes that it supersedes DGAC AD 2003-121(B) and references DGAC AD F-2005-067 and EASA approval No. 3629 dated 20 April 2005. Those cross-references indicate that the amendment is coordinated with continental European regulatory actions and follows international approval processes. The AD further indicates that this Amendment introduces a replacement requirement in addition to the existing inspection and maintenance adjustments from the original AD; the replacement requirement (Requirement 4) requires removal and replacement of the specified Type A actuators by 30 June 2008.

The background paragraph explains the technical reason for the amendment: an investigation following a scheduled check on an A340 found grease contamination in the torque limiter output shaft seal, traced to grease migration from the power gear stage after re-greasing. Parts of the torque limiter were found to be totally contaminated, which could cause jamming and structural damage. The Amendment implements a remedial replacement requirement in response to that finding.

The AD text contains notes clarifying scope (Note 1 through Note 3), including that the inspection in Requirement 1 only applies to Type A actuators that have been subjected to the MRB lubrication task since delivery, and that MRB lubrication is only scheduled from five years. It also clarifies that rotary actuators Type B in leading edge slats are not affected by deletion of the MRB repetitive lubrication task contained in Requirement 3.

Finally, the AD’s signature block records James Coyne as the Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and shows the date 24 June 2005 on the instrument. The amendment effective date is 4 August 2005 and the replacement completion deadline is 30 June 2008. The AD therefore embodies a staged change: initial inspections anchored to 2003 dates, an amendment adopted in 2005, and a final replacement deadline in mid-2008.

The supplied AD text contains no litigation history, and it does not cite any judicial decisions or administrative appeals. There are no cases named in the document. The AD does reference foreign airworthiness directives and EASA approval but does not indicate any legal challenges, appeals, or enforcement actions related to this directive.

Given that the AD is a notice of mandated airworthiness actions by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, any potential legal disputes would be external to the text and are not recorded here. The document does not record any contested interpretations, nor does it summarize past litigation about the technical issue. Therefore, based solely on the supplied instrument, there is no litigation history to report; the AD stands as a regulatory requirement without attached citations to court or tribunal decisions.

If parties seek to challenge applicability, timing, or procedural aspects of an AD, such matters would proceed through appropriate administrative or judicial channels outside the scope of this directive. The AD text itself neither documents nor prescribes litigation avenues, appeals processes, or precedent. For the purposes of compliance planning, practitioners must therefore treat the AD as an operative regulatory requirement and, where necessary, seek separate legal or regulatory advice about remedies, appeals, or alternative compliance mechanisms, none of which are described in this document.

Narrow applicability with non-obvious exclusion: The AD applies only to Type A rotary actuators with specific Part Numbers (954A0000-01, 954A0000-02, 954B0000-01) and only to those that have been subjected to MRB task 27.80.00-07 since delivery for the inspection requirement (Note 1). Operators may incorrectly assume the inspection applies to all Type A actuators; it does not apply where the MRB task has never been performed since delivery, nor does it apply to Type B actuators (Note 2). Additionally, any actuator on an aeroplane with Airbus modification 50138 or with SB A330-27-3100 or SB A330-27-3105 already embodied is excluded from the AD’s applicability. Verifying these exclusions requires careful traceability of embodiment actions in the aircraft’s modification and SB logs.

Timing anchors and retrospective counting: Compliance intervals are anchored to the original AD effective date (7 August 2003) and reference flight-hour counts measured from that date (see the Compliance row). For example, Requirement 1 (excluding subparagraphs) had to be done within 1,000 flight hours after 7 August 2003 unless already accomplished; Requirement 1(a) was within 7,500 flight hours after 7 August 2003; repetitive inspections at intervals not exceeding 7,500 flight hours; Requirement 2 not later than 2,500 flight hours after a required repetitive inspection; and the final replacement by 30 June 2008. Because these anchors are dated, operators acting now must ensure their records reconcile to those historical anchors; failure to properly map flight hours from those dates could lead to incorrect compliance calculations.

Maintenance programme edit required: Requirement 3 requires discontinuing MRB task 27.80.00-07 and removing it from AMM 12.22.27 for the affected actuators in leading edge slat No.1. Operators who simply stop performing the task without formally amending the AMM could be non-compliant with approved maintenance programme documentation. The AD requires removal from the AMM, so an administrative update to the approved maintenance documentation and record of that change is necessary.

Confusion over which slat and which actuator: The AD specifically references leading edge slat No.1 for the MRB removal. Operators and maintenance staff must not over-generalise and remove MRB tasks for other slats or other actuator types; Type B actuators are explicitly not affected by the MRB deletion (Note 2). Misapplication of the MRB deletion to other slat positions or actuator types is a practical pitfall.

Service bulletin versions as normative: The AD mandates inspections “in accordance with the instructions of Airbus SB A330-27-3104 Revision 1” and replacements “in accordance with SB A330-27-3100,” with SB A330-27-3105 accepted for PN 954B0000-01. Using a different revision of an SB, or an inexact procedure, may not meet the AD’s explicit wording. Operators must ensure they use the exact SB revisions referenced or seek formal acceptance of an alternative.

Replacement deadline and parts availability: Requirement 4 requires removal of affected actuators and replacement with modified actuators by 30 June 2008. Although that deadline has passed in calendar terms, the AD nonetheless enforces the obligation; in practice, when planning compliance earlier, operators needed to ensure availability of modified actuators. The AD gives no guidance on part supply contingencies. Operators relying on the AD now (for record-keeping or audit) should verify whether replacements were carried out per the required SB and by the deadline.

Ambiguity about Requirement 2 in the table: The AD’s table lists Requirement 2 and supplies a compliance interval for it (“Not later than 2,500 flight hours after the required repetitive inspection”), but the AD’s text in the Requirement column emphasises Requirement 1 and 3 and 4. Operators should ensure they identify exactly what Requirement 2 denotes in the original AD text and SB context, because the table references it for timing. The AD instructs that for Requirement 1, excluding 1(a) & (b), compliance timing remains unchanged as in the original issue; operators must cross-check the original AD wording for Requirement 2’s substantive content (the supplied table only lists certain compliance times rather than the full text of Requirement 2).

Acceptance of alternative SB only for one PN: The AD accepts SB A330-27-3105 as an acceptable means of compliance only for PN 954B0000-01. Operators of PN 954A0000-01 or 954A0000-02 must follow SB A330-27-3100 for replacement. Applying SB A330-27-3105 to other PNs without regulator acceptance would not meet the AD’s stated acceptable means.

Traceability of MRB task since delivery: Note 1 states the inspection applies only to Type A actuators that have been subjected to the referenced MRB task since aeroplane delivery. Determining which actuators were subjected to MRB task 27.80.00-07 since delivery requires historical maintenance records that may not be straightforward to obtain for older aeroplanes or where records were transferred across operators. Operators lacking clear historical evidence may need to adopt a conservative compliance approach or seek regulatory guidance.

International coordination implications: The AD supersedes DGAC AD 2003-121(B) and references subsequent DGAC and EASA approvals. Operators working across registries need to ensure their actions satisfy both CASA’s AD and any applicable foreign regulator directives. The AD does not spell out how to reconcile conflicts between ADs, so practitioners must manage regulatory alignment administratively.

Step 1 , Determine applicability: Verify whether each A330 in the operator’s fleet has leading edge slat rotary actuator Type A with PN 954A0000-01, PN 954A0000-02 or PN 954B0000-01. Check modification and SB embodiment records to confirm whether Airbus modification 50138 or SB A330-27-3100 or SB A330-27-3105 has already been embodied; if so, the AD’s requirements do not apply to that aeroplane. Also determine whether the actuator has been subjected to MRB task 27.80.00-07 “Lubrication of Slats Rotary Actuators” since delivery, because Requirement 1 only applies to actuators that have been so subjected (Note 1).

Step 2 , Align flight-hour counting and records: The AD’s compliance times are anchored to the original AD effective date (7 August 2003) and the Amendment effective date (4 August 2005). Reconcile each affected actuator’s flight-hour accrual against those anchors to determine whether initial and repetitive inspection deadlines remain outstanding or whether replacement deadlines apply. Record the reconciled flight-hour calculations in the aircraft’s maintenance log to demonstrate compliance.

Step 3 , Perform initial inspection per SB: For actuators that meet the applicability criteria and have been subject to the MRB task, perform the inspection of the torque limiter assembly for grease contamination in accordance with Airbus SB A330-27-3104 Revision 1 (Requirement 1). If grease contamination is found at that inspection, replace the rotary actuator in accordance with SB A330-27-3104 Revision 1 (Requirement 1(a)). If no grease is found, schedule and perform repetitive inspections at intervals not exceeding 7,500 flight hours (Requirement 1(b)).

Step 4 , Replace contaminated actuators: If any inspection reveals grease contamination, replace the actuator as required. Replacements must be carried out in accordance with the instructions of the applicable SBs identified by the AD. Use SB A330-27-3100 to replace affected actuators with modified units, except for PN 954B0000-01 where SB A330-27-3105 is accepted as an alternative means of compliance for replacement (Requirement 4).

Step 5 , Amend the approved maintenance programme: For affected actuators in leading edge slat No.1, discontinue application of MRB task 27.80.00-07 “Lubrication of Slats Rotary Actuators” and remove that task from AMM 12.22.27 (Requirement 3). Ensure the AMM revision is approved as required by the operator’s maintenance programme approval process and file the AMM change documentation in the aircraft’s maintenance records.

Step 6 , Track repetitive inspections and subsequent actions: If the initial inspection found no grease contamination, repeat inspections per SB A330-27-3104 Revision 1 at intervals not exceeding 7,500 flight hours, and replace the actuator if grease is found on any repetitive inspection (Requirement 1(b) and 1(c)). For Requirement 2, note the AD’s compliance timing statement: not later than 2,500 flight hours after the required repetitive inspection; ensure any actions covered by Requirement 2 are scheduled accordingly.

Step 7 , Meet replacement deadline: Replace all affected Type A actuators PN 954A0000-01, PN 954A0000-02 and PN 954B0000-01 with modified actuators in accordance with SB A330-27-3100 (or SB A330-27-3105 for PN 954B0000-01) by no later than 30 June 2008 (Requirement 4). Ensure spare parts procurement and maintenance scheduling reflect the deadline to avoid non-compliance.

Step 8 , Use the correct SB revisions: Inspections must follow Airbus SB A330-27-3104 Revision 1 and replacements must follow SB A330-27-3100 (or SB A330-27-3105 for PN 954B0000-01). Do not substitute different SB revisions unless a formal alternative method of compliance is sought and accepted through the regulator; the AD references exact SB revisions as the normative work instructions.

Step 9 , Document work and AMM changes: Maintain traceable records of inspections, findings, replacements, and AMM amendments. Record the removal of MRB task 27.80.00-07 from AMM 12.22.27 and include evidence that inspections and replacements were carried out in accordance with the referenced SBs. Keep inspection and replacement log entries with signatures and parts serial numbers as required by the operator’s maintenance control system.

Step 10 , Coordinate with parts suppliers and engineering: Arrange procurement of modified actuators specified in SB A330-27-3100 or SB A330-27-3105 and coordinate with Airbus or the actuator supplier for availability. Confirm that the replacement parts conform to the SB requirements and that maintenance providers are authorised and properly briefed on the SB procedures.

Step 11 , Verify international conformance where relevant: If the aircraft operates across jurisdictions or is subject to other regulators’ ADs, confirm that actions taken satisfy CASA’s AD and any overlapping foreign ADs. The AD references DGAC AD F-2005-067 and EASA approval No. 3629 (20 April 2005) and supersedes DGAC AD 2003-121(B), so document conformity for international records where required.

Step 12 , Audit and internal compliance checks: Incorporate verification of AD compliance into internal audit or continuing airworthiness review cycles to ensure that inspections, replacements, and AMM changes were made and recorded before the AD deadlines. Because the AD sets specific timing anchors and a final replacement date, organisations should ensure their compliance audit trails tie to those anchors.

By following these steps, operators and maintenance organisations will implement the directive’s inspection, replacement, and maintenance-programme changes as specified by the AD text.