Doors – Auxiliary Wing Landing Gear Doors – Inspection
Superseded. Comply with 2020-0012R1, which replaces this document.
- Published
- Effective
- Deadline
- Replaces
- 2018-0118
- Replaces
- 2016-0251R1
AI-generated summary of the official EASA document. Verify against the PDF before acting.
What to do
Operators of Airbus A380-841, A380-842, and A380-861 aircraft must perform repetitive special detailed and detailed inspections of the right-hand and left-hand auxiliary wing landing gear door hinge fittings according to Airbus Service Bulletin A380-52-8165. Any detected cracks require immediate repair before further flight. Reporting inspection results to Airbus within 30 days is mandatory. Modification of the aircraft or replacement of affected parts with non-affected parts terminates the inspection requirements. The effective date for compliance is 2018-06-12.
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2018-0118R1 is an updated safety directive addressing inspection and maintenance requirements for the auxiliary wing landing gear doors on Airbus A380-841, A380-842, and A380-861 aircraft. It mandates repetitive inspections of specific hinge fittings prone to fatigue cracking and outlines corrective actions to maintain structural integrity. This directive applies to all manufacturer serial numbers of the affected Airbus A380 models.
What changed
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2018-0118R1 revises the previous AD 2018-0118 by refining the definition of affected parts to exclude those modified by the optional modification SB, and introduces changes to inspection and reporting requirements for greater flexibility. It also updates compliance times to be based on the time accumulated by each affected part rather than by the aircraft, and expands applicability to include post-modification aircraft configurations.
Why it matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals to prevent potential in-flight loss of auxiliary wing landing gear doors due to fatigue cracks in hinge fittings, which could pose safety risks to both aircraft occupants and people on the ground. Operators and maintenance organizations must ensure compliance to avoid grounding aircraft and to maintain airworthiness. Accurate tracking of affected parts and adherence to inspection intervals are essential to meet regulatory requirements and ensure continued safe operation.
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