EASA AD 2019-0316
SUPERSEDED BY EASA AD 2020-0236
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2019-0316 is an airworthiness directive issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency affecting Airbus A318, A319, A320, and A321 aeroplanes. It addresses a safety issue related to emergency escape slides and rafts, specifically the inflation reservoirs which may have defective rupture disk assemblies. The directive mandates repetitive pressure checks of these inflation reservoirs to ensure proper functionality.
What Changed
This directive introduces mandatory repetitive pressure checks on the inflation reservoirs of affected emergency escape slides and rafts installed on specified Airbus aircraft models. It requires corrective actions if discrepancies are found and allows installation of affected parts only after passing a pressure check. The directive is considered interim and may be followed by further AD actions.
Why It Matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals because failure to detect and correct the defective inflation reservoirs could prevent emergency escape slides or rafts from deploying during an emergency, posing a risk of injury to occupants. Operators, maintenance organizations, and compliance teams must ensure adherence to the inspection intervals and corrective actions to maintain aircraft airworthiness and safety compliance.
What To Do
Operators must perform pressure checks on the inflation reservoirs of affected emergency escape slides and rafts within 100 flight cycles or 50 days after the effective date or the aircraft's date of manufacture, whichever is later, and repeat these checks at intervals not exceeding 100 flight cycles or 50 days. If any discrepancies are found, corrective actions must be taken before the next flight or within the allowed time by the operator's Minimum Equipment List. Installation of affected parts is only allowed if they pass a pressure check prior to installation and are subsequently checked as required.
Your fleet's weekly compliance brief
AI-summarized regulatory changes, compliance deadlines, and action items — filtered to your aircraft, every Monday.
AI-generated summary from official EASA source document. Always verify against the original.