EASA AD 2020-0076
Landing Gear — Free Fall Actuators — Inspection / Replacement
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2020-0076 is an airworthiness directive addressing the inspection and replacement of free fall actuators (FFA) with part number AR02404 installed on the landing gear of Airbus A330 and A340 aeroplanes. It applies to multiple A330 and A340 variants and mandates testing and eventual replacement of affected FFAs to ensure safe landing gear extension by free fall method.
What Changed
This directive supersedes EASA AD 2019-0164 and introduces mandatory replacement of all affected free fall actuators identified by specific serial numbers. It retains previous inspection and testing requirements but adds definitive replacement deadlines for the affected parts to eliminate the unsafe condition.
Why It Matters
This AD is critical for aviation professionals because failure of the free fall actuator can prevent landing gear extension by free fall, potentially leading to loss of aircraft control during landing. Operators and maintenance organizations must comply to maintain aircraft airworthiness and ensure passenger safety.
What To Do
Operators must identify whether affected FFAs are installed and perform tests within specified compliance times, followed by repetitive testing at defined intervals. If a test fails, immediate replacement with a serviceable FFA is required. All affected FFAs must be replaced within 22 to 46 months depending on the appendix classification. Installation of affected FFAs is prohibited from 9 April 2019 onward.
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.