EASA AD 2020-0258
SUPERSEDED BY EASA AD 2021-0175
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2020-0258 is an airworthiness directive addressing the inspection and maintenance of main landing gear (MLG) sliding tubes on Airbus A318, A319, and A320 aircraft. It applies to specific batches of MLG sliding tubes identified by part and serial numbers that may have been improperly inspected during overhaul, potentially leading to fatigue cracks and MLG collapse. This directive mandates repetitive visual inspections and corrective actions to ensure continued airworthiness.
What Changed
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2020-0258 supersedes the previous AD 2018-0136 and expands the scope to include additional affected MLG sliding tubes identified after the original directive. It retains the inspection requirements from the earlier AD and introduces new inspection and replacement requirements for a second batch of affected parts. The directive also corrects typographical errors from the previous publication.
Why It Matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals because it addresses a safety risk involving potential fatigue fractures in the main landing gear sliding tubes, which could lead to landing gear collapse and endanger aircraft and occupants. Operators and maintenance organizations must comply to prevent accidents and ensure regulatory compliance. The directive also clarifies installation rules and terminating actions to manage affected parts effectively.
What To Do
Operators of Airbus A318, A319, and A320 aircraft with affected MLG sliding tubes must perform general visual inspections within specified compliance times—within 500 flight cycles after July 10, 2018, for the first batch, and within 100 flight cycles after the AD effective date for the second batch. Inspections must then be repeated every 500 flight cycles. Any detected cracks require immediate replacement of the affected part before further flight. Overhaul or replacement of affected parts after specified dates will terminate inspection requirements.
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