Equipment / Furnishing – 80VU Rack Attachments – Inspection / Repair
Superseded. Comply with 2022-0120R2, which replaces this document.
- Published
- Effective
- Deadline
- Replaces
- 2012-0134
AI-generated summary of the official EASA document. Verify against the PDF before acting.
What to do
Operators must perform special detailed inspections of the affected 80VU rack parts within specified compliance times based on aircraft group and configuration, and repeat these inspections at intervals defined in the directive. Any discrepancies found must be corrected following the Airbus service bulletin instructions. Inspection results must be reported to Airbus within 90 days after each inspection. Compliance deadlines vary by group but start no later than 02 March 2021 or within 500 flight cycles after that date.
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2021-0045 is an airworthiness directive issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency affecting Airbus A318, A319, A320, and A321 aeroplanes. It mandates repetitive inspections and repairs of the 80VU rack attachments, including lower lateral fittings, lower central support, and upper fittings, to address potential damage that could compromise flight control and communication systems housed in the rack.
What changed
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2021-0045 supersedes the previous AD 2012-0134 and expands the applicability to include all manufacturer serial numbers of the affected Airbus models. It introduces new repetitive inspections of the 80VU rack attachments due to new damage findings even on aeroplanes with previous modifications and service bulletins embodied, and removes the previous terminating action status of certain repairs.
Why it matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals because failure of the 80VU rack fittings could lead to multiple system failures or partial disconnection of essential flight control and communication computers, potentially reducing aircraft control during critical flight phases. Operators and maintenance organizations must ensure compliance to maintain aircraft safety and airworthiness, avoiding unsafe conditions that could affect flight operations.
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