EASA AD 2021-0291R2
Doors — Passenger Door Stop Screw — Inspection
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2021-0291R2 is an updated safety directive addressing inspection requirements for passenger door stop screws on Airbus A350-941 and A350-1041 aeroplanes. It mandates repetitive general visual inspections of the door stop screws to detect missing or damaged screw heads, which could compromise the aircraft's structural integrity. The directive applies to all serial numbers except those with specific Airbus modifications that optimize the door stop screw design.
What Changed
This revision introduces optional terminating actions through Airbus modification service bulletins that provide design improvements to prevent screw head loss. It revises the applicability to exclude aeroplanes with these modifications and removes the previous reporting requirement. The directive now allows modification and reidentification of passenger doors as a way to end repetitive inspections.
Why It Matters
This directive is critical for maintaining the structural integrity of Airbus A350 passenger doors by ensuring early detection and correction of damaged or missing door stop screws. Operators and maintenance organizations must comply to avoid unsafe conditions that could lead to door failures. Compliance teams need to track inspection intervals and consider implementing the terminating modifications to reduce ongoing inspection burdens.
What To Do
Operators must perform a general visual inspection of each passenger door stop screw within 600 flight cycles from the first flight or within 400 flight cycles after 5 January 2022, whichever is later, and repeat inspections every 600 flight cycles thereafter. If any damaged screws are found, they must be replaced before the next flight following Airbus instructions. Optionally, operators can apply the Airbus modification service bulletins to terminate the repetitive inspection requirements for modified doors.