EASA AD 2022-0011
SUPERSEDED BY EASA AD 2022-0250
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2022-0011 is an airworthiness directive issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency affecting Airbus A350-941 and A350-1041 aeroplanes. It addresses issues related to the lightning strike edge glow sealant protection on the upper and lower wing skin cover edges to prevent potential ignition sources inside wing fuel tanks. The directive mandates inspections and modifications to ensure continued airworthiness and safety of the affected aircraft.
What Changed
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2022-0011 supersedes the previous AD 2020-0220 and extends the compliance time for inspections by six months. It retains the requirement for a detailed inspection of affected wing areas and introduces a mandatory modification to apply sealant to restore two independent layers of lightning strike protection on certain Airbus A350-941 aeroplanes.
Why It Matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals as it addresses a potential ignition risk inside fuel tanks caused by missing or incorrect sealant application, which could lead to catastrophic failure in the event of a lightning strike. Operators, maintenance organizations, and compliance teams must ensure inspections and modifications are performed timely to maintain aircraft safety and regulatory compliance.
What To Do
Operators of Airbus A350-941 and A350-1041 aeroplanes must perform a detailed inspection of the affected wing stringer edges at the next scheduled maintenance tank entry or before 78 months from the aircraft's date of manufacture, whichever occurs first. If discrepancies are found, corrective actions must be taken before the next flight. Additionally, certain aircraft must have the sealant modification applied within the same compliance timeframe.
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.