EASA AD 2025-0258: Landing Gear — Nose Landing Gear Sliding Tube — Inspection

What to do

Operators of affected Airbus A318, A319, A320, and A321 aeroplanes must perform the special detailed inspection within specified compliance times based on flight cycles, ranging from 4 to 12 months after the effective date of 5 December 2025. If any damage or cracks are found, the affected part must be replaced before further flight. Parts that pass inspection must be re-identified with 'MPI' marking. Installation of affected parts on any aircraft is prohibited from the effective date.

Summary

EASA Airworthiness Directive 2025-0258 is an airworthiness directive addressing the nose landing gear sliding tube on Airbus A318, A319, A320, and A321 aeroplanes. It mandates inspection of specific nose landing gear sliding tubes with part number 50-3752016-00 and certain serial numbers for overheat damage and cracks. The directive applies to all affected serial numbers listed and requires corrective actions if discrepancies are found.

What changed

This new airworthiness directive introduces a special detailed inspection requirement for affected nose landing gear sliding tubes due to identified overheat damage and cracking from manufacturing processes. It also prohibits installation of affected parts on any aeroplane from the effective date and requires re-identification of inspected parts that pass without discrepancies.

Why it matters

This directive is critical for aviation professionals because undetected cracks in the nose landing gear sliding tube could lead to landing gear failure, posing serious safety risks. Operators and maintenance organizations must ensure compliance to maintain aircraft airworthiness and avoid operational disruptions. It also impacts parts management by restricting installation of affected components.

What to do

Summary

What changed

Why it matters

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