EASA AD CF-2020-04
Fuel — Accumulation of Electrostatic Charge Inside the Fuel Tank During Refueling
Summary
The Canadian Airworthiness Directive CF-2020-04 addresses the risk of electrostatic charge accumulation inside the fuel tank during refueling on Airbus Canada Limited Partnership aircraft models BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11. This directive mandates modifications to the center wing box fuel line coupling to prevent potential fuel tank ignition. It applies to specific serial numbers of these aircraft models.
What Changed
CF-2020-04 introduces a requirement to replace the clamshell type refuel/defuel line coupling at rib 0 of the center wing box with a threaded type coupling and to install an additional support bracket and clamp. It also prohibits the use of an older maintenance procedure and mandates the use of an updated maintenance data module to ensure compliance with fuel system limitations.
Why It Matters
This directive is critical for aviation professionals because it mitigates the risk of fuel tank ignition caused by electrostatic charge accumulation during refueling. Operators and maintenance organizations must comply to ensure aircraft safety and regulatory adherence, preventing potentially catastrophic fuel system failures.
What To Do
Affected operators must complete the fuel system modifications within 12 months or 4000 flight hours from the effective date of 23 March 2020, whichever occurs first, by following Airbus Canada Service Bulletin BD500-282003 Issue 002 or later approved revisions. Additionally, maintenance teams must stop using the older maintenance data module BD500-A-J28-23-40-01AAA-310D-A Issue 001 and switch to Issue 002 or later from the effective date.
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