A330, A340 Operators: 3 EASA ADs For You

EASA released two airworthiness directives--one yesterday and one today--for the Airbus A330 due to problems with main landing gear wheel axles and a ram air turbine pump failure.

A unnamed maintenance organization supposedly machined main landing gear axles to as small as 0.4 mm in radius. This thinness could cause fatigue and drops the life limit of the axels below those stated in the A330 and A340 Airbus Airworthiness Limitation Section.
 
Airbus and Messier Bugatti-Dowty reported this issue to EASA. This AD also applies to the A340 and requires replacing affected wheel axles. Please consult the AD for more specifics.

The ramp air turbine pump failure happened during a post-production pre-delivery test flight and prevented the green hydraulic sytem from fully pressurizing. "Investigations concluded that this malfunction was due to poor installation of the anti-stall valve sleeve, causing a shift in the anti-stall speed setting and leading to an inability of the hydraulic pump to provide enough hydraulic pressure." This condition could have caused total engine flame out, amongst other things.

Corrective actions include inspecting and testing the pump. If you'd like to comment on this AD, please do so before October 6. Send comments to ADs@easa.europa.eu.

I'm honestly not picking on Airbus today, but EASA also issued an AD for A340s today due to an outer fixed structure of a thrust reverser disbonding. Aircelle, the thrust reverser manufacturer, "identified a batch of thrust reverser halves (C-ducts), potentially containing Alcore panels and initially assumed to be made of Hexcel core only," says EASA. 

This AD requires identifying, inspecting and fixing affected components, and EASA also "prohibits installation of any affected components held as spares." This AD takes effect September 22.

Tags: om99, A330