New Airworthiness Directive for Airbus
A new airworthiness directive concerning Airbus SAS airplanes was published in the U.S. Federal Register. The action mandates specific inspections or modifications to ensure continued operational safety for certain models.
- This proposed airworthiness directive (AD) specifically targets Airbus A350-941 and A350-1041 models. - The core issue stems from reports of bushing migration on the horizontal tail plane's lateral load fittings, a problem initially identified during flight tests. - The FAA has identified the unsafe condition as a combination of corrosion and fatigue damage to the primary structure, which could lead to failure of the fitting and damage to adjacent structures. - If not addressed, this condition could ultimately result in reduced controllability of the aircraft. - This notice of proposed rulemaking would supersede a prior directive, AD 2021-03-08, which was issued in March 2021. - The proposed action is based on a preceding directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), specifically EASA AD 2025-0073, which was issued in April 2025. - The FAA is accepting comments on this proposed AD until April 3, 2026.
