AD NUMBER: 2019-17-05

PRODUCT: Certain Airbus SAS Model A330-200 Freighter, -200, and -300 series airplanes; and certain Airbus SAS Model A340- 200, -300, -500, and -600 series airplanes.

ACTION: Final Rule.

SUMMARY: This AD was prompted by a determination that certain wing slat tracks that were inadvertently indicated as eligible for installation on all Model A330 and A340 series airplanes are unable to sustain the ultimate loads relative to the weight variant of certain airplane configurations.

This AD requires identifying affected parts, inspecting for and repairing cracks, and replacing affected parts with serviceable parts, as specified in a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference.

DATES: This AD is effective October 15, 2019.

COST: The FAA estimates that this AD affects 104 airplanes of U.S. registry.  Operators may incur the following costs in order to comply with this AD:

Required Actions:

• Labor: 7 work-hours × $85 per hour = $595 per airplane.

On-condition costs:

• Labor: 8 work-hours × $85 per hour = $680 per airplane.

According to the manufacturer, some or all of the costs of this AD may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on affected individuals. The FAA does not control warranty coverage for affected individuals. As a result, the FAA has included all known costs in the cost estimate.

FMI: AD