AD NUMBER: 2016-12-09

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

ACTION: Final Rule; request for comments.

SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2016-09-11 for the aircraft listed above.

AD 2016-09-11 required removing fasteners, doing a rototest inspection of fastener holes, installing new fasteners, oversizing the holes and doing rototest inspections for cracks if necessary, and repairing any cracking that is found.

This new AD requires the same actions as AD 2016-09-11, but includes Model A330-300 series airplanes in paragraph (g)(2) of this AD.

This AD was prompted by the discovery of missing affected airplanes in paragraph (g)(2) of AD 2016-09-11 that resulted from converting a table in the proposed AD to text in AD 2016-09-11.

The FAA is issuing this AD to detect and correct cracking on certain holes of certain frames of the center wing box (CWB), which could affect the structural integrity of the airplane.

DATES: This AD is effective June 29, 2016. Comments must be received by July 29, 2016.

FMI: AD