AD NUMBER: 2020-01-17

PRODUCT: All Airbus SAS Model A318 series airplanes; Model A319 series airplanes; Model A320 series airplanes; and Model A321 series airplanes.

ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.

SUMMARY: This AD was prompted by a report that during airplane boarding a loud bang was heard. A subsequent inspection revealed that one emergency escape slide/raft was found with zero reservoir pressure, due to a burst rupture disk assembly in the inflation reservoir, which was probably caused by a manufacturing defect.

This AD requires repetitive checks of the pressure gauges on the inflation reservoir of each emergency escape slide/raft to determine the amount of pressure and, depending on findings, accomplishment of applicable corrective actions, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference.

DATES: This AD becomes effective February 14, 2020. The FAA must receive comments on this AD by March 16, 2020.

COST: The FAA estimates that this AD affects 1,553 airplanes of U.S. registry. Operators may incur the following costs in order to comply with this AD:

• 1 work-hour × $85 per hour = $85 per airplane.

The FAA has received no definitive data that would enable the agency to provide cost estimates for the on-condition actions specified in this AD.

FMI: AD