AD/A330/51 Escape Slides & Slide Rafts - Electrical Harness Routing 8/2005DM

Applicability: A330-200 and A330-300 series aeroplanes where crew/passenger doors 1 and 4 and crew/passenger door 3 (type 1 only), RH and LH sides of the fuselage, are equipped with emergency escape slides or slide rafts Part Numbers (P/N) 7A1508-XXX or 7A1509-XXX.

Requirement: 1. Inspect the electrical harness routing of emergency escape slides/slide rafts P/N 7A1508-XXX or 7A1509-XXX in accordance with the instructions of Airbus All Operators Telex (AOT) A330-25A3272 R1 dated 24 March 2005 or later revision approved by the DGAC.

Inspections accomplished prior to the effective date of this Directive, in accordance with AOT A330-25A3272 R1, are considered acceptable for compliance with this Requirement.

2. If, during the Requirement 1 inspection, any harness is found to be incorrectly installed or routed, correct the installation in accordance with AOT A330-25A3272 R1 or later revision approved by the DGAC.

Note: DGAC AD F-2005-077 (EASA approval 2005-3956) refers.

Compliance: For Requirement 1- Within 1 700 hours time in service and thereafter on each removal/installation of the escape slide. For Requirement 2 - Before further flight, immediately following the Requirement 1 inspection.

This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 16 June 2005.

Background: The French Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile (DGAC) has advised that during an aircraft scheduled check, an operator experienced an unsuccessful slide raft deployment test on LH crew/passenger door No. 1. Investigations revealed that the electrical harness had been incorrectly installed during the previous slide raft removal/installation therefore preventing the deployment of the slide raft during the test. This situation, if not corrected, could delay the evacuation of the persons onboard in an emergency.

This Directive requires an initial inspection to ensure correct installation of the electrical harness followed by repetitive inspections each time a slide is removed/installed.

FMI: http://casa.gov.au/airworth/airwd/NEW/urgent.htm