AD NUMBER: 2017-13-10

PRODUCT: Certain Airbus Model A319-131 and -132 airplanes; Model A320-231, -232, and -233 airplanes; and Model A321-131 and -231 airplanes.

ACTION: Final Rule.

SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2003-18-06, which applied to the aircraft listed above.

AD 2003-18-06 required installing new anti-swivel plates and weights on the engine fan cowl door (FCD) latches and a new cowl door hold-open device. This AD retains the previous actions and requires modifying the engine FCDs, installing placards, and reidentifying the FCDs. This AD also adds airplanes to the applicability.

This AD was prompted by reports of additional engine FCD in-flight losses, and a new FCD front latch and keeper assembly that has been developed to address this unsafe condition.

The FAA estimates that this AD affects 558 airplanes of U.S. registry.

The actions required by AD 2003-18-06, and retained in this AD, take about 8 work-hours per product, at an average labor rate of $85 per work-hour. Required parts cost about $1,500 per product. Based on these figures, the estimated cost of the actions that are required by AD 2003-18-06 is $2,180 per product.

We also estimate that it takes about 6 work-hours per product to comply with the basic requirements of this AD. The average labor rate is $85 per work-hour. Required parts will cost about $9,676 per product. Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of this AD on U.S. operators to be $5,683,788, or $10,186 per product.

DATES: This AD is effective August 3, 2017.

FMI: AD