Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A330, A340-200, and A340-300 Series Airplanes

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A330, A340-200, and A340-300 series airplanes. This AD requires repetitive inspections for cracking of the chromed area of the left and right piston rods for the main landing gear (MLG) retraction actuators, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This AD is prompted by reports of the piston rods for the MLG retraction actuators rupturing during flight. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct corrosion pitting and cracking of the piston rods for the MLG retraction actuators, which could result in rupture of a piston rod, non-damped extension of the MLG, high loads on the fully extended MLG, and consequent reduced structural integrity of the MLG.