Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A318-100, A319-100, A320-200, A321-100, and A321-200 Series Airplanes, and Model A320-111 Airplanes

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Model A318-100, A319-100, A320-200, A321-100, and A321-200 series airplanes, and Model A320-111 airplanes. This AD requires an inspection to determine whether certain braking and steering control units (BSCUs) are installed or have ever been installed. For airplanes on which certain BSCUs are installed or have ever been installed, this AD requires an inspection of the nose landing gear (NLG) upper support and corrective action if necessary, and a check of the NLG strut inflation pressure and an adjustment if necessary. For some of these airplanes, this AD also requires a revision to the aircraft flight manual to incorporate an operating procedure to recover normal steering in the event of a steering failure. This AD results from a report of an incident where an airplane landed with the NLG turned 90 degrees from centerline. We are issuing this AD to prevent landings with the NLG turned 90 degrees from centerline, which could result in reduced controllability of the airplane.