Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A321-100 Series Airplanes

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to certain Airbus Model A321-111, -112, and -131 series airplanes. That AD currently requires repetitive inspections to detect fatigue cracking in the area surrounding certain attachment holes of the forward pintle fittings of the main landing gear (MLG) and the actuating cylinder anchorage fittings on the inner rear spar; and repair, if necessary. The existing AD also provides for optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This AD adds inspections of three additional mounting holes and revises the thresholds for the currently required inspections. This AD results from manufacturer analysis of the fatigue and damage tolerance of the area surrounding certain mounting holes of the MLG. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking on the inner rear spar of the wings, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane.