Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A321-100 Series Airplanes

The FAA is revising an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Airbus Model A321-111, -112, and -131 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. That AD also provides for optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections, adds inspections of three additional mounting holes, and revises the thresholds for the currently required inspections. We issued that 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. This new AD retains the requirements and revises the applicability of that AD. This AD results from the discovery of a typographical error in the applicability of that AD, which could cause the unsafe condition on an affected airplane to remain uncorrected. 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.