Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Airplanes
We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2016-07-30 for all Airbus Model A330-200, -200 Freighter, and -300 series airplanes, and all Airbus Model A340-200, -300, -500, and -600 series airplanes. For certain airplanes, AD 2016-07-30 required replacing certain Angle of Attack (AOA) sensors (probes) with certain new AOA sensors. For certain other airplanes, AD 2016-07-30 also required inspections and functional heat testing of certain AOA sensors for discrepancies, and replacement if necessary. This new AD requires the same actions as AD 2016-07-30. This new AD was prompted by a report of a typographical error in the regulatory text of AD 2016-07-30. We are issuing this AD to prevent erroneous AOA information and Alpha Protection (Alpha Prot) activation due to blocked AOA probes, which could result in a continuous nose-down command and consequent loss of control of the airplane.