Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Airplanes
We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2012-21-04, which applied to all Airbus Model A300 series airplanes; Model A310 series airplanes; and Model A300 B4-600, B4-600R, and F4-600R series airplanes, and Model A300 C4-605R Variant F airplanes (collectively called Model A300-600 series airplanes). AD 2012-21-04 required repetitive inspections for, and replacement of, any cracked hood halves of fuel pump canisters. Since we issued AD 2012-21-04, we allowed inspections of the wing-outer tank and trim tank fuel pump canister hood halves to be terminated. This new AD retains the requirements of AD 2012-21-04, reinstates the terminated inspections, and adds optional terminating actions. This AD was prompted by reports of cracked fuel pump canister hoods located in fuel tanks and new in-service events of wing-outer tank fuel pump canister hood cracking. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.