Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A320-251N, -253N, and -271N airplanes; and Model A321-251N, -253N, -271N, and -272N airplanes. This AD was prompted by the failure of an electronic centralized aircraft monitor (ECAM) warning to be triggered during heating of several sensing elements of the over-heat detection system (OHDS) loop sequentially during flight test operation procedures. This AD requires revising the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) with an AFM Temporary Revision (TR) to provide procedures to operate the airplane without functioning bleed leak detection; revising the operator's existing FAA-approved minimum equipment list (MEL); and modifying the electrical connections of the bleed monitoring computers (BMCs), which allows for the removal of the AFM TR and the MEL revision; as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.