Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 Airplanes

The FAA is superseding an existing AD that applies to certain Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 airplanes. That AD currently requires repetitive detailed inspections of the inboard flap trunnions for any wear marks and of the sliding panels for any cracking at the long edges, and corrective actions if necessary. This new AD adds airplanes that were recently added to the type certificate data sheet and changes the inspection type. This AD results from reports of wear damage to the inboard flap trunnions after incorporation of the terminating modification. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct wear of the inboard flap trunnions, which could lead to loss of flap surface control and consequently result in the flap detaching from the airplane. A detached flap could result in damage to the tail of the airplane.