FAA expands Airbus A350 inspections over horizontal tail plane bushings
The FAA replaces a previous airworthiness directive after detecting recurring bushing migration on the horizontal tail plane fittings of Airbus A350 aircraft, cancelling earlier terminating actions.
The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive AD 2021-03-08, which targeted specific Airbus SAS Model A350-941 and A350-1041 aircraft. That earlier directive mandated recurring inspections to detect migration of bushings on horizontal tail plane lateral load fittings, located on both left and right sides, alongside a corrective modification or repair intended to conclude the inspection cycle.
Fresh instances of bushing migration on these lateral load fittings have surfaced since the original directive took effect. Following these discoveries, regulators determined that particular repairs must no longer serve as a terminating action for ongoing inspections.
Consequently, this updated directive keeps the recurring checks in place, eliminates a specific terminating solution, and expands fleet applicability to mitigate the identified unsafe condition across affected airframes.
Why it matters for your training
Monitoring structural tail fittings is essential for airline pilots to ensure sustained airworthiness and long-haul operational safety.
Sources
Article rewritten with the help of AI from the cited sources.