Summary
This document revises an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to certain Airbus Model A320 series airplanes, that would have required repetitive inspections to verify proper installation of the plain bushings of the upper and lower connection links on the forward and aft passenger/crew doors, and correction of discrepancies. That AD also would have required replacement of the shouldered bushing on the locking mechanism with a new oversized bushing, which would have terminated the repetitive inspection requirements. That proposal was prompted by a report that, during an emergency evacuation of in-service airplanes, the left aft passenger/crew door jammed against the fuselage structure in a nearly closed position due to bushing migration. This action revises the proposed rule by expanding the applicability of the proposed rule to include additional airplanes; and adding new repetitive inspections and a terminating modification for those new airplanes. The actions specified by this proposed AD are intended to prevent jamming of the passenger/crew door, which could delay or impede the evacuation of passengers during an emergency.