Airbus's inability to explain cracking in an undercarriage support beam of an A330 that could lead to a gear collapse has resulted an emergency airworthiness directive (EAD) requiring repetitive inspections on all A330/A340s indefinitely. The crack was discovered last year in the main landing gear rib 6 forged support beam during routine lubrication of an A330 operated by an unidentified carrier for long-range flights. Rib 6 is a main structural member that carries all landing-gear loads and such a crack could lead to undercarriage collapse, says John Grother, vice-president customer services A330/A340.
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