Action
Final rule; request for comments.
Summary
The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Canada Limited Partnership Model BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 airplanes. The FAA previously sent this AD as an emergency AD to all known U.S. owners and operators of these airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of the autopilot/autothrottle system design resulting in inadvertent engagement of the autopilot when the flightcrew was attempting to engage the autothrottle late into the take-off phase or when attempting to re-engage the autothrottle during takeoff after uncommanded disconnect. This AD requires revising the Limitations section of the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) by revising the title of the existing autopilot AFM limitation, include a new warning prior to the existing autopilot engagement limitations, and include a new limitation prohibiting selecting or reselecting autothrottle during takeoff after thrust levers are advanced to the takeoff setting after the existing autopilot engagement limitations. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.