[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 195 (Friday, October 8, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54799-54801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-26207]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. 98-ANE-61-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & Whitney PW2000 Series Turbofan
Engines
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: This document proposes the supersedure of an existing
airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to Pratt & Whitney (PW) PW2000
series turbofan engines, that currently requires revisions to the
engine manufacturers time limits section (TLS) to include enhanced
inspection of selected critical life-limited parts at each piece-part
exposure. This action would add additional critical life-limited parts
for enhanced inspection. This proposal is prompted by additional
focused inspection procedures for other critical life-limited rotating
engine parts that have been developed by the manufacturer. The actions
specified in the proposed AD are intended to prevent critical life-
limited rotating engine part failure, which could result in an
uncontained engine failure and damage to the airplane.
DATES: Comments must be received by December 7, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments in triplicate to the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), New England Region, Office of the Regional
Counsel, Attention: Rules Docket No. 98-ANE-61-AD, 12 New England
Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803-5299. Comments may also be sent
via the Internet using the following address: ``adcomment@faa.gov.'' Comments sent via the Internet must contain the
docket number in the subject line. Comments may be inspected at this
location between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Spinney, Aerospace
Engineer, Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine and Propeller
Directorate, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803-5299;
telephone (781) 238-7175, fax (781) 238-7199.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
Interested persons are invited to participate in the making of the
proposed rule by submitting such written data, views, or arguments as
they may desire. Communications should identify the Rules Docket number
and be submitted in triplicate to the address specified above. All
communications received on or before the closing date for comments,
specified above, will be considered before taking action on the
proposed rule. The proposals contained in this notice may be changed in
light of the comments received.
Comments are specifically invited on the overall regulatory,
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of the proposed rule. All
comments submitted will be available, both before and after the closing
date for comments, in the Rules Docket for examination by interested
persons. A report summarizing each FAA-public contact concerned with
the substance of this proposal will be filed in the Rules Docket.
Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments
submitted in response to this notice must submit a self-addressed,
stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: ``Comments
to Docket Number 98-ANE-61-AD.'' The postcard will be date stamped and
returned to the commenter.
Availability of NPRM's
Any person may obtain a copy of this NPRM by submitting a request
to the FAA, New England Region, Office of the Regional Counsel,
Attention: Rules Docket No. 98-ANE-61-AD, 12 New England Executive
Park, Burlington, MA 01803-5299.
Discussion
On April 2, 1999, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued
airworthiness directive (AD) 99-08-14, Amendment 39-11120 (64 FR 17949,
April 14, 1999), to require within the next 30 days after the effective
date of this AD, revisions to the Time Limits Section (TLS) of the
Engine Manuals (EM's), and for air carriers the approved continuous
airworthiness maintenance program, to include required enhanced
inspection of selected critical life-limited parts at each piece-part
exposure. That amendment was prompted by a Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) study of in-service events involving uncontained
failures of critical rotating engine parts which indicated the need for
improved inspections. The improved inspections are needed to identify
those critical rotating parts with conditions, that if allowed to
continue in service, could result in uncontained failures. That
condition, if not corrected, could result in critical life-limited
rotating engine part failure, which could result in an uncontained
engine failure and damage to the airplane.
Reason for This Supersedure
Since the issuance of that AD, additional focused inspection
procedures for the high pressure turbine (HPT) 1st stage disk and the
HPT 2nd stage disk have been developed by PW.
Proposed Actions
Since an unsafe condition has been identified that is likely to
exist or develop on other Pratt & Whitney (PW) PW2000 series turbofan
engines of the same type design, this AD supersedes AD 99-08-14 to
require the additional critical life-limited rotating engine parts to
be subject to focused inspection at each piece-part opportunity.
Economic Analysis
There are approximately 812 engines of the affected design in the
worldwide fleet. The FAA estimates that 677 engines installed on
aircraft of U.S. registry would be affected by this proposed AD, that
it would take approximately 8 work hours per engine to accomplish the
proposed inspections, and that the average labor rate is $60 per work
hour. Based on these figures, the total cost impact of the proposed AD
on U.S. operators is estimated to be $324,960 ($480 per engine).
The regulations proposed herein would not have substantial direct
effects on the States, on the relationship between the national
government and the States, or on the distribution of power and
responsibilities among the
[[Page 54800]]
various levels of government. Therefore, in accordance with Executive
Order 12612, it is determined that this proposal would not have
sufficient federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a
Federalism Assessment.
For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this proposed
regulation (1) is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under
Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a ``significant rule'' under the DOT
Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979);
and (3) if promulgated, will not have a significant economic impact,
positive or negative, on a substantial number of small entities under
the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. A copy of the draft
regulatory evaluation prepared for this action is contained in the
Rules Docket. A copy of it may be obtained by contacting the Rules
Docket at the location provided under the caption ADDRESSES.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Safety.
The Proposed Amendment
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the Federal Aviation Administration proposes to amend
part 39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) as
follows:
PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
2. Section 39.13 is amended by removing Amendment 39-11120, (64 FR
17949, April 13, 1999), and by adding a new airworthiness directive.
Pratt & Whitney: Docket No. 98-ANE-61-AD.
Applicability: Pratt & Whitney (PW) PW2037, PW2040, PW2037M,
PW2240, PW2337, PW2043, PW2643, and PW2143, series turbofan engines,
installed on but not limited to Boeing 757 series and Ilyushin IL-
96T series airplanes.
Note 1: This airworthiness directive (AD) applies to each engine
identified in the preceding applicability provision, regardless of
whether it has been modified, altered, or repaired in the area
subject to the requirements of this AD. For engines that have been
modified, altered, or repaired so that the performance of the
requirements of this AD is affected, the owner/operator must request
approval for an alternative method of compliance in accordance with
paragraph (c) of this AD. The request should include an assessment
of the effect of the modification, alteration, or repair on the
unsafe condition addressed by this AD; and, if the unsafe condition
has not been eliminated, the request should include specific
proposed actions to address it.
Compliance: Required as indicated, unless accomplished
previously.
To prevent critical life-limited rotating engine part failure,
which could result in an uncontained engine failure and damage to
the airplane, accomplish the following:
(a) Within the next 30 days after the effective date of this AD,
revise the manufacturer's Time Limits section (TLS) of the
manufacturer's engine manual, Part Numbers (P/N's) 1A6231 and
1B2412, as appropriate for the PW PW2037, PW2040, PW2037M, PW2240,
PW2337, PW2043, PW2643, and PW2143 series turbofan engines, and for
air carriers revise the approved continuous airworthiness
maintenance program, by adding the following:
``MANDATORY INSPECTIONS
(1) Perform inspections of the following parts at each piece-
part opportunity in accordance with the instructions provided in the
PW2000 series Engine Manuals:
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Manual
Part nomenclature Part No. (P/N) section Inspection
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Hub, 1st Stg Comp.................... 1A9001 (Assy P/N 1A9021) 72-31-04 Inspection--06
Disk--HPT 1st Stg.................... 1A5301 (Assy. P/N 72-52-00 Inspection/Check--02
1A5921).
Disk--HPT 1st Stg 1A5301-001 (Assy P/N 72-52-02 Inspection/Check--02
1A5921-001).
Disk--HPT 1st Stg.................... 1B2601 (Assy. P/N 72-52-02 Inspection/Check--02
1B2671).
Disk--HPT 1st Stg.................... 1B2601-001 (Assy. P/N 72-52-02 Inspection/Check--02
1B2671-001).
Disk--HPT 1st Stg.................... 1B3601 (Assy. P/N 72-52-02 Inspection/Check--02
1B3621).
Disk--HPT 1st Stg.................... 1B3601-001 (Assy. P/N 72-52-02 Inspection/Check--02
1B3621-001).
Disk--HPT 1st Stg.................... 1B7801 (Assy. P/N 72-52-02 Inspection/Check--02
1B7621) Post SB 72-608.
Disk--HPT 2nd Stg.................... 1A8302 (Assy. P/N 72-52-02 Inspection/Check--02
1B0454).
Disk--HPT 2nd Stg.................... 1B1002 (Assy. P/N 72-52-02 Inspection/Check--02
1B0972).
Hub--HPT 2nd Stg..................... 1B1202 (Assy. P/N 1B1710 72-52-02 Inspection/Check--02
or 1B1172).
Hub--HPT 2nd Stg..................... 1B4902 (Assy. P/N 72-52-02 Inspection/Check--02
1B4552).
Hub--HPT 2nd Stg..................... 1B6602 (Assy. P/N 1B6232 72-52-02 Inspection/Check--02
or 1B7572).
Hub--HPT 2nd Stg..................... 1B8002 (Assy. P/N 72-52-02 Inspection/Check--02
1B7722).
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(2) For the purposes of these mandatory inspections, piece-part
opportunity means:
(i) The part is considered completely disassembled when done in
accordance with the disassembly instructions in the manufacturer's
engine manual to either part number level listed in the table above,
and
(ii) The part has accumulated more than 100 cycles in service
since the last piece-part opportunity inspection, provided that the
part was not damaged or related to the cause for its removal from
the engine.''
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this AD, and
notwithstanding contrary provisions in Sec. 43.16 of Federal
Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 43.16), these enhanced inspections
shall be performed only in accordance with the TLS of the
appropriate PW2000 series engine manuals.
(c) An alternative method of compliance or adjustment of the
compliance time that provides an acceptable level of safety may be
used if approved by the Manager, Engine Certification Office.
Operators shall submit their requests through an appropriate FAA
Principal Maintenance Inspector, who may add comments and then send
it to the Manager, Engine Certification Office.
Note 2: Information concerning the existence of approved
alternative methods of compliance with this airworthiness directive,
if any, may be obtained from the Engine Certification Office.
(d) Special flight permits may be issued in accordance with
Secs. 21.197 and 21.199 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR
21.197 and 21.199) to operate the aircraft to a location where the
requirements of this AD can be accomplished.
(e) FAA-certificated air carriers that have an approved
continuous airworthiness maintenance program in accordance with the
record keeping requirement of Sec. 121.369(c) of the Federal
Aviation Regulations [14 CFR 121.369(c)] of this chapter must
maintain records of the mandatory inspections that result from
revising the Time Limits section of the Instructions for Continuous
Airworthiness (ICA) and the air carrier's continuous airworthiness
program. Alternately, certificated air carriers may establish an
approved system of record retention that provides a method for
preservation and retrieval of the maintenance records that include
the inspections resulting from this AD, and include the policy and
procedures for implementing this alternate method in the air
carrier's maintenance manual required by Sec. 121.369(c) of the
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Federal Aviation Regulations [14 CFR 121.369(c)]; however, the
alternate system must be accepted by the appropriate PMI and require
the maintenance records be maintained either indefinitely or until
the work is repeated. Records of the piece-part inspections are not
required under Sec. 121.380 (a)(2)(vi) of the Federal Aviation
Regulations [14 CFR 121.380(a)(2)(vi)]. All other Operators must
maintain the records of mandatory inspections required by the
applicable regulations governing their operations.
Note 3: The requirements of this AD have been met when the
engine manual changes are made and air carriers have modified their
continuous airworthiness maintenance plans to reflect the
requirements in the engine manuals.
Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on September 30, 1999.
David A. Downey,
Assistant Manager, Engine and Propeller Directorate, Aircraft
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 99-26207 Filed 10-7-99; 8:45 am]
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