2024-06430. Airworthiness Directives; GE Aviation Czech s.r.o. (Type Certificate Previously Held by WALTER Engines a.s., Walter a.s., and MOTORLET a.s.) Engines

AGENCY:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION:

Final rule; request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all GE Aviation Czech s.r.o. (GEAC) (type certificate previously held by WALTER Engines a.s., Walter a.s., and MOTORLET a.s.) Model M601D–11, M601E–11, M601E–11A, M601E–11AS, M601E–11S, and M601F engines. This AD was prompted by a report of a crack on the centrifugal compressor case mount pad weld area, caused by a non-conforming welding (lack of welding penetration). This AD requires a one-time detailed visual inspection of the compressor case pad welds for any crack, and replacement of the compressor case if necessary, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference (IBR). The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES:

This AD is effective April 11, 2024.

The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of April 11, 2024.

The FAA must receive comments on this AD by May 13, 2024.

ADDRESSES:

You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

• Fax: [phone].

• Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M–30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.

• Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA–2024–0472; or in person at Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains this final rule, the mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The street address for Docket Operations is listed above.

Material Incorporated by Reference:

• For service information identified in this final rule, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; phone: [phone]; email: [e-mail]; website: easa.europa.eu. You may find this material on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.

• You may view this service information at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call (817) 222–5110. It is also available at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA–2024–0472.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Barbara Caufield, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: [phone]; email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

The FAA invites you to send any written data, views, or arguments about this final rule. Send your comments to an address listed under ADDRESSES . Include “Docket No. FAA–2024–0472; Project Identifier MCAI–2024–00095–E” at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the final rule, explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend this final rule because of those comments.

Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR 11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. The agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact received about this final rule.

Confidential Business Information

CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to this AD contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to this AD, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing CBI as “PROPIN.” The FAA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public docket of this AD. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Barbara Caufield, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590. Any commentary that the FAA receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this rulemaking.

Background

EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued EASA AD 2024–0040–E, dated February 8, 2024, (EASA AD 2024–0040–E) (also referred to as the MCAI), to correct an unsafe condition on GEAC Model M601D, M601D–1, M601D–2, M601D–11, M601D–11NZ, M601E, M601E–11, M601E–11A, M601E–11AS, M601E–11S, M601E–21, M601F, M601FS, and M601Z engines. The MCAI states that a crack was found on the centrifugal compressor case mount pad weld area of an engine, which led to an unscheduled engine removal. Further investigation identified a non-conforming welding in the location of the failure (lack of welding penetration). The manufacturer issued service information that provides instruction for a one-time detailed visual inspection of the compressor case for any crack in the location of the pad welds, and replacement of the compressor case if necessary. This condition, if not addressed, could lead to crack propagation, possibly resulting in engine separation and reduced control of the airplane.

You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA–2024–0472.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

The FAA reviewed EASA AD 2024–0040–E which specifies procedures for performing a one-time detailed visual inspection of the compressor case pad welds for any crack, replacement of the compressor case if necessary, and sending certain inspection results to the manufacturer.

This service information is reasonably available because the interested parties have access to it through their normal course of business or by the means identified in ADDRESSES .

FAA's Determination

These products have been approved by the aviation authority of another country and are approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design Authority, it has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI referenced above. The FAA is issuing this AD after determining that the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type design.

AD Requirements

This AD requires accomplishing the actions specified in the MCAI, except for any differences identified as exceptions in the regulatory text of this AD, and except as discussed under “Differences Between this AD and the MCAI.”

Differences Between This AD and the MCAI

GEAC Model M601D, M601D–1, M601D–2, M601D–11NZ, M601E, M601E–21, M601FS, and M601Z engines do not have an FAA type certificate, therefore this AD does not include those engines in the applicability.

Justification for Immediate Adoption and Determination of the Effective Date

Section 553(b)(3)(B) of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 551 et seq.) authorizes agencies to dispense with notice and comment procedures for rules when the agency, for “good cause,” finds that those procedures are “impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest.” Under this section, an agency, upon finding good cause, may issue a final rule without providing notice and seeking comment prior to issuance. Further, section 553(d) of the APA authorizes agencies to make rules effective in less than thirty days, upon a finding of good cause.

An unsafe condition exists that requires the immediate adoption of this AD without providing an opportunity for public comments prior to adoption. The FAA has found that the risk to the flying public justifies forgoing notice and comment prior to adoption of this rule. The presence of cracks on the compressor case pad weld area caused by non-conforming welding could lead to crack propagation, possibly resulting in engine separation and reduced control of the airplane, which indicates an immediate safety of flight problem. Accordingly, notice and opportunity for prior public comment are impracticable and contrary to the public interest pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B).

In addition, the FAA finds that good cause exists pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d) for making this amendment effective in less than 30 days, for the same reasons the FAA found good cause to forgo notice and comment.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

The requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) do not apply when an agency finds good cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 to adopt a rule without prior notice and comment. Because the FAA has determined that it has good cause to adopt this rule without prior notice and comment, RFA analysis is not required.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this AD affects 45 engines installed on airplanes of U.S. registry.

The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD:

Estimated Costs

Action	Labor cost	Parts cost	Cost per product	Cost on U.S. operators
Inspect centrifugal compressor case	1 work-hour × $85 per hour = $85	$0	$85	$3,825
Report inspection results	1 work-hour × $85 per hour = $85	0	85	3,825

The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary replacements that would be required based on the results of the inspection. The agency has no way of determining the number of engines that might need this replacement:

On-Condition Costs

Action	Labor cost	Parts cost	Cost per product
Replace centrifugal compressor case	10 work-hours × $85 per hour = $850	$5,000	$5,850

The FAA has included all known costs in its cost estimate. According to the manufacturer, however, some of the costs of this AD may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on affected operators.

Paperwork Reduction Act

A federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. The OMB Control Number for this information collection is 2120–0056. Public reporting for this collection of information is estimated to take approximately 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. All responses to this collection of information are mandatory. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Information Collection Clearance Officer, Federal Aviation Administration, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177–1524.

Authority for This Rulemaking

Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII: Aviation Programs describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's authority.

The FAA is issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: General requirements. Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing regulations for practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator finds necessary for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within the scope of that authority because it addresses an unsafe condition that is likely to exist or develop on products identified in this rulemaking action.

Regulatory Findings

This AD will not have federalism implications under Executive Order 13132. This AD will not have a substantial direct effect on the States, on the relationship between the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government.

For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this AD:

(1) Is not a “significant regulatory action” under Executive Order 12866, and

(2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

• Air transportation
• Aircraft
• Aviation safety
• Incorporation by reference
• Safety

The Amendment

Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the FAA amends 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.

§ 39.13

[Amended]

2. The FAA amends § 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness directive:

2024–06–02 GE Aviation Czech s.r.o. (Type Certificate Previously held by WALTER Engines a.s., Walter a.s., and MOTORLET a.s.): Amendment 39–22707; Docket No. FAA–2024–0472; Project Identifier MCAI–2024–00095–E.

(a) Effective Date

This airworthiness directive (AD) is effective April 11, 2024.

(b) Affected ADs

None.

(c) Applicability

This AD applies to GE Aviation Czech s.r.o. (GEAC) (type certificate previously held by WALTER Engines a.s., Walter a.s., and MOTORLET a.s.) Model M601D–11, M601E–11, M601E–11A, M601E–11AS, M601E–11S, and M601F engines.

(d) Subject

Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) Codes 7120, Engine Mount Section; 7230, Turbine Engine Compressor Section.

(e) Unsafe Condition

This AD was prompted by a report of a crack on the centrifugal compressor case mount pad weld area, caused by a non-conforming welding (lack of welding penetration). The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent failure of the centrifugal compressor case. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in crack propagation, possibly resulting in engine separation and reduced control of the airplane.

(f) Compliance

Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, unless already done.

(g) Required Actions

Perform all required actions within the compliance times specified in, and in accordance with, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2024–0040–E, dated February 8, 2024 (EASA AD 2024–0040–E).

(h) Exceptions to EASA AD 2024–0040–E

(1) Where EASA AD 2024–0040–E requires compliance from its effective date, this AD requires using the effective date of this AD.

(2) Where EASA AD 2024–0040–E specifies to contact the manufacturer for approved instructions if any crack is detected on an affected part, this AD requires replacement of the compressor case.

(3) This AD does not adopt the Remarks paragraph of EASA AD 2024–0040–E.

(i) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

The Manager, International Validation Branch, FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, send your request to your principal inspector or local Flight Standards District Office, as appropriate. If sending information directly to the manager of the International Validation Branch, send it to the attention of the person identified in paragraph (j) of this AD and email to [e-mail].

Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager of the local flight standards district office/certificate holding district office.

(j) Additional Information

For more information about this AD, contact Barbara Caufield, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: [phone]; email: [e-mail].

(k) Material Incorporated by Reference

(1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of the service information listed in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.

(2) You must use this service information as applicable to do the actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.

(i) European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2024–0040–E, dated February 8, 2024.

(ii) [Reserved]

(3) For EASA AD 2024–0040–E, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; phone: [phone]; email: [e-mail]; website: easa.europa.eu. You may find this EASA AD on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.

(4) You may view this service information at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call (817) 222–5110.

(5) You may view this material at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/​federal-register/​cfr/​ibr-locations or email [e-mail].

Issued on March 21, 2024.

Victor Wicklund,

Deputy Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification Service.