Proposed Rule2023-15910
Airworthiness Directives; Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG Engines
Primary source
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Published
July 31, 2023
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) Model Trent 1000-A2, Trent 1000-AE2, Trent 1000-C2, Trent 1000-CE2, Trent 1000-D2, Trent 1000-E2, Trent 1000-G2, Trent 1000-H2, Trent 1000-J2, Trent 1000-K2, and Trent 1000-L2 engines. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of cracking and separation of certain low-pressure turbine (LPT) stage 1 blade assemblies. This proposed AD would require initial and repetitive inspections of affected LPT stage 1 blade assemblies for cracking or separation and, depending on the results of the inspections, reduction of the inspection interval or replacement of the LPT stage 1 blade set and disk, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 145 (Monday, July 31, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 145 (Monday, July 31, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 49361-49364]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15910]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2023-1637; Project Identifier MCAI-2023-00184-E]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
Engines
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD)
for all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) Model Trent 1000-A2,
Trent 1000-AE2, Trent 1000-C2, Trent 1000-CE2, Trent 1000-D2, Trent
1000-E2, Trent 1000-G2, Trent 1000-H2, Trent 1000-J2, Trent 1000-K2,
and Trent 1000-L2 engines. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of
cracking and separation of certain low-pressure turbine (LPT) stage 1
blade assemblies. This proposed AD would require initial and repetitive
inspections of affected LPT stage 1 blade assemblies for cracking or
separation and, depending on the results of the inspections, reduction
of the inspection interval or replacement of the LPT stage 1 blade set
and disk, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). The
FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these
products.
DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this NPRM by September 14,
2023.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments.
<bullet> Fax: (202) 493-2251.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> 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 <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> under
Docket No. FAA-2023-1637; 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 NPRM, the mandatory
[[Page 49362]]
continuing airworthiness information (MCAI), any comments received, and
other information. The street address for Docket Operations is listed
above.
Material Incorporated by Reference:
<bullet> For EASA service information material identified in this
NPRM, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany;
phone: +49 221 8999 000; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7e3f3a0d3e1b1f0d1f501b0b0c110e1f501b0b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="89c8cdfac9ece8fae8a7ecfcfbe6f9e8a7ecfc">[email protected]</span></a>; website:
easa.europa.eu. You may find this material on the EASA website at
ad.easa.europa.eu.
<bullet> 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sungmo Cho, Aviation Safety Engineer,
FAA, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198; phone: (781) 238-
7241; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1e6d6b70797371307a307d76715e787f7f30797168"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bccfc9d2dbd1d392d892dfd4d3fcdadddd92dbd3ca">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or
arguments about this proposal. Send your comments to an address listed
under ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2023-1637; Project Identifier
MCAI-2023-00184-E'' at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful
comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, 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 proposal 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
<a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>, including any personal information you provide. The
agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal
contact received about this NPRM.
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 NPRM 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 NPRM, 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 NPRM. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to
Sungmo Cho, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th Street, Des
Moines, WA 98198. 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 2023-0027, dated January 31, 2023
(EASA AD 2023-0027) (referred to after this as the MCAI), to address an
unsafe condition for all RRD Model Trent 1000-A2, Trent 1000-AE2, Trent
1000-C2, Trent 1000-CE2, Trent 1000-D2, Trent 1000-E2, Trent 1000-G2,
Trent 1000-H2, Trent 1000-J2, Trent 1000-K2 and Trent 1000-L2 engines.
The MCAI states that manufacturer inspections detected cracking and
separation of blade pairs in the weld region of certain LPT stage 1
blade assemblies. A blade assembly consists of a pair of blades welded
together at the outer shroud. There are 85 LPT stage 1 blade assemblies
in one set. Such cracking and separation could cause failure of
affected parts and damage to the LPT module.
You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> under
Docket No. FAA-2023-1637.
Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51
The FAA reviewed EASA AD 2023-0027, which specifies procedures for
inspection of affected LPT stage 1 blade assemblies and replacement of
the LPT stage 1 blade set and disk. EASA AD 2023-0027 also specifies a
reduction of the repetitive inspection intervals if cracking or
separation is detected and meets certain criteria. This material 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 described above. The FAA is issuing this NPRM after
determining that the unsafe condition described previously is likely to
exist or develop on other products of the same type design.
Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM
This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified
in the MCAI described previously, except for any differences identified
as exceptions in the regulatory text of this proposed.
Explanation of Required Compliance Information
In the FAA's ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of the AD
process, the FAA developed a process to use some civil aviation
authority (CAA) ADs as the primary source of information for compliance
with requirements for corresponding FAA ADs. The FAA has since
coordinated with other manufacturers and CAAs to use this process. As a
result, the FAA proposes to incorporate by reference EASA AD 2023-0027
in the FAA final rule. This proposed AD would, therefore, require
compliance with EASA AD 2023-0027 in its entirety through that
incorporation, except for any differences identified as exceptions in
the regulatory text of this proposed AD. Using common terms that are
the same as the heading of a particular section in the EASA AD does not
mean that operators need comply only with that section. For example,
where the AD requirement refers to ``all required actions within the
compliance times,'' compliance with this AD requirement is not limited
to the section titled ``Required Action(s) and Compliance Time(s)'' in
EASA AD 2023-0027. Service information required by the EASA AD for
compliance will be available at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> by searching for and
locating Docket No. FAA-2023-1637 after the FAA final rule is
published.
Costs of Compliance
The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would
affect 26 engines installed on airplanes of U.S. Registry.
The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed
AD:
[[Page 49363]]
Estimated Costs
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Cost per Cost on U.S.
Action Labor cost Parts cost product operators
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Inspect LPT stage 1 blade assemblies 4 work-hours x $85 per $0 $340 $8,840
hour = $340.
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The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary
replacements that would be required based on the results of the
proposed inspection. The agency has no way of determining the number of
aircraft that might need these replacements:
On-Condition Costs
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Cost per
Action Labor cost Parts cost product
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Replace LPT stage 1 blade set and disk....... 4 work-hours x $85 per hour = $720,000 $720,340
$340.
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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
The FAA determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism
implications under Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD would 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 this proposed
regulation:
(1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive
Order 12866,
(2) Would not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
(3) Would not have a significant economic impact, positive or
negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by
reference, Safety.
The Proposed Amendment
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the FAA proposes to amend 14 CFR part 39 as follows:
PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
0
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]
0
2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness
directive:
Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd. & Co. KG: Docket No. FAA-2023-1637;
Project Identifier MCAI-2023-00184-E.
(a) Comments Due Date
The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive
(AD) by September 14, 2023.
(b) Affected ADs
None.
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD)
Model Trent 1000-A2, Trent 1000-AE2, Trent 1000-C2, Trent 1000-CE2,
Trent 1000-D2, Trent 1000-E2, Trent 1000-G2, Trent 1000-H2, Trent
1000-J2, Trent 1000-K2, and Trent 1000-L2 engines.
(d) Subject
Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) Code 7250, Turbine
Section.
(e) Unsafe Condition
This AD was prompted by reports of cracking and separation of
certain low-pressure turbine (LPT) stage 1 blade assemblies. The FAA
is issuing this AD to prevent failure of the LPT stage 1 blades. The
unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in high energy
debris release, damage to the airplane, and reduced control of the
airplane.
(f) Compliance
Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified,
unless already done.
(g) Required Actions
Except as specified in paragraphs (h) and (i) of this AD:
Perform all required actions within the compliance times specified
in, and in accordance with, European Union Aviation Safety Agency AD
2023-0027, dated January 31, 2023 (EASA AD 2023-0027).
(h) Exceptions to EASA AD 2023-0027
(1) Where EASA AD 2023-0027 specifies compliance from its
effective date, this AD requires using the effective date of this
AD.
(2) This AD does not adopt the Remarks paragraph of EASA AD
2023-0027.
(3) Where the service information referenced in EASA AD 2023-
0027 specifies discarding the removed LP turbine stage 1 blade set,
this AD requires removing the affected part from service.
(4) Where the service information referenced in EASA AD 2023-
0027 specifies to quarantine the removed LP turbine stage 1 rotor
disc, this AD requires removing the affected part from service.
(i) No Reporting Requirement
Although the service information referenced in EASA AD 2023-0027
specifies to submit certain information to the manufacturer, this AD
does not include that requirement.
(j) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)
(1) The Manager, AIR-520, Continued Operational Safety 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 branch office, send it to
the attention of the person identified in
[[Page 49364]]
paragraph (k) of this AD and email to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4908070c64080d640804060a092f2828672e263f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="40010e056d01046d010d0f03002621216e272f36">[email protected]</span></a>.
(2) 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.
(k) Additional Information
For more information about this AD, contact Sungmo Cho, Aviation
Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198;
phone: (781) 238-7241; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f380869d949e9cdd97dd909b9cb3959292dd949c85"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7407011a13191b5a105a171c1b341215155a131b02">[email protected]</span></a>.
(l) Material Incorporated by Reference
(1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the
incorporation by reference (IBR) 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 this AD specifies otherwise.
(i) European Union Aviation Safety Agency AD 2023-0027, dated
January 31, 2023.
(ii) [Reserved]
(3) For EASA AD 2023-0027, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3,
50668 Cologne, Germany; phone: +49 221 8999 000; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#adece9deedc8ccdecc83c8d8dfc2ddcc83c8d8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8dccc9fecde8ecfeeca3e8f8ffe2fdeca3e8f8">[email protected]</span></a>; 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 service information that is incorporated
by reference at the National Archives and Records Administration
(NARA). For information on the availability of this material at
NARA, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f59387db9c9b86859096819c9a9bb59b948794db929a83"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b5d3c79bdcdbc6c5d0d6c1dcdadbf5dbd4c7d49bd2dac3">[email protected]</span></a>, or go to: <a href="http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html">www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html</a>.
Issued on July 21, 2023.
Victor Wicklund,
Deputy Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-15910 Filed 7-28-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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