Rule2026-19171
Airworthiness Directives; Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd. & Co. KG Engines
Primary source
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Published
September 18, 2026
Effective
September 21, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd. & Co. KG (RRD) Model RB211-Trent 875-17, 877-17, 884-17, 884B-17, 892-17, 892B-17, and 895-17 engines. The FAA previously sent this AD as an emergency AD to all known U.S. owners and operators of these engines. This AD was prompted by reports of non- conformances leading to low oil pressure events on low life oil pumps. This AD requires de-pairing of engines on airplanes with two affected engines installed to ensure no more than one affected oil pump is installed on twin-engine airplanes. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 180 (Friday, September 18, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 180 (Friday, September 18, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 59048-59051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19171]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2026-8815; Project Identifier MCAI-2026-00951-E;
Amendment 39-23468; AD 2026-18-52]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd. & Co. KG
Engines
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all
Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd. & Co. KG (RRD) Model RB211-Trent 875-17,
877-17, 884-17, 884B-17, 892-17, 892B-17, and 895-17 engines. The FAA
previously sent this AD as an emergency AD to all known U.S. owners and
operators of these engines. This AD was prompted by reports of non-
conformances leading to low oil pressure events on low life oil pumps.
This AD requires de-pairing of engines on airplanes with two affected
engines installed to ensure no more than one affected oil pump is
installed on twin-engine airplanes. The FAA is issuing this AD to
address the unsafe condition on these products.
DATES: This AD is effective September 21, 2026. Emergency AD 2026-18-
52, issued on September 5, 2026, which contains the requirements of
this amendment, was effective with actual notice.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of a certain publication identified in this AD as of
September 21, 2026.
The FAA must receive comments on this AD by November 2, 2026.
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-2026-8815; 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:
<bullet> For European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) material
identified in this AD, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668
Cologne, Germany; phone: +49 221 8999 000; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6425201724010517054a0111160b14054a0111"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f8b9bc8bb89d998b99d69d8d8a978899d69d8d">[email protected]</span></a>.
You
[[Page 59049]]
may find this material on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.
<bullet> You may view this material 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
<a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> under Docket No. FAA-2026-8815.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexis Whitaker, Aviation Safety
Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198; phone:
(516) 228-7309; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b9d8d5dcc1d0ca97d397ced1d0cdd8d2dccbf9dfd8d897ded6cf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="99f8f5fce1f0eab7f3b7eef1f0edf8f2fcebd9fff8f8b7fef6ef">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
The FAA invites you to send any written data, views, or arguments
about this final rule. Send your comments using a method listed under
the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2026-8815; Project
Identifier MCAI-2026-00951-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
<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 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 Alexis
Whitaker, 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
The FAA issued Emergency AD 2026-18-52, dated September 5, 2026
(the emergency AD), to address an unsafe condition on all RRD Model
RB211-Trent 875-17, 877-17, 884-17, 884B-17, 892-17, 892B-17, and 895-
17 engines. The FAA sent the emergency AD to all known U.S. owners and
operators of these engines. The emergency AD requires de-pairing of
engines on airplanes with two affected engines installed to ensure no
more than one affected oil pump is installed on twin-engine airplanes.
The emergency AD was prompted by EASA Emergency AD 2026-0173-E,
dated September 4, 2026 (EASA Emergency AD 2026-0173-E) (also referred
to as the MCAI), issued by EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the
Member States of the European Union, to correct an unsafe condition on
all RRD Model RB211-Trent 875-17, 877-17, 884-17, 884B-17, 892-17,
892B-17, and 895-17 engines. The MCAI states that occurrences have been
reported of non-conformances leading to low oil pressure events on low
life oil pumps. Subsequent investigation identified a potential failure
mode affecting the oil pump input coupling shear neck. This condition,
if not addressed, could lead to a dual in-flight shutdown on airplanes
equipped with two affected engines, resulting in reduced control of the
airplane. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on
these products.
You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> under
Docket No. FAA-2026-8815.
Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51
The FAA reviewed EASA Emergency AD 2026-0173-E. This material
specifies procedures for de-pairing of engines on airplanes with two
affected engines installed to ensure no more than one affected oil pump
is installed on twin-engine airplanes. 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 the
ADDRESSES section.
FAA's Determination
These products have been approved by the civil aviation authority
(CAA) 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, that authority 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 EASA
Emergency AD 2026-0173-E, described previously, except for any
differences identified as exceptions in the regulatory text of this AD.
Interim Action
The FAA considers that this AD is an interim action. If final
action is later identified, the FAA might consider additional
rulemaking.
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 CAA ADs as the primary
source of information for compliance with requirements for
corresponding FAA ADs. The FAA has been coordinating this process with
manufacturers and CAAs. As a result, EASA Emergency AD 2026-0173-E is
incorporated by reference in this AD. This AD requires compliance with
EASA Emergency AD 2026-0173-E in its entirety through that
incorporation, except for any differences identified as exceptions in
the regulatory text of this AD. Material required by EASA Emergency AD
2026-0173-E for compliance will be available at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> under
Docket No. FAA-2026-8815 after this AD is published.
Justification for Immediate Adoption and Determination of the Effective
Date
Section 553(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 required the immediate adoption of
Emergency AD 2026-18-52, issued on
[[Page 59050]]
September 5, 2026, to all known U.S. owners and operators of these
engines. The FAA found that the risk to the flying public justified
forgoing notice and comment prior to adoption of this rule because the
oil pump can fail prematurely due to cracking of the internal rotor.
This condition could lead to a dual in-flight shutdown on airplanes
equipped with two affected engines, resulting in reduced control of the
airplane. These conditions still exist; therefore, notice and
opportunity for prior public comment are impracticable and contrary to
the public interest pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(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 forego 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 154 engines installed on
airplanes of U.S. registry.
The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD:
Estimated Costs
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Cost per Cost on U.S.
Action Labor cost Parts cost product operators
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Records check......................... 1 work-hour x $85 per $0 $85 $13,090
hour = $85.
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The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary repair or
replacement that would be required based on the results of the records
check. The agency has no way of determining the number of engines that
might need this repair or replacement:
On-Condition Costs
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Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per product
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Repair or replace oil pump....... Up to 16 work-hours x Up to $237,070.......... Up to $238,430.
$85 per hour = $1,360.
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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
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
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:
2026-18-52 Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd. & Co. KG: Amendment 39-
23468; Docket No. FAA-2026-8815; Project Identifier MCAI-2026-00951-
E.
(a) Effective Date
The FAA issued Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2026-18-52
on September 5, 2026 (also referred to as the emergency AD),
directly to affected owners and operators. As a result of such
actual notice, the emergency AD was effective for those owners and
operators on the date it was received. This AD contains the same
requirements as the emergency AD and, for those who did not receive
actual notice, is effective on September 21, 2026.
(b) Affected ADs
None.
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd. & Co. KG
Model RB211-Trent 875-17, 877-17, 884-17, 884B-17, 892-17, 892B-17,
and 895-17 engines.
(d) Subject
Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC) Code 7261, Turbine Engine
Oil System.
(e) Unsafe Condition
This AD was prompted by reports of non-conformances leading to
low oil pressure events on low life oil pumps due to a failure mode
affecting the oil pump input coupling shear neck. The FAA is issuing
this AD to address a failure mode affecting the oil pump input
coupling shear neck. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could
lead to a dual in-flight shutdown on airplanes equipped with two
affected engines, resulting in reduced control of the airplane.
[[Page 59051]]
(f) Compliance
Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified,
unless already done.
(g) Required Actions
Except as specified in paragraph (h) of this AD: Comply with all
required actions and compliance times specified in, and in
accordance with, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
Emergency AD 2026-0173-E, dated September 4, 2026 (EASA Emergency AD
2026-0173-E).
(h) Exceptions to EASA Emergency AD 2026-0173-E
(1) Where EASA Emergency AD 2026-0173-E refers to its effective
date, this AD requires using the effective date of this AD.
(2) This AD does not adopt the ``Remarks'' section of EASA
Emergency AD 2026-0173-E.
(i) Special Flight Permits
Special flight permits, as described in 14 CFR 21.197 and
21.199, are not allowed.
(j) Additional AD Provisions
The following provisions also apply to this AD.
(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): 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 responsible Flight Standards Office,
as appropriate. If sending information directly to the manager of
the AIR-520, Continued Operational Safety Branch, send it to the
attention of the person identified in paragraph (k) of this AD or
email to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7c3d31333f3c1a1d1d521b130a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5e1f13111d1e383f3f70393128">[email protected]</span></a>. Before using any approved AMOC, notify your
appropriate principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector,
the manager of the responsible Flight Standards Office.
(2) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any requirement in this AD
to obtain instructions from a manufacturer, the instructions must be
accomplished using a method approved by the Manager, AIR-520,
Continued Operational Safety Branch, FAA; or EASA; or Rolls-Royce
Deutschland Ltd. & Co. KG's EASA Design Organization Approval (DOA).
If approved by the DOA, the approval must include the DOA-authorized
signature.
(k) Additional Information
For more information about this AD, contact Alexis Whitaker,
Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines,
WA 98198; phone: (516) 228-7309; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#50313c352839237e3a7e27383924313b3522103631317e373f26"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="72131e170a1b015c185c051a1b0613191700321413135c151d04">[email protected]</span></a>.
(l) Material Incorporated by Reference
(1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the
incorporation by reference of the material listed in this paragraph
under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
(2) You must use this material as applicable to do the actions
required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
(i) European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Emergency AD
2026-0173-E, dated September 4, 2026.
(ii) [Reserved]
(3) For EASA material identified in this AD, contact EASA,
Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; phone: +49 221 8999
000; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#91d0d5e2d1f4f0e2f0bff4e4e3fee1f0bff4e4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8dccc9fecde8ecfeeca3e8f8ffe2fdeca3e8f8">[email protected]</span></a>. You may find this material on the
EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.
(4) You may view this material at 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 <a href="http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations">www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations</a> or email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3e584c1057504d4e5b5d4a5751507e505f4c5f10595148"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="caacb8e4a3a4b9baafa9bea3a5a48aa4abb8abe4ada5bc">[email protected]</span></a>.
Issued on September 15, 2026.
Brian Knaup,
Acting Deputy Director, Integrated Certificate Management Division,
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-19171 Filed 9-16-26; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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