FAA Issues Safety Directive for Boeing 777-200 PW4000 Engines

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Safety inspectors will review the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines of Boeing 777-200 civilian aircraft and the company must strengthen a key component after an engine failure over Denver last February, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) said on Wednesday.

“AD 2021-05-51 requires performing a one-time Thermal Acoustic Image (TAI) inspection for cracks in certain 1st-stage Low Pressure Compressor (LPC) blades and removal of those blades that fail inspection,” the new ruling, which remains technically unpublished in the Federal Register until December 28, said.

In the new ruling, the FAA proposes to supersede two previous airworthiness directives AD 2019-03-01 and AD 2021-05-51 that apply to certain Pratt & Whitney Division turbofan engines, the agency explained.

“Since the FAA issued AD 2019-03-01 and AD 2021-05-51, the manufacturer determined the need to add initial and repetitive ultrasonic testing (UT) inspections of the 1st-stage LPC blades,” the agency said.

This proposed AD would require initial and repetitive UT inspections and inspections for cracks in certain 1st-stage LPC blades and removal of those blades that fail inspection. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products, the agency added.