[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 91 (Thursday, May 11, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 30264-30266]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-09887]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2023-0939; Project Identifier MCAI-2022-00743-E]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. 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 Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) Model PW307D engines. This 
proposed AD was prompted by a root cause analysis of an event involving 
an uncontained failure of a high-pressure turbine (HPT) 1st-stage disk, 
on an International Aero Engines AG Model V2533-A5 engine, that 
resulted in high-energy debris penetrating the engine cowling and an 
aborted takeoff. This proposed AD would require removing certain HPT 
2nd-stage disks from service and would also prohibit installation of 
certain HPT 2nd-stage disks on any affected engine. The FAA is 
proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this NPRM by June 26, 2023.

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: (202) 493-2251.
     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-2023-0939; 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 continuing airworthiness 
information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The 
street address for Docket Operations is listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Caufield, Aviation Safety 
Engineer, FAA, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803; phone: (781) 
238-7146; email: [email protected].

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-2023-0939; Project Identifier 
MCAI-2022-00743-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

[[Page 30265]]

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 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 
Barbara Caufield, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1200 District Avenue, 
Burlington, MA 01803. Any commentary that the FAA receives which is not 
specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for 
this rulemaking.

Background

    Transport Canada, which is the aviation authority for Canada, has 
issued Transport Canada AD CF-2022-31, dated June 9, 2022 (Transport 
Canada AD CF-2022-31) (referred to after this as the MCAI), to correct 
an unsafe condition on P&WC Model PW307D engines with serial numbers 
(S/Ns) CM0226 and CM0238, and with an installed HPT 2nd-stage disk, 
part number (P/N) 30P3182-01 with S/Ns A004D8X1 and A004E9K3, 
respectively. The MCAI states that on March 18, 2020, an Airbus Model 
A321-231 airplane, powered by International Aero Engines AG (IAE) Model 
V2533-A5 engines, experienced an uncontained HPT 1st-stage disk failure 
that resulted in an aborted takeoff and high-energy debris penetrating 
the engine cowling.
    In response to the March 2020 uncontained HPT 1st-stage disk 
failure, the FAA issued a series of ADs, including Emergency AD 2020-
07-51, Amendment 39-21110 (85 FR 20402, April 13, 2020) (AD 2020-07-
51). Since the FAA issued AD 2020-07-51, IAE determined that the 
failure of the V2533-A5 engine was due to an undetected subsurface 
material defect in the HPT 1st-stage disk that may affect the life of 
the part. In coordination with IAE, P&WC performed a records review and 
analysis of PW307A and PW307D engine parts made of similar material and 
identified two additional affected HPT 2nd-stage disks (S/Ns A004D8X1 
and A004E9K3), installed on PW307D engines. These two additional HPT 
2nd-stage disks may have a material defect which could reduce the life 
of the part. As such, the affected HPT 2nd-stage disks must be removed 
from service. The FAA is proposing this AD to prevent failure of the 
HPT 2nd-stage disks, which could result in damage to the engine, damage 
to the airplane, and loss of the airplane.

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 removing certain part-numbered HPT 
2nd-stage disks from service and would prohibit the installation of 
these HPT 2nd-stage disks onto any engine.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would 
affect 2 engines installed on airplanes of U.S. Registry.
    The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed 
AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                    Cost per       Cost on U.S.
               Action                        Labor cost           Parts cost        product         operators
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Replace high pressure turbine (HPT)   10 work-hours x $85 per        $176,000         $176,850         $353,700
 2nd-stage disk.                       hour = $850.
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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.

[[Page 30266]]

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:

Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.: Docket No. FAA-2023-0939; Project 
Identifier MCAI-2022-00743-E.

(a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive 
(AD) by June 26, 2023.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) Model 
PW307D engines.

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft Service Component (JASC) Code 7250, Turbine 
Section.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by a root cause analysis of an event 
involving an International Aero Engines AG Model V2533-A5 engine, 
which experienced an uncontained failure of a high pressure turbine 
(HPT) 1st-stage disk that resulted in high-energy debris penetrating 
the engine cowling. The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent failure of 
the HPT 2nd-stage disk. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, 
could result in uncontained HPT disk failure, damage to the engine, 
damage to the airplane, and loss of the airplane.

(f) Compliance

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

(g) Required Actions

    For engines with an HPT 2nd-stage disk, part number (P/N) 
30P3182-01, with serial number (S/N) A004D8X1 or A004E9K3 installed, 
within 100 engine cycles after the effective date of this AD, remove 
the HPT 2nd-stage disk from service.

(h) Installation Prohibition

    After the effective date of this AD, do not install any HPT 2nd-
stage disk having P/N 30P3182-01 with S/N A004D8X1 or A004E9K3 on 
any engine.

(i) 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 
responsible Flight Standards Office, as appropriate. If sending 
information directly to the manager of the certification office, 
send it to the attention of the person identified in paragraph (j) 
of this AD. Information may be emailed to: [email protected].
    (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.

(j) Additional Information

    For more information about this AD, contact Barbara Caufield, 
Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 
01803; phone: (781) 238-7146; email: [email protected].

(k) Material Incorporated by Reference

    None.

    Issued on May 3, 2023.
Michael Linegang,
Acting Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-09887 Filed 5-10-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P