Transport Transports 

Canada Canada

 TP 7245E

 

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

The following Airworthiness Directive (AD) may be applicable to an aircraft which our records indicate is registered in your name. ADs are issued pursuant to Canadian 

Aviation Regulation (CAR) 521 Division X. Pursuant to CAR 605.84 and the further details of CAR Standard 625, Appendix H, the continuing airworthiness of a Canadian registered aircraft is contingent upon compliance with all applicable ADs. Failure to comply with the requirements of an AD may invalidate the flight authorization of the aircraft. 

Alternative means of compliance shall be applied for in accordance with CAR 605.84 and the above-referenced Standard. 

This AD has been issued by the Continuing Airworthiness Division (AARDG), National Aircraft Certification Branch, Transport Canada, Ottawa, telephone 613 952-4357.

Pursuant to CAR 202.51 the registered owner of a Canadian aircraft shall, within seven days, notify the Minister in writing of any change of his or her name or address. 

To request a change of address, contact the Civil Aviation Communications Centre (AARC) at Place de Ville, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N8, or 1-800-305-2059, or www.tc.gc.ca/civilaviation/communications/centre/ address.asp 

24-0022 (01-2005)

1/2 No.

CF-2012-12

Issue Date 

 26 March 2012 

Number: CF-2012-12 

Subject: Propeller Shaft Crack

Effective: 2 April 2012 

Applicability: Pratt and Whitney Canada Engine Models: PW118, PW118A, PW118B, PW119B, 

PW119C, PW120, PW120A, PW121, PW121A, PW123, PW123B, PW123C, PW123D, 

PW123E, PW123AF, PW124B, PW125B, PW126, PW126A, PW127, PW127B, 

PW127E, PW127F, PW127G, PW127H, PW127J and PW127M

Compliance: As indicated below, unless already accomplished.

Background: Two PW100 propeller shafts were discovered with cracks during troubleshooting for oil 

leakage in the propeller shaft area. The subsequent investigation has determined that the 

crack initiation resulted from a plating repair not performed in accordance with the current 

published Pratt and Whitney Canada (P&WC) Cleaning Inspection and Repair (CIR)

Manual. Both propeller shafts that were found with a circumferential crack had been 

processed consecutively for nickel plating repair at the same repair facility. 

P&WC had initially identified 24 High Risk propeller shafts that were repaired by the 

same facility and accordingly, issued Service Bulletin (SB) A21802 in May 2011 to 

remove those 24 units from service. Nineteen (19) of those units were removed and the 

remaining 5 are confirmed to not be installed on any serviceable aircraft. Further 

investigation by P&WC indicated that the lack of full conformity with the CIR procedure 

may not have been limited to one vendor only. As result P&WC identified a total of 203 

(24 + 179) suspect units that may not have been repaired in accordance with CIR 

procedures. 

In order to mitigate any potential safety hazard caused by the possible failure of the 

suspect propeller shafts, P&WC has issued SB A21813 to inspect as well as SBs

A21802 and A21798 to remove from service all identified suspect propeller shafts within 

a limited time. This AD is issued to mandate compliance with P&WC SBs: A21813 Rev.3, 

A21802 Rev.4 and A21798 Rev.5. 

Corrective 

Actions: 

Part I - Verification Of Propeller Shaft Serial Number 

Within 150 flight hours or 30 days, whichever occurs first, from the effective date of this 

AD, confirm if the engine has a propeller shaft with a Serial Number (S/N) listed in Tables 

1 and 2 of P&WC SB A21813 Rev.3 dated 21 March 2012, or later revisions approved by 

the Chief, Continuing Airworthiness, Transport Canada. 

If a propeller shaft in the engine is listed in Tables 1 and 2 above, proceed to Part II of 

this AD, if a propeller shaft in the engine is not listed in Tables 1 and 2 above, no further 

action is required by this AD. 
No.

N° CF-2012-12 2/2 

Part II - Inspection Of The Propeller Shaft 

A. Within 50 flight hours after accomplishing Part 1 of this AD, perform either a visual 

inspection or an ultrasonic inspection on the affected S/N propeller shaft for cracks,

in accordance with P&WC SB A21813 Rev.3 dated 21 March 2012, or later revisions 

approved by the Chief, Continuing Airworthiness, Transport Canada. If a crack is 

found, remove the propeller shaft from service before next flight. 

B. If a visual inspection is performed according to Part II A of this AD, repeat the visual 

inspection and removal requirements of Part II A of this AD within 50 flight hours. 

C. After accomplishing Part II B of this AD, repeat the visual inspection and removal 

requirements of Part II A of this AD at intervals not to exceed 10 flight hours, until the 

propeller shaft is removed in accordance with Part III of this AD. 

D. If an ultrasonic inspection is performed according to Part II A of this AD, repeat the 

ultrasonic inspection and removal requirements of Part II A of this AD at intervals not 

to exceed 1000 flight hours, until the propeller shaft is removed in accordance with 

Part III of this AD. 

E. Ultrasonic inspection performed on the affected S/N propeller shaft in accordance 

with P&WC Special Instruction (SI) P&WC 22-2012 prior to the effective date of this 

AD, satisfies the initial ultrasonic inspection requirement in Part II A of this AD. 

F. After removal of the affected propeller shafts, no further action is required by this AD.

Part III - Removal Of Propeller Shaft 

A. Within 30 days from the effective date of this AD, verify the affected S/N propeller 

shafts and remove them from service in accordance with P&WC 

SB A21802 Rev.4, dated 16 March 2012, or later revisions approved by the Chief, 

Continuing Airworthiness, Transport Canada. 

B. Within 6 months from the effective date of this AD, verify the S/N for effectivity per 

the Table 1, and remove the affected propeller shafts from service in accordance 

with P&WC SB A21798 Rev.5, dated 20 March 2012, or later revisions approved by 

the Chief, Continuing Airworthiness, Transport Canada. 

C. Within 12 months from the effective date of this AD, verify the S/N for effectivity per 

the Table 2, and remove the affected propeller shafts from service in accordance 

with P&WC SB A21798 Rev.5, dated 20 March 2012, or later revisions approved by 

the Chief, Continuing Airworthiness, Transport Canada. 

D. After removal of the affected propeller shafts, no further action is required by this AD.

It is prohibited for anyone to install any propeller shaft removed as a result of compliance 

with this AD on an in-service engine. 

Authorization: For the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities 

ORIGINAL SIGNED BY

Robin Lau 

Acting Chief, Continuing Airworthiness 

Contact: A K Durrani, Continuing Airworthiness, Ottawa, telephone 613-952-4357, facsimile 

613-996-9178 or e-mail ADs@tc.gc.ca or any Transport Canada Centre.