EASA AD No.: 2012-0201

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EASA AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

AD No.: 2012-0201

Date: 26 September 2012

Note: This Airworthiness Directive (AD) is issued by EASA, acting in accordance with Regulation 

(EC) No 216/2008 on behalf of the European Community, its Member States and of the 

European third countries that participate in the activities of EASA under Article 66 of that 

Regulation.

This AD is issued in accordance with EC 748/2012, Part 21.A.3B. In accordance with EC 2042/2003 Annex I, Part M.A.301, the 

continuing airworthiness of an aircraft shall be ensured by accomplishing any applicable ADs. Consequently, no person may operate an 

aircraft to which an AD applies, except in accordance with the requirements of that AD, unless otherwise specified by the Agency [EC 

2042/2003 Annex I, Part M.A.303] or agreed with the Authority of the State of Registry [EC 216/2008, Article 14(4) exemption].

Design Approval Holder’s Name:

Rolls-Royce plc

Type/Model designation(s):

RB211 Trent 700 engines

TCDS Number: EASA.E.042

Foreign AD: Not applicable

Supersedure: None

ATA 72 Engine – High / Intermediate Pressure Turbine Bearing Support 

Structure – Inspection / Modification

Manufacturer(s): Rolls-Royce plc (RR)

Applicability: RB211 Trent 768, 772, 772B and 772C engines, serial numbers 41221, 41425, 

41428, 41430, 41431, 41432, 41435, 41437, 41438, 41440, 41442, 41445, 

41446, 41451, 41452, 41454, 41455, 41456, 41459, 41460, 41461, 41462, 

41463, 41464, 41465, 41466, 41468, 41469, 41470 and 41471.

These engines are known to be installed on, but not limited to, Airbus A330 

aeroplanes.

Reason: In August 2011, a Trent 700 engine was removed for high oil consumption, 

which was found to have been caused by a small hole in the oil feed tube of the 

High Pressure / Intermediate Pressure (HP/IP) Bearing Support. The hole was 

the result of frettage (chafing) with a fractured outer heat shield. This is a 

known problem and recognised unsafe condition that has re-emerged having 

been previously addressed by EASA AD 2007-0260R1.

Investigation by RR revealed a build error that, in contradiction to the build 

records, the previous configuration of outer heat shield (Pre-Service Bulletin 

(SB) 72-F117 standard) was fitted on the oil feed tube service pipe of the HP/IP 

structure. As the build error may have been reproduced several times, it is 

assumed that further post-SB 72-F117 standard structures may be in service 

with pre-SB72-F117 outer heat shields fitted to the oil feed tube. 

The frettage on the oil feed tube within the HP/IP turbine bearings support 

structure results from contact with the fracture edges of the tubes outermost 

heat shield, which has been found to fracture under thermal cycling and then to 

chafe against the oil tube with the potential to cause holes and consequent oil 

leaks. 
EASA AD No.: 2012-0201

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This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to ejected oil burning in 

the area to the rear of the HP turbine disc, possibly resulting in HP turbine disc 

overheat and a disc burst, with consequent damage to the aeroplane and injury 

to occupants.

To address this potential unsafe condition, RR issued Non-Modification SB 

(NMSB) RB.211-72-AG873 to instruct inspection for cracking and tube frettage 

of certain engines that may still have pre-SB 72-F117 standard oil feed heat 

shields installed and, depending on findings, the accomplishment of follow-on 

repetitive inspections and corrective actions.

For the reasons described above, this AD requires the actions as specified in 

RR NMSB RB.211-72-AG873.

Effective Date: 10 October 2012

Required Action(s) 

and Compliance

Time(s):

Required as indicated, unless accomplished previously:

(1) Within the compliance time periods specified in Sections 1.D (1) and 1.D 

(2) of RR NMSB RB.211-72-AG873 (for on-wing and in-shop inspections, 

respectively), to be calculated from the effective date of this AD (instead of 

from the NMSB issue date), as applicable to engine configuration and 

depending on the flight hours and/or engine cycles accumulated by the 05 

module installed on the engine, accomplish all inspections and corrective 

actions in accordance with the instructions of Section 3 of RR NMSB 

RB.211-72-AG873.

(2) At the next scheduled overhaul of the 05 module after the effective date of 

this AD, modify the HP/IP turbine bearing support structure in accordance 

with the instructions of RR SB RB.211-72-F227 (any revision), or in 

accordance with the instructions of RR SB RB.211-72-F117 (any revision).

(3) Modification of an engine as required by paragraph (2) of this AD 

constitutes terminating action for the inspections required by paragraph (1) 

of this AD.

Ref. Publications: Rolls-Royce NMSB RB.211-72-AG873 dated 27 February 2012.

Rolls-Royce SB RB.211-72-F117 dated 06 June 2006, or Revision 1 dated

14 September 2006, or Revision 2 dated 25 September 2006.

Rolls-Royce SB RB.211-72-F227 dated 30 March 2007, or Revision 1 dated

08 October 2007.

The use of later approved revisions of these documents is acceptable for 

compliance with the requirements of this AD.

Remarks: 1. If requested and appropriately substantiated, EASA can approve 

Alternative Methods of Compliance for this AD.

2. Based on the required actions and the compliance time, EASA have 

decided to issue a Final AD with Request for Comments, postponing the 

public consultation process until after publication.

3. Enquiries regarding this AD should be referred to the Safety Information 

Section, Executive Directorate, EASA. E-mail: ADs@easa.europa.eu.

4. For any question concerning the technical content of the requirements in 

this AD, please contact your designated Rolls-Royce representative, or 

download the publication from your Aeromanager account at

www.aeromanager.com.

If you do not have a designated representative or Aeromanager account, 

please contact Corporate Communications at Rolls-Royce plc,

P.O. Box 31, Derby, DE24 8BJ, The United Kingdom.

Telephone: +44 (0) 1332 242424, or

email from http://www.rolls-royce.com/contact/civil_team.jsp identifying the 

correspondence as being related to Airworthiness Directives.