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[Federal Register: June 15, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 114)]
[Proposed Rules]               
[Page 33738-33740]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15jn10-26]                         

[[Page 33738]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2010-0562; Directorate Identifier 2009-NE-29-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64

 
Airworthiness Directives; Rolls-Royce plc (RR) RB211-524 Series 
and RB211 Trent 500, 700, and 800 Series Turbofan Engines

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the 
products listed above. This proposed AD results from mandatory 
continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an aviation 
authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe 
condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe 
condition as:

    During manufacture of a number of HP Compressor Stage 1 and 2 
discs with axial dovetail slots, anomalies at the disc post corners 
have been found. Fatigue crack initiation and subsequent crack 
propagation at the disc post may result in release of two blades and 
the disc post. This may potentially be beyond the containment 
capabilities of the engine casings. Thus, these anomalies present at 
the disc posts constitute a potentially unsafe condition.

    We are proposing this AD to detect cracks in the high-pressure 
compressor (HPC) Stage 1 and 2 disc posts, which could result in 
failure of the disc post and HPC blades, release of uncontained engine 
debris, and damage to the airplane.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by July 30, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your 
comments electronically.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground 
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    Contact Rolls-Royce plc, P.O. Box 31, Derby, DE24 8BJ, United 
Kingdom; phone: 011 44 1332 242424, fax: 011 44 1332 249936; e-mail: 
tech.help@rolls-royce.com, for the service information identified in 
this proposed AD.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov; or in person at the Docket Operations office 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. The AD docket contains this proposed AD, the regulatory 
evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street 
address for the Docket Operations office (telephone (800) 647-5527) is 
the same as the Mail address provided in the ADDRESSES section. 
Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Lawrence, Aerospace Engineer, 
Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine and Propeller Directorate, 12 
New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; e-mail: 
james.lawrence@faa.gov; telephone (781) 238-7176; fax (781) 238-7199.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this proposed AD. Send your comments to an address 
listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2010-0562; 
Directorate Identifier 2009-NE-29-AD'' at the beginning of your 
comments. We specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, 
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this proposed AD. We 
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend 
this proposed AD based on those comments.
    We will post all comments we receive, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. We 
will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact 
with FAA personnel concerning this proposed AD. Using the search 
function of the Web site, anyone can find and read the comments in any 
of our dockets, including, if provided, the name of the individual who 
sent the comment (or signed the comment on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). You may review the DOT's complete Privacy 
Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 
FR 19477-78).

Discussion

    The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical 
Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has issued EASA 
Airworthiness Directive 2009-0073R1, dated April 8, 2009, (referred to 
after this as ``the MCAI'') to correct an unsafe condition for the 
specified products. The MCAI states:

    During manufacture of a number of HP Compressor Stage 1 and 2 
discs with axial dovetail slots, anomalies at the disc post corners 
have been found. Fatigue crack initiation and subsequent crack 
propagation at the disc post may result in release of two blades and 
the disc post. This may potentially be beyond the containment 
capabilities of the engine casings. Thus, these anomalies present at 
the disc posts constitute a potentially unsafe condition.
    For the reasons described above, this AD requires repetitive 
inspections of the axial dovetail slots and follow-on corrective 
action, depending on findings.

    You may obtain further information by examining the MCAI in the AD 
docket.

Relevant Service Information

    Rolls-Royce plc has issued Alert Service Bulletin RB.211-72-AF964, 
Revision 1, dated June 6, 2008. The actions described in this service 
information are intended to correct the unsafe condition identified in 
the MCAI.

FAA's Determination and Requirements of This Proposed AD

    This product has been approved by the aviation authority of the 
United Kingdom, and is approved for operation in the United States. 
Pursuant to our bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom, they have 
notified us of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and service 
information referenced above. We are proposing this AD because we 
evaluated all information provided by EASA, and determined the unsafe 
condition exists and is likely to exist or develop on other products of 
the same type design.

Costs of Compliance

    Based on the service information, we estimate that this proposed AD 
would affect about 371 products of U.S. registry. We also estimate that 
it would take about 20 work-hours per product to comply with this 
proposed AD. The average labor rate is $85 per work-hour. No parts 
would be required per product. Based on these figures, we estimate the 
cost of the proposed AD on U.S. operators to be $630,700.

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

[[Page 33739]]

detail the scope of the Agency's authority.
    We are 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

    We 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. Is not a ``significant rule'' under the DOT Regulatory Policies 
and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979); and
    3. Will not have a significant economic impact, positive or 
negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria 
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
    We prepared a regulatory evaluation of the estimated costs to 
comply with this proposed AD and placed it in the AD docket.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

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

    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]

    2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new AD:

Rolls-Royce plc (RR): Docket No. FAA-2010-0562; Directorate 
Identifier 2009-NE-29-AD.

Comments Due Date

    (a) We must receive comments by July 30, 2010.

Affected Airworthiness Directives (ADs)

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to RR model RB211-524G2-T-19, -524G3-T-19, -
524H-T-36, and -524H2-T-19; and RB211 Trent 553-61, 553A2-61, 556-
61, 556A2-61, 556B-61 556B2-61, 560-61, 560A2-61; RB211 Trent 768-
60, 772-60, 772B-60; and RB211 Trent 875-17, 877-17, 884-17, 884B-
17, 892-17, 892B-17, and 895-17 turbofan engines that have a high-
pressure (HP) compressor stage 1 to 4 rotor disc with a part number 
(P/N) listed in Table 1 of this AD. These engines are installed on, 
but not limited to, Boeing 747, 767, and 777 series airplanes and 
Airbus A330 and A340 series airplanes.

 Table 1--Affected HP Compressor Stage 1 to 4 Rotor Disc P/Ns by Engine
                                  Model
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            HP compressor stage 1 to 4
              Engine model                        rotor disc P/N
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) RB211-524G2-T-19, -524G3-T-19,       FK20195, FK25502, or FW23711.
 [dash]524H-T-36, and -524H2-T-19.
(2) RB211 Trent 553-61, 553A2-61, 556-   FK30524.
 61, 556A2-61, 556B-61, 556B2-61, 560-
 61, and 560A2-61.
(3) RB211 Trent 768-60, 772-60, and      FK22745, FK24031, FK26185,
 772B-60..                                FK23313, FK25502, FK32129,
                                          FW20195, FW20196, FW20197,
                                          FW20638, or FW23711.
(4) RB211 Trent 875-17, 877-17, 884-17,  FK24009, FK26167, FK32580,
 884B-17, 892[dash]17, 892B-17, and 895-  FW11590, or FW61622.
 17.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reason

    (d) This AD results from reports that:

    ``During manufacture of a number of HP Compressor Stage 1 and 2 
discs with axial dovetail slots, anomalies at the disc post corners 
have been found. Fatigue crack initiation and subsequent crack 
propagation at the disc post may result in release of two blades and 
the disc post. This may potentially be beyond the containment 
capabilities of the engine casings. Thus, these anomalies present at 
the disc posts constitute a potentially unsafe condition.''

    We are issuing this AD to detect cracks in the high-pressure 
compressor (HPC) Stage 1 and 2 disc posts, which could result in 
failure of the disc post and HPC blades, release of uncontained 
engine debris, and damage to the airplane.

Actions and Compliance

    (e) Unless already done, do the following actions.
    (1) Perform a fluorescent penetrant inspection of the HP 
compressor stage 1 to 4 rotor discs at the first shop visit after 
accumulating 1000 cycles since new on the stage 1 to 4 rotor disks 
or at the next shop visit after the effective date of this AD which 
ever occurs later. Use paragraph 3.E.(1) through 3.E.(10)(i) of the 
Accomplishment Instructions of Rolls-Royce Alert Service Bulletin 
(ASB) RB.211-72-AF964, Revision 1, dated June 6, 2008 to do the 
inspections.
    (2) Thereafter at every engine shop visit, perform the 
inspection specified by paragraph (e)(1) of this AD.

Definitions

    (f) For the purpose of this AD, an ``engine shop visit'' is the 
induction of an engine into the shop for maintenance involving the 
separation of pairs of major mating engine flanges, except that the 
separation of engine flanges solely for the purposes of 
transportation without subsequent engine maintenance does not 
constitute an engine shop visit.

Other FAA AD Provisions

    (g) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, 
Engine Certification Office, FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs 
for this AD, if requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 
39.19.

Related Information

    (h) Refer to MCAI EASA Airworthiness Directive 2009-0073R1, 
dated April 8, 2009, and RR ASB RB.211-72-AF964, Revision 1, dated 
June 6, 2008, for related information. Contact Rolls-Royce plc, P.O. 
Box 31, Derby, DE24 8BJ, United Kingdom; phone: 011 44 1332 242424, 
fax: 011 44 1332 249936; e-mail: tech.help@rolls-royce.com, for a 
copy of this service information.
    (i) Contact James Lawrence, Aerospace Engineer, Engine 
Certification Office, FAA, Engine and Propeller Directorate, 12 New 
England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; e-mail: 
james.lawrence@faa.gov; telephone (781) 238-7176; fax (781) 238-
7199, for more information about this AD.

[[Page 33740]]

    Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on June 7, 2010.
Peter A. White,
Assistant Manager, Engine and Propeller Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-14318 Filed 6-14-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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