[Docket No. FAA-2011-0961; Directorate Identifier 2011-NE-22-AD; Amendment 

39-18090; AD 2015-02-22] 

RIN 2120-AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Rolls-Royce Corporation Turboprop and Turboshaft 

Engines 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are superseding airworthiness directive (AD) 2012-14-06 for certain 

Rolls-Royce Corporation (RRC) 250-C20, -C20B, and -C20R/2 turboshaft engines. AD 

2012-14-06 required a one-time visual inspection and fluorescent-penetrant inspection 

(FPI) on certain 3rd-stage and 4!h-stage turbine wheels for cracks in the turbine blades. 

This new AD replaces the one-time visual inspection and FPI with repetitive visual 

inspections and FPis. This AD also adds certain engine models to the applicability. This 

AD was prompted by the determination that the one-time inspections required by AD 

2012-14-06 should be changed to repetitive inspections. We are issuing this AD to 

prevent failure of3rd_stage and 4rn-stage turbine wheel blades, which could cause engine 

failure and damage to the aircraft. 

DATES: This AD is effective (INSERT DATE 35 DAYS AFTER DATE OF 

PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER]. 

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact Rolls-Royce 

Corporation, 450 South Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225-1103; phone: 888-255-

4766 or 317-230-2720; email: helicoptercustsupp@rolls-royce.com; Internet: www.rolls-
You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by 

searching for and locating Docket No. F AA-20 11-0961; or in person at the Docket 

Management Facility between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 

holidays. The AD docket contains this AD, the regulatory evaluation, any comments 

received, and other information. The address for the Docket Office (phone: 

800-647-5527) is Document Management Facility, U.S. Department ofTransportation, 

Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W 12-140, 1200 New 

Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Tallarovic, Aerospace Engineer, 

Chicago Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, 2300 E. Devon Ave., Des Plaines, IL 600 18; 

phone: 847-294-8180; fax: 847-294-7834; email: john.m.tallarovic@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

We issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 to 

supersede AD 2012-14-06, Amendment 39-17120 (77 FR 40479, July 10, 2012), ("AD 

20 12-14-06"). AD 2012-14-06 applied to certain RRC 250-C20, - C20B, and -C20R/2 

turboshaft engines. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on October 2, 2014 (79 

FR 59463). The NPRM was prompted by determination that the one-time inspections 

required by AD 2012-14-06 should be changed to repetitive inspections. The NPRM 

proposed to replace the one-time visual inspection and FPI with repetitive visual 

inspections and FPis, and also to require a visual inspection and FPI after any engine hot 

start. The NPRM also proposed to add certain engine models to the applicability. We are 

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following presents the comments received on the NPRM (79 FR 59463, October 2, 2014) 

and the FAA's response to each comment. 

Request to Remove a Certain Proposed Inspection Requirement 

RRC requested that we remove the requirement to inspect the 3rd-stage and 4th_ 

stage turbine wheels after a hot start because they are already prohibited from further use 

after a hot start by the maintenance instructions. 

We agree. Maintenance instructions clearly direct replacement of 3rd -stage and 

4th-stage turbine wheels following a hot start. We removed from this AD the requirement 

to perform a visual inspection and an FPI on the affected turbine wheels after any hot 

start. 

Request to Limit Applicability 

RRC requested that we restrict applicability of the AD to only those affected 

engines that are installed on MD helicopters because the majority of failures have 

occurred on MD helicopters. 

We disagree. Failures have occurred in installations on other than MD helicopters. 

Also, the FAA cannot ensure that parts once used on MD helicopters have not been 

subsequently installed on other engines or helicopter models. We did not change this AD. 

Request to Delete a Certain Reference 

RRC requested that we remove, from the Actions Since AD 2012-14-06 Was 

Published paragraph, reference to 3rd-stage turbine wheel failures by replacing the words 

''3rd_stage and" with the words '·two additional'' because additional failures only occurred 

in 4th-stage turbine wheels. 

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Request to Revise a Certain Paragraph 

RRC requested that we add the word "potential" before the word "failures" in the 

Actions Since AD 2012-14-06 Was Published paragraph. 

We agree. However, the paragraph, Actions Since AD 2012-14-06 Was 

Published, which appeared in the NPRM (October 2, 2014 79 FR 59463), does not appear 

in this final rule. We did not change this AD. 

Request to Revise the Costs of Compliance 

RRC requested that we change, in the Costs of Compliance paragraph, the 

estimated time to conduct the inspection from one hour to two hours. 

We agree. We changed our estimate in this AD to reflect two hours of labor to 

conduct the inspection. 

Request to Revise the Labor Rate 

RRC requested that we change, in the Costs of Compliance paragraph, the labor 

rate from $85 per hour to $116 per hour. 

We disagree. The rate of $85 per hour is provided by the FAA Office of Aviation 

Policy and Plans for us to use when estimating the labor costs of complying with AD 

requirements. We did not change this AD. 

Request to Revise the Costs of Compliance 

RRC requested that we add the word ··initial" before the stated cost in the Costs of 

Compliance paragraph. 

We partially agree. We did not insert the word "initial'·, but we clarified that our 

estimate of costs of compliance are for one inspection, whether initial or recurring. 

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the inspection requirements associated with a hot start. Therefore, we have deleted all 

requirements in this AD to conduct inspections after hot starts, and have deleted the 

Definition paragraph. 

Conclusion 

We reviewed the relevant data, considered the comments received, and 

determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting this AD with the 

changes described previously. We have determined that these minor changes: 

• Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the NPRM (79 FR 59463, 

October 2, 2014) for correcting the unsafe condition; and 

• Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was already proposed 

in the NPRM (79 FR 59463, October 2, 20 14). 

We also determined that these changes will not significantly increase the 

economic burden on any operator or increase the scope of this AD. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD affects 3,769 engines installed on aircraft of U.S. 

registry. We also estimate that it will take about 2 hours per engine to comply with the 

inspection requirement of this AD. The average labor rate is $85 per hour. Based on these 

figures, we estimate the cost of this AD on U.S. operators for one inspection to be 

$640,730. 

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. 

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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 have determined that this AD will not have federalism implications under 

Executive Order 13132. This AD will 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 that this AD: 

(1) Is not a "significant regulatory action" under Executive Order 12866, 

(2) Is not a "significant rule" under DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures 

(44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979), 

(3) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and (4) 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. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 

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

Adoption of the Amendment 

Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the FAA 

amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows: 

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2. The FAA amends§ 39.13 by removing Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2012

14

06, Amendment 39-17120 (77 FR 40479, July 10, 2012), and adding the following new 

AD: 

2015-02-22 Rolls-Royce Corporation: Amendment 39-18090; Docket 

No. FAA-20 11-0961; Directorate Identifier 20 11-NE-22-AD. 

(a) Effective Date 

This AD is effective [INSERT DATE 35 DAYS AFTER DATE OF 

PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER]. 

(b) Affected ADs 

This AD supersedes AD 2012-14-06, Amendment 39-17120 (77 FR 40479, July 

10, 2012). 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to Rolls-Royce Corporation (RRC) 250-B17, -B17B, -B l7C, 

-B 17D, -B 17E, -B 17F, -B 17Fil, -B 17F/2 turboprop engines; and 250-C20, -C20B, 

-C20F, -C20J, -C20R, -C20R/1, -C20R/2, -C20R/4, -C20S, and -C20W turboshaft 

engines; with either a 3rd-stage turbine wheel, part number (PIN) 23065818, or a 41h-stage 

turbine wheel, PIN 23055944, installed. 

(d) Unsafe Condition 

This AD was prompted by investigations that revealed that not all 3 rd -stage and 

41h-stage turbine wheel blade failures were identified by the one-time inspections required 

by AD 2012-14-06, Amendment 39-17120 (77 FR 40479, July 10, 2012). We determined 

that to address the unsafe condition, repetitive inspections are required, triggered by 

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

After the effective date of this AD: 

(1) Within 1,750 HSLI, remove the affected turbine wheels and perform a visual 

inspection and a fluorescent-penetrant inspection (FPI) on the removed turbine wheels for 

cracks at the trailing edge of the turbine blades near the fillet at the rim. 

(2) Any time the power turbine is disassembled, perform a visual inspection and 

an FPI on the affected turbine wheels for cracks at the trailing edge of the turbine blades, 

near the fillet at the rim. 

(3) Thereafter, re-inspect every I ,750 HSLI. 

(4) Do not return to service any turbine wheels that have cracks detected. 

(f) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs) 

The Manager, Chicago Aircraft Certification Office, may approve AMOCs for 

this AD. Use the procedures found in 14 CFR 3 9. 19 to make your request. 

(g) Related Information 

(1) For more information about this AD, contact John Tallarovic, Aerospace 

Engineer, Chicago Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, 2300 E. Devon Ave., Des Plaines, 

IL 60018; phone: 847-294-8180; fax: 847-294-7834; email: john.m.tallarovic@faa.gov. 

(2) RRC Alert Commercial Engine Bulletin (CEB) No. CEB-A-1407, Revision 3, 

dated May 19,2014, and Alert CEB No. CEB-A-72-4098, Revision 3, dated May 19, 

2014 (combined into one document), which are not incorporated by reference in this AD, 

can be obtained from RRC, using the contact information in paragraph (g)(3) of this AD. 

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( 4) You may view this service information at the FAA, Engine & Propeller 

Directorate, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803. For information on 

the availability ofthis material at the FAA, call781-238-7125. 

(h) Material Incorporated by Reference 

None. 

Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on January 20, 2015. 

Colleen M. D' Alessandro, 

Assistant Directorate Manager, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

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