EASA AD No: 2012-0273

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EASA AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

AD No.: 2012-0273

Date: 21 December 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 900 engines

TCDS Number : EASA.E.012

Foreign AD : Not applicable

Supersedure: None

ATA 72 Engine – Intermediate Pressure Compressor Rear Stub Shaft

Piston Ring – Inspection

Manufacturer(s): Rolls-Royce plc

Applicability: RB211 Trent 970-84, 970B-84, 972-84, 972B-84, 977-84, 977B-84 and 980-84 

engines, if incorporating Rolls-Royce production Modification (Mod.) 72-G585, 

or modified in-service through Rolls-Royce Service Bulletin (SB) 72-G585 (at 

any revision), with a Module 33 installed having a serial number (s/n) prior to 

HC0320, except s/n HC0277, HC0281, HC0294, HC0301, HC0309, HC0313, 

HC0315 and HC0318.

These engines are known to be installed on, but not limited to, Airbus A380 

aeroplanes.

Reason: During take-off of an A380 on a customer acceptance flight, a low oil pressure 

warning message was observed by the flight crew. The take-off was aborted 

and the aircraft returned to the gate without further incident. Initial post-flight 

inspection of the engine revealed that the oil pump drive shear neck had failed. 

Upon further inspection of the engine, pieces of debris were found in the oil 

pump Internal Gear Box (IGB) rear scavenge screen and smaller pieces of 

profiled debris were found on the Electrical Magnetic Chip Detector (EMCD). 

From the material recovered, the origin was found to be the piston ring seal, 

which fits in the groove of the Intermediate Pressure Compressor Rear Stub 

Shaft (IPC RSS). This piston ring was introduced as part of Rolls-Royce 

Mod.72-G585 which incorporated a modified 52-spline IP Turbine Shaft, IPC 

RSS and coupling assembly. Therefore, only engines incorporating Mod.72-

G585 are affected.

This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to loss of oil pressure 

on one or more of the engines, possibly resulting in reduced control of the 
EASA AD No: 2012-0273

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aeroplane.

For the reasons described above, this AD requires a one-time inspection of the 

IPC RSS piston ring, to ensure that the piston ring is correctly located in the 

IPC RSS groove and is intact and, depending on findings, the accomplishment 

of applicable corrective action(s).

This AD is considered an interim measure and further AD action may follow.

Effective Date: 28 December 2012

Required Action(s) 

and Compliance 

Time(s):

Required as indicated, unless accomplished previously:

(1) Within the compliance time as indicated in Table 1 of this AD, as 

applicable, inspect the IPC RSS piston ring in accordance with the 

instructions of Rolls-Royce Technical Variance (TV) 129978.

Table 1 – Inspection of IPC RSS piston ring

Number of affected engines 

on the same aeroplane:

Compliance Time, after the 

effective date of this AD:

4

Within 50 Engine Flight 

Cycles (EFC) 

2 or 3 Within 100 EFC 

1 Within 200 EFC 

Note 1: For an aeroplane with multiple engines affected, if some but not all 

engines on the same aeroplane are inspected, then the compliance time for 

the number of engines still to be inspected may be used. For example, if an 

aeroplane has 3 engines affected but only 2 are inspected, the remaining 

engine may be inspected within 200 EFC after the effective date of this AD, 

as for 1 affected engine.

(2) For a spare engine, or an engine that is in shop on the effective date of 

this AD, before release to service of the engine, inspect the IPC RSS 

piston ring in accordance with the instructions of Rolls-Royce TV129978

or TV129994, as applicable.

(3) Inspections accomplished in accordance with the instructions of any 

publication as listed in Table 2 of this AD, are acceptable to comply with 

the requirements of paragraph (1) or (2) of this AD, as applicable.

Table 2 – Information on related Airbus and Rolls-Royce Publications

Publication (at any

revision)

Contains instructions for:

Airbus QSR 

RR/L/EN/12-00005

Inspection of engines delivered to the 

aeroplane manufacturer

Rolls-Royce 

TV129978

On-wing inspection of the piston ring

Rolls-Royce 

TV129994

In-shop inspection of the piston ring if the 

piston ring is already assembled into a 

module or an engine

Rolls-Royce 

TV129940

Revising the Engine Manual Assembly 

Instructions by introducing Request for 

Manual Revision (RMR) 11625 to inspect the 

piston ring once the IPC RSS and IP 

coupling are assembled
EASA AD No: 2012-0273

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(4) If, during the inspection as required by paragraph (1) of this AD, any 

discrepancies are detected, before next flight, remove each affected

engine from the aeroplane and replace the engine with a serviceable 

engine.

(5) For each engine on which, as a result of the inspection as required by 

paragraph (1) or (2) of this AD, or as specified in paragraph (3) of this 

AD, as applicable, discrepancies have been detected, before release to 

service of the engine, correct the detected discrepancies in accordance 

with the instructions of the applicable Engine Manual, as amended by 

Rolls-Royce TV129940.

(6) From the effective date of this AD, do not install an engine on an 

aeroplane, unless in compliance with the requirements of this AD.

Ref. Publications: Airbus QSR RR/L/EN/12-00005, dated 14 December 2012.

Rolls-Royce TV129978 issue 1, dated 19 December 2012; or issue 2 dated

20 December 2012.

Rolls-Royce TV129994 issue 1, approval date 21 December 2012.

Rolls-Royce TV129940 issue 1, dated 20 December 2012.

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, United Kingdom.

Telephone: +44 (0) 1332 242424, or

E-mail from http://www.rolls-royce.com/contact/civil_team.jsp identifying 

the correspondence as being related to Airworthiness Directives.