### DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 39 [4910-13-Pl

[Docket No. FAA -2014-112 7; Directorate Identifier 2014-NE-16-AD ; Amendment 39-18203; AD 2015-14-05) RIN 2120-AA64 Ainvorthiness Directives; Pratt & 

### Whitney Turbofan Engines AGENCY: Federal Av iatio n Administration ( f AA) , DOT. 

### ACTION: Final rule. 

### SUMMARY: We are adoptin g a new airwo r t hiness directive (AD) for a ll Pratt & W11itney (PW) .J T8D-2 17 C and JT8D- 2 19 turb ofa n eng ines. This AD was prompted b y

re port s of cracking in th e low-pre ss ure turbine (LPT) shaft. This AD requires remo v in g affected LPT shafts from service using a d rawdown plan. We are issuing this AD to prevent fai l ure of the LPT s h aft , which could lead to an uncontaincd engine fa ilur e a nd d amage to the a i rp lane . 

### DATES: T hi s AD is effec tive [INSERT DATE 35 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLI CAT ION JN THE FEDERAL REGISTER]. 

### ADDRESSES: For serv i ce inform ation ide ntifi e d in thi s AD , co nt act Pratt & Whitney, 400 Mai n S t. , Eas t H artford, C T 061 08; phone: 860-565-8770 ; fax: 860-565-4503. You may v iew this se rvice infom1ation at the FAA , Engine 

### & Propeller Directorate , 12 New E ngland Execu ti ve Park, Burlington, MA. For in forma tion on the ava il ability of this materi a l at the FAA, call 781 -238-7 125. 

### Examining the AD Docket You may exami ne th e AD docket on the In ternet at http: //www.reg ul atio n s.gov by searchi ng for a n d locat in g D ocket No. F AA-20 14-1 127; or in person at t h e D ocket Management Fac ilit y between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. , M o nda y through Frid ay , except Fede ralholida ys. The AD docket contains thi s AD , the regulatory eva luation , any comments received , a nd other information. The address for the Docket 011ice (phone: 800-647 -5527) i s Document Management Facility , U.S. D e partm e nt ofTransportation, Dock et Op erations , M-30, West Buildin g Ground F loor, Room W 12-140 , 1200 New Jers ey A venue SE., Washington , DC 20590. 

### FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jo-Ann Theriault , Aerospace Eng in eer, En g in e Certitication Office, FAA , Engine 

### & Propeller Directorate, 12 New England Exec utiv e Park , Burlington , MA 0 1 803; phone: 781-238-71 05; fax: 781-238- 7199; e mail: jo-ann.theriault @ faa.gov. 

### SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Discussion We iss ue d a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 by add in g an AD that would apply to all PW JT80-217C and JT8D-219 turbofan engines. The NPRM publi s h ed in the Fed e ral Register on March 2 , 2015 (80 FR 11 140). The NPRM was pro mpt ed b y in- shop findings o f fatigue cracks on the No. 4.5 bearing thread undercut adjacent to the oil feed hol es. T he c rack s were discovered du r ing routine fluorescent penetrant inspec tions (FPls). Both shafts had oil feed hole enlargement rework accomp li s hed. The root cause is increase d stress on the fillet of the thread und ercu t region in front of the oil feed ho les caused by oil feed hole rework. The increased stress reduces the lo w cycle fatigue life of the shaft. The NPRM proposed to require removing affecte d LPT s haft s from serv ice using a drawdown plan. We are issuing thi s AD to preve nt failure of th e LPT s haft, which could l ea d to an uncontained engine fai lure and damage to the airp lan e. 

### R e lated Service Information We reviewed PW Service Bull etin (SB) No. JT8D 6504 , dated November 5 , 2014. The SB con tain s additional information regardi ng removal of th e LPT s haft. 2

### Comments We gave th e public the oppor tuni ty to participate in d eve lopin g this AD. Th e fo ll ow in g presents th e co mm ents rec eived o n th e NPRM (80 FR 111 40 , March 2, 20 1 5)

an d the FAA 's res ponse to eac h comme nt. 

### Request to Withdraw the NPRM D e ll a A ir L i nes ( DA L) and A ll eg i a nt Ai r requested that th e cu rre nt LPT s h aft life l imit of25 , 000 cyc les - s ince-new (CS N) be re ta in ed rath e r than r e m ov in g the LPT shaft f r om serv ice at 20,0 00 CSN as prop osed in the NPRM

. Th e comm e nt e rs s tated that reducing the li f e limit is unjustifi ed becau se th e re ha s not been an in -service LPT shaft fail ure o f th e ty p e addre sse d. We do not agree. We detenn i ned that a n acceptabl e level of sa f ety would not b e maintain e d if LPT s h afts are allowe d to re m a in in se r v ic e un t il acc umul a ting 25 , 000 CSN. W e r ed uce d th e life of the L P T s h aft to 20, 000 CSN to mini mi ze th e ri sk ofLPT shaft fa il ure . We did not c h an ge thi s AD. 

### Propo sa l to Incre ase Repetitive In s pection s DAL a nd A ll eg iant Ai r propo se d increasing the occurrenc e of F P i s to increa se th e opportun it y of id e ntifyin g LPT shaft cracks. T he commen t e rs stated that ro utin e FPJ s h ave be e n s uccess ful in detectin g LPT s h a ft c racks in th e pas t. We d o not agree. Recurrin g in spec ti o n s are not adequate as a fin a l co rrective acti on . Re lyi ng o n recur ri ng F Pi s to detect c rack s, rather than s h aft re mo v al at 20 , 000 CSN , wo uld li kely result in an in creased number ofL PT s h afts crack i ng in service, a g reate r ri s k of und e te c t e d cracked s h afts being returned to se rv ice , a nd a n un acceptable ri sk of s h aft f ai lure. We determin e d th a t long- t e rm con tinu ed op e rati ona l safe ty is

e nhan ce d by a te rminatin g ac ti o n th at r e m oves affected s haft s fro m se rvi ce rath er than by increas ing the occ urre nce of r epetiti ve in s p ec tion s . We did n ot c h a nge this AD.



### 3Request to Reduce Costs DAL and A ll egia nt Air reque sted re ta inin g the existin g life limit or increasing the

occ urrence of in spec tions. The commenters s tated that the li fe reduction in the NPRM places an undue eco nom ic burden o n the U.S. fleet by forcing early e n gine removals. We do not agree. We mitigated the ope rationa l and financia l impacts by provid i ng

a drawdown plan rat he r than r equi ring removal before further flight , w hil e pro vidi ng an

acce pta ble leve l of safety. We did not c hange thi s AD. Conclusion We reviewed the relevant d ata , conside red the comments rece ived , a nd determined that a ir safety and the public in t erest require adopting this A D as proposed. C osts of C ompli a nce We est im a t e that this AD wi ll affect about 744 engine s in s ta ll ed o n airp la nes of U

. S. registry

. T he average labor rate is $85 per hour. We esti m ate the pro-ra ted replacement cost would be $28 , 230. We also estimate that shaft replacement wo uld be

acco m p li s hed during an engine shop v isi t at no addi tional labor cost. Based on these figures , we estimate th e cost of the proposed AD on U.S. operators to be $21 , 003 , 120. Authority for this Rulemaking Titl e 49 of the Un i ted States Code spec ifies the FAA's authority to i ss ue rul es on aviation saf ety. Subt itl e I , section 10 6 , desc ri bes the authority of the PAA Admi ni strator. Subtitle V II : Avia t ion Programs , d escribes in more detai l the sco p e of the Age ncy's authority. We are issu in g this rulemaldn g under the a uthority des crib e d in Subti tle 

### VII, P art A, S ubp ar t III , Section 44701: "Ge ne r a l requirements. " U nd e r that sec tion , Congress charges the FAA w ith promoting safe fli ght of civil aircraft in a ir commerce by pr

escribi ng regulations fo r practices, methods , and procedu res the Ad mini strator finds necessary for safety in air commerce. T hi s regulation is wi th in the scope of th at a uthority 4because it add resses a n un safe condition th a t i s lik e ly t o ex i st o r develop o n products identified in thi s ru le m ak in g action. 

### Regulatory Findings Th i s AD w iII not have federalism imp I ications und e r Executive Order 131 32. Th i s A D w ill n ot have a s u bs t a ntial d i rect effect o n the State s , on the relationshi p between the

n ationa l governme nt a nd the States , o r o n the d i s tribution of power a nd responsibilities ' amon g th e va ri ous l e vels of governm e nt

. For th e reaso n s discussed above , I cert if y that thi s AD: ( 1 ) Js n ot a " s i g nificant reg ul a t ory act ion" under Executive O rd er 12866, ( 2 ) l s not a " s i gn ifi c ant rul e " und e r DOT R eg ul atory Policie s and Proced ures (44 FR 11 034 , Feb ru a ry 26 , 1 979) , (3) Will not af fect intrastate av ia ti o n in Alaska to th e ex te nt that it justifies makin g a regu la t o ry di s tinction , and (4) Will not h ave a s ignific ant econom ic impact , positive o r negative , on a

su bstanti al n u m b e r of s m all entities und e r th e crite ria o f th e Regula t ory F lex ibility Act. 

### List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 Air tran s p o rt a tion , Aircraft , Aviat io n safe ty , Incorporation by refe r e nc e, Safety. 

### Adoption of the Amendment According ly , un de r th e a u thority delega ted to me by the Adm ini strato r , th e FAA amends 14 CF R pa rt 39 as foll ows: 

### PART 39- AIRWORTHINESS DIRE C TIV ES I. T h e a uth o ri ty citatio n fo r part 39 con tinues to read as fo ll ows: A uth o rity: 49 U.S.C. 106 (g) , 40 11 3 , 4470 1. 

### § 39.13 [Am e nd e d! 2. The FAA ame nd s§ 39.13 by ad din g the f o ll ow i ng n ew airwo rthin ess directive (AD):

52015 - 14-05 Pratt 

### & Whitney : Ame ndm e nt 39 -1 8203; Docket No. f AA-20 14-1127 ; D i recto rate I denti f i er 20 14-NE -1 6-AD. (a) E ffective Dat e This AD is effec ti ve [JN SERT DATE 35 DAY S AFTE R DAT E OF PUBLICAT I ON I N THE FED ERAL REGISTER]. (b) Affected ADs No ne . (c) Applicability Thi s AD a pplies to a ll Pratt & Whitney ( P W) J T 8 D- 217C and JT8D-219 turbofan

e ngi nes w ith low- pr ess ure turbine (LPT) shaft part numbers 783319 , 783319-00 1 , 7833 1 9-003,7833 1 9-004,783320,783320 -001 ,783320-0 03 ,7 833 20-00 4 ,82 0514-001 , 8205 14-003, 820514-004, o r 8205 1 4-005 , i nsta ll ed. ( d) U nsa fe Condition This AD was pro mpted by repo rts of crackin g in the LPT s haft. We are issu in g thi s AD to prevent f a ilur e o f th e L PT s h aft, w hich cou ld lead to an uncontained e n g in e failure and damage to the a irp lane. (c) Co mplianc e Co mpl y wi th this AD within th e comp li ance tim es spec ifi e d , unl ess a lready done. (1) If the LPT shaft has 15 , 000 or fewer cycles-s in ce -n ew (CSN) on the effective d ate of th is AD, remove it from se rv ice before it accu mulate s 20,000 CSN. (2) If th e L PT s h af t ha s mo r e th an 15 , 000 CSN on the effec ti ve d at e of thi s AD,

remove it from se rvice before it accu mul ates 5,000 add iti ona l cycles in se rv ice, or at the next piece-pa r t exposu re after accum ul at ing 20,000 CSN , w hi cheve r occ urs fir st. (3) Afte r the effec ti ve date of this AD, do not in sta ll any LP T s haft li sted in paragrap h (c) of this AD that is at piece- p a rt exposure and excee d s the new life limi t of 20 , 000 CSN, into any e ngine

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### (f) Definition For th e purpose of thi s AD, pi ece-part exposure is w he n th e LPT s h aft is comp lete ly di sasse mbled from the en g in e. (g) A lt e rn at ive Method s of Compliance (A MOC s) The Manage r, E ngine Certifi catio n Office , FAA , may approve AMOCs for thi s AD. Use th e pro cedure s found in 14 CF R 39. 19 to make your r e qu est. You may email your request to: ANE-A D- AMOC @ faa.gov. (h) Related In fo rm atio n (1) for m o re i ntonnation about thi s AD , co ntact Jo-Ann Th e ri ault , Aerospace Enginee r , Engine Certifica tion Office , F AA, Engi ne & Prope ll er Dir e c torate, 12 New England Exec uti ve Park , Burlin gton , MA 0 1 803 ; phone: 78 1- 238-7105 ; fax: 781-238- 7 199; e mail: jo

- ann.ther i a u lt @ faa.gov. (2) PW Se rvice Bulletin No. JT8D 6504 , dat e d November 5, 20 14 , which is not incorp o rat ed by refe re nce in this AD , can b e obta in ed from PW u s in g th e contact information in p a ra g raph ( h) ( 3) of thi s AD. (3) For se r v ice i nformation ide n ti fied in this AD, contact Pratt & Whitney , 400 Main S t. , East H artford , CT 061 08; phone: 860-565-8770; fax: 860-565-4503. (4) You ma y v iew this serv ice in fo rmat i on at th e FAA , Engine & Propeller Directorat e, 1 2 New Eng land Exec uti ve Park , Burlington , MA

. For information on th e

a v a il ability of thi s material at the FAA , call 78 1- 238 -71 25. (i) Mater i al In corporated 

### by R efe ren ce Non e .

7Iss ued in Burlin g t o n , Ma ss achu se tt s, o n Jun e 26, 2 015.

Ann C. Mo ll ica , Acti ng D irectorat e Ma n age r, E ngi ne & Propelle r Dir ecto ra t e , Aircraft Ce rti ficat io n Se rv i ce .



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