Document ID: FAA-2019-0665-0001
Agency: faa
Document Type: Proposed Rule
Title: Airworthiness Directives: General Electric Company Turbofan Engines
Posted Date: 2019-10-15T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 199 (Tuesday, October 15, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 55073-55075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22393]

 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 84 , No. 199 / Tuesday, October 15, 2019 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 55073]]

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2019-0665; Product Identifier 2019-NE-25-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; General Electric Company Turbofan 
Engines

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) 
for certain General Electric Company (GE) CF34-1A, CF34-3A, CF34-3A1, 
CF34-3A2, CF34-3B, and CF34-3B1 model turbofan engines. This proposed 
AD was prompted by an in-flight failure of a fan blade that led to an 
in-flight shutdown. This proposed AD would require removal and 
replacement of the affected fan blades. The FAA is proposing this AD to 
address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by November 
29, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    For service information identified in this NPRM, contact General 
Electric Company, GE Aviation, Room 285, 1 Neumann Way, Cincinnati, OH 
45215; phone: 513-552-3272; email: aviation.fleetsupport@ge.com. You 
may view this service information at the FAA, Engine and Propeller 
Standards Branch, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803. For 
information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 781-
238-7759.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2019-
0665; or in person at Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains 
this NPRM, the regulatory evaluation, any comments received, and other 
information. The street address for Docket Operations is listed above. 
Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher McGuire, Aerospace 
Engineer, ECO Branch, FAA, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803; 
phone: 781-238-7120; fax: 781-238-7199; email: chris.mcguire@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this proposal. Send your comments to an address listed 
under the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2019-0665; 
Product Identifier 2019-NE-25-AD'' at the beginning of your comments. 
The FAA specifically invites comments on the overall regulatory, 
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this NPRM. The FAA will 
consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend this 
NPRM because of those comments.
    The FAA will post all comments received, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. 
The FAA will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal 
contact received about this NPRM.

Discussion

    The FAA was notified of an in-flight failure of a fan blade 
installed on a GE CF34-3B1 engine. As a result of this failure, the 
crew shut down the engine and performed an air turnback and a safe 
landing. A review by GE determined that a lance peen was not performed 
on certain fan blades after a repair done at a repair station between 
2007 and 2009. Fan blades can lose their compressive residual stress 
during certain electron beam weld repairs and hot form repairs. The 
loss of mechanical properties is restored with the lance peening 
process called out in these repairs. During an audit, GE identified the 
fan blades referenced in paragraph (c) of this AD as suspected of 
missing lance peening. This condition, if not addressed, could result 
in failure of one or more engines, loss of thrust control, and loss of 
the airplane.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    The FAA reviewed GE Service Bulletin (SB) CF34-BJ S/B 72-0306, 
dated September 27, 2017, and GE SB CF34-AL S/B 72-0314, dated 
September 27, 2017. GE SB CF34-BJ S/B 72-0306 describes procedures for 
removal and replacement of affected fan blades installed on CF34-1A, -
3A, -3A1, -3A2, and -3B model turbofan engines. GE SB CF34-AL S/B 72-
0314 describes procedures for removal and replacement of affected fan 
blades installed on CF34-3A1 and -3B1 model turbofan engines.
    This service information is reasonably available because the 
interested parties have access to it through their normal course of 
business or by the means identified in the ADDRESSES section.

Other Related Service Information

    The FAA also reviewed GE SB CF34-AL S/B 72-0148, Revision 05, dated 
July 23, 2015; and GE SB CF34-BJ S/B 72-0123, Revision 04, dated 
October 21, 2015. GE SB CF34-AL S/B 72-0148 describes procedures for 
repair of fan blades installed on GE CF34-3A1 and -3B1 model turbofan 
engines. GE SB CF34-BJ S/B 72-0123 describes procedures for repair of 
fan blades installed on GE CF34-1A, -3A, -3A1, -3A2, and -3B model 
turbofan engines.

FAA's Determination

    The FAA is proposing this AD because we evaluated all the relevant 
information and determined the unsafe condition described previously is 
likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design.

[[Page 55074]]

Proposed AD Requirements

    This proposed AD would require removal and replacement of the 
affected fan blades.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this proposed AD affects 121 engines 
installed on airplanes of U.S. registry.
    The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed 
AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Cost per      Cost on U.S.
                Action                         Labor cost           Parts cost        product        operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remove and replace fan blade..........  2 work-hours x $85 per           $11,000         $11,170      $1,351,570
                                         hour = $170.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 detail the scope of the Agency's authority.
    The FAA is 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.
    This AD is issued in accordance with authority delegated by the 
Executive Director, Aircraft Certification Service, as authorized by 
FAA Order 8000.51C. In accordance with that order, issuance of ADs is 
normally a function of the Compliance and Airworthiness Division, but 
during this transition period, the Executive Director has delegated the 
authority to issue ADs applicable to engines, propellers, and 
associated appliances to the Manager, Engine and Propeller Standards 
Branch, Policy and Innovation Division.

Regulatory Findings

    The FAA 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) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, 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.

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

0
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]

0
2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness 
directive (AD):

General Electric Company: Docket No. FAA-2019-0665; Product 
Identifier 2019-NE-25-AD.

 (a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments by November 29, 2019.

 (b) Affected ADs

    None.

 (c) Applicability

    This AD applies to General Electric Company (GE) CF34-1A, CF34-
3A,CF34-3A1, CF34-3A2, CF34-3B, and CF34-3B1 model turbofan engines 
having a fan blade with a part number listed in Planning 
Information, paragraph 1.A., of GE Service Bulletin (SB) CF34-AL S/B 
72-0314, dated September 27, 2017 or of GE SB CF34-BJ S/B 72-0306, 
dated September 27, 2017, and with any serial number listed in 
paragraph 4., Appendix A, of GE SB CF34-AL S/B 72-0314 or of GE SB 
CF34-BJ S/B 72-0306.

 (d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC) Code 7220, Turbine Engine 
Inlet Section.

 (e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by an in-flight failure of a fan blade that 
led to an in-flight shutdown. The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent 
failure of the fan blade. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, 
could result in failure of one or more engines, loss of thrust 
control, and loss of the airplane.

 (f) Compliance

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

 (g) Required Actions

    Remove the affected fan blades from service within 90 days after 
the effective date of this AD and replace with a part eligible for 
installation.

 (h) Definition

    A part that is eligible for installation is any fan blade other 
than those identified by paragraph (c) of this AD or a fan blade 
that has been repaired per GE SB CF34-AL S/B 72-0148, Revision 05, 
dated July 23, 2015; or GE SB CF34-BJ S/B 72-0123, Revision 04, 
dated October 21, 2015.

 (i) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, ECO Branch, FAA, has the authority to approve 
AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 
39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, send your request to your 
principal inspector or local Flight Standards District Office, as 
appropriate. If sending information directly to the manager of the 
certification office, send it to the attention of the person 
identified in paragraph (j)(1) of this AD. You may email your 
request to ANE-AD-AMOC@faa.gov.
    (2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate 
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager 
of the local flight standards district office/certificate holding 
district office.

 (j) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Christopher 
McGuire, Aerospace Engineer, ECO Branch, FAA, 1200 District Avenue, 
Burlington, MA, 01803; phone: 781-238-7120; fax: 781-238-7199; 
email: chris.mcguire@faa.gov.
    (2) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
General Electric Company, GE Aviation, Room 285, 1 Neumann Way, 
Cincinnati, OH 45215; phone: 513-552-3272; email: 
aviation.fleetsupport@ge.com. You may view this referenced service 
information at the FAA, Engine and Propeller Standards Branch, 1200 
District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803. For information on the

[[Page 55075]]

availability of this material at the FAA, call 781-238-7759.

    Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on October 7, 2019.
Robert J. Ganley,
Manager, Engine & Propeller Standards Branch, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-22393 Filed 10-11-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P