Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration
The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2020-05- 01, which applied to all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) Model Trent 1000-AE3, Trent 1000-CE3, Trent 1000-D3, Trent 1000-G3, Trent 1000-H3, Trent 1000-J3, Trent 1000-K3, Trent 1000-L3, Trent 1000-M3, Trent 1000-N3, Trent 1000-P3, Trent 1000- Q3, and Trent 1000-R3 engines. AD 2020-05-01 required initial and repetitive borescope inspections (BSI) of the high-pressure turbine (HPT) blades. AD 2020-05-01 also required replacement of HPT blades with parts eligible for installation when the HPT blades fail inspection or reach the new life limit. Since the FAA issued AD 2020- 05-01, RRD published updated service material introducing improved HPT blades and a combustion rear inner casing bypass case assembly, adding an acceptable method for installation of HPT blades, expanding the inspection area for BSIs of the HPT blade, adding limits for axial cracks of the HPT blades, reducing certain BSI thresholds, and removing a certain HPT blade life-limit. This AD requires performing initial and repetitive BSIs of the HPT blades for axial cracks and, depending on the results of the BSIs, this AD requires either performing additional BSIs or replacing the HPT blades. This AD also adds an optional terminating action for the repetitive BSIs of the HPT blades. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 39 [Docket No. FAA-2026-4655; Project Identifier MCAI-2025-01553-E; Amendment 39-23376; AD 2026-12-06] RIN 2120-AA64 AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Final rule; request for comments. SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2020-05-01, which applied to all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) Model Trent 1000-AE3, Trent 1000-CE3, Trent ( printed page 35877) 1000-D3, Trent 1000-G3, Trent 1000-H3, Trent 1000-J3, Trent 1000-K3, Trent 1000-L3, Trent 1000-M3, Trent 1000-N3, Trent 1000-P3, Trent 1000-Q3, and Trent 1000-R3 engines. AD 2020-05-01 required initial and repetitive borescope inspections (BSI) of the high-pressure turbine (HPT) blades. AD 2020-05-01 also required replacement of HPT blades with parts eligible for installation when the HPT blades fail inspection or reach the new life limit. Since the FAA issued AD 2020-05-01, RRD published updated service material introducing improved HPT blades and a combustion rear inner casing bypass case assembly, adding an acceptable method for installation of HPT blades, expanding the inspection area for BSIs of the HPT blade, adding limits for axial cracks of the HPT blades, reducing certain BSI thresholds, and removing a certain HPT blade life-limit. This AD requires performing initial and repetitive BSIs of the HPT blades for axial cracks and, depending on the results of the BSIs, this AD requires either…
Citation: 91 FR 35876
