Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. Turboprop Engines

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 13, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 49109-49110]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-19428]



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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 156 / Tuesday, August 13, 2013 / 
Rules and Regulations

[[Page 49109]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2013-0197; Directorate Identifier 2013-NE-09-AD; 
Amendment 39-17524; AD 2013-15-08]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. Turboprop 
Engines

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 
Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) PW118A, PW118B, PW119B, PW119C, 
PW123, PW123B, PW123C, PW123D, PW123E, PW123AF, PW124B, PW125B, PW126A, 
PW127, PW127E, PW127F, PW127G, and PW127M turboprop engines. This AD 
was prompted by reports of fractures of the first-stage power turbine 
(PT) blade. This AD requires inspection of the first-stage PT blades 
and the removal from service of those blades that fail the inspection 
or their replacement with blades eligible for installation. We are 
issuing this AD to prevent fracture of the first-stage PT blade, 
possible engine fire, and damage to the airplane.

DATES: This AD becomes effective September 17, 2013.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of September 
17, 2013.

ADDRESSES: The Docket Operations office is located at Docket Management 
Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-
0001.
    For service information identified in this AD, contact Pratt & 
Whitney Canada Corp., 1000 Marie-Victorin, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada, 
J4G 1A1; phone: 800-268-8000; fax: 450-647-2888; Internet: www.pwc.ca. 
You may view this service information at the FAA, Engine & Propeller 
Directorate, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA. For 
information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 781-
238-7125.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov; or in person at the Docket Operations office 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. The AD docket contains this AD, the Mandatory Continuing 
Airworthiness Information (MCAI), the regulatory evaluation, any 
comments received, and other information. The street address for the 
Docket Operations office (phone: 800-647-5527) is provided in the 
ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly 
after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frederick Zink, Aerospace Engineer, 
Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 
New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; phone: 781-238-7779; 
fax: 781-238-7199; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

    We issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 
part 39 to include an AD that would apply to the specified products. 
The NPRM was published in the Federal Register on April 5, 2013 (78 FR 
20503). The NPRM proposed to correct an unsafe condition for the 
specified products. The MCAI states:

    There have been various reported incidents of P&WC PW100 series 
engine failures caused by the fracturing of the 1st Stage Power 
turbine (PT1) blade. Some of the above cases have resulted in engine 
fires. Further investigation by P&WC has traced the affected PT1 
blade failures to undetected shrinkage porosity of unacceptable 
levels within the blade casting. Service experience indicates that 
the blades manufactured between 2005 and 2008 exhibit a higher 
propensity for unacceptable levels of shrinkage porosity.

Comments

    We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing 
this AD. The following presents the comment received on the proposal 
(78 FR 20503, April 5, 2013) and the FAA's response to the comment.

Request To Include Additional Engine Model

    Empire Airlines, Inc. (EA) suggested that the PW121 model engine 
should be included in the proposed AD. EA reported that an ATR 42 
airplane experienced what was believed to be an engine fire on the No. 
1, PW121, engine. The engine was shut down and the aircraft landed 
safely. An engine teardown report revealed that the fracture of one 
low-pressure turbine (LPT) blade near the platform was by fatigue 
propagation from the trailing edge until final fracture by overload. 
The fatigue fracture most likely originated at the trailing edge tip 
from a casting anomaly that also resulted in the formation of numerous 
cracks. The reason for this request, although not specifically stated, 
is to add the PW121 model engine to the applicability of this AD.
    We do not agree. The EA engine LPT blade failure incident was not 
due to the micro porosity issue which is the subject of this AD. The 
smaller PW121 engine stage 1 PT blades are under considerably less 
stress than the larger PW100 family of engines. Therefore, there is a 
lower probability of similar failures as seen on the larger PW100 
engine series. We did not change the AD.

Conclusion

    We reviewed the available data, including the comment received, and 
determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting 
this AD as proposed.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD affects about 540 engines installed on 
airplanes of U.S. registry. We also estimate that it will take about 
1.5 hours per engine to perform the inspection or replacement required 
by this AD. The average labor rate is $85 per hour. We estimate that 
25% of the engines inspected would fail at least one first-stage PT 
blade. If the first-stage PT blade fails the inspection, a replacement 
blade would cost $6,000.

[[Page 49110]]

Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of the inspection or 
replacement to U.S. operators will be $878,850.

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.
    We are 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.

Regulatory Findings

    We 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 this AD:
    (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive 
Order 12866,
    (2) Is not a ``significant rule'' under the DOT Regulatory Policies 
and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979),
    (3) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska to the extent 
that it justifies making a regulatory distinction, 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.
    We prepared a regulatory evaluation of the estimated costs to 
comply with this AD and placed it in the AD docket.

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:

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 AD:

2013-15-08 Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.: Amendment 39-17524; Docket 
No. FAA-2013-0197; Directorate Identifier 2013-NE-09-AD.

(a) Effective Date

    This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes effective September 
17, 2013.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) PW118A, 
PW118B, PW119B, PW119C, PW123, PW123B, PW123C, PW123D, PW123E, 
PW123AF, PW124B, PW125B, PW126A, PW127, PW127E, PW127F, PW127G, and 
PW127M turboprop engines with a first-stage power turbine (PT) 
blade, part number (P/N) 3120973-01, P/N 3120983-01, or P/N 3054053-
01, installed, that has a serial number listed in Table 1 of the 
Appendix of P&WC Service Bulletin No. PW100-72-21823, Revision 3, 
dated March 8, 2013.

(d) Reason

    This AD was prompted by reports of fractures of the first-stage 
PT blade. We are issuing this AD to prevent fracture of the first-
stage PT blade, possible engine fire, and damage to the airplane.

(e) Actions and Compliance

    Unless already done, within 60 months after the effective date 
of this AD or when the affected PT blades are at module level 
exposure, whichever occurs first, do one of the following:
    (1) Replace the affected first-stage PT blade with a blade 
eligible for installation; or
    (2) Perform a one-time X-ray inspection of the affected first-
stage PT blades, using paragraph 3.F.(2) of the Accomplishment 
Instructions of P&WC Service Bulletin No. PW100-72-21823, Revision 
3, dated March 8, 2013.

(f) Installation Prohibition

    After the effective date of this AD, do not install into any 
engine any first-stage PT blade that has not passed the inspection 
required by paragraph (e)(2) of this AD.

(g) Definition

    For the purpose of this AD, module level exposure is when the 
affected engine is inducted into the engine shop, the PT module is 
removed from the engine, and access is available to the necessary 
subassembly.

(h) Credit for Previous Actions

    If before the effective date of this AD, you inspected the 
first-stage PT blades using P&WC Service Bulletin No. PW100-72-
21823, Revision 2, dated November 15, 2012 or earlier versions, you 
met the inspection requirements in paragraph (e) of this AD.

(i) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    The Manager, Engine Certification Office, FAA, may approve AMOCs 
to this AD. Use the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19 to make your 
request.

(j) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Frederick Zink, 
Aerospace Engineer, Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & 
Propeller Directorate, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 
01803; phone: 781-238-7779; fax: 781-238-7199; email: 
[email protected].
    (2) Refer to Transport Canada AD CF-2013-02, dated January 22, 
2013, for more information. You may examine the AD on the Internet 
at http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FAA-2013-0197-0003.
    (3) P&WC Service Bulletin No. PW100-72-21823, Revision 2, dated 
November 15, 2012, or earlier versions, which are not incorporated 
by reference in this AD, can be obtained from P&WC, using the 
contact information in paragraph (k)(3) of this AD.

(k) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference (IBR) of the service information listed 
in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) You must use this service information as applicable to do 
the actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
    (i) Pratt & Whitney Canada Service Bulletin No. PW100-72-21823, 
Revision 3, dated March 8, 2013.
    (ii) Reserved.
    (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact Pratt 
& Whitney Canada Corp., 1000 Marie-Victorin, Longueuil, Quebec, 
Canada, J4G 1A1; phone: 800-268-8000; fax: 450-647-2888; Internet: 
www.pwc.ca.
    (4) You may view this service information at the FAA, Engine & 
Propeller Directorate, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, 
MA. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, 
call 781-238-7125.
    (5) You may view this service information at the National 
Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the 
availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: 
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

    Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on July 19, 2013.
Colleen M. D'Alessandro,
Assistant Manager, Engine & Propeller Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-19428 Filed 8-12-13; 8:45 am]
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