Airworthiness Directive · Amendment 39-13940 · Rolls-Royce plc RB211 Trent 875, 877, 884, 884B, 892, 892B, and 895 Series Turbofan Engines
Rolls-Royce plc RB211 Trent 875, 877, 884, 884B, 892, 892B, and 895 Series Turbofan Engines
This AD applies to Rolls-Royce plc (RR) RB211 Trent 875, 877, 884, 884B, 892, 892B, and 895 series turbofan engines with low pressure compressor (LPC) fan blades, part numbers (P/Ns) FK30838, FK30840, FK30842, FW12960, FW12961, FW12962, and FW13175, installed. These engines are installed on, but not limited to, Boeing Company 777 series airplanes.
The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Rolls-Royce plc (RR) RB211 Trent 875, 877, 884, 892, 892B, and 895 series turbofan engines with certain part number (P/N) low pressure compressor (LPC) fan blades installed. That AD currently requires initial and repetitive ultrasonic inspections of the fan blade dovetail roots. This AD requires the same actions except at reduced compliance times for certain blades, defines a specific terminating action to the repetitive blade inspection requirements, and adds the 884B series to the applicability. This AD results from a report of a cracked fan blade found before the blade reached the initial inspection threshold of AD 2002-11-08. This AD also results from the need to reduce a repetitive inspection compliance time due to potential breakdown of blade coating and lubrication on certain blades. We are issuing this AD to prevent multiple LPC fan blade failures due to cracks, which could result in uncontained engine failure and possible damage to the airplane.
You are responsible for having the actions required by this AD performed within the compliance times specified unless the actions have already been done.
(f) Ultrasonic-inspect and disposition the dovetail roots of LPC fan blades, P/Ns FK30838, FK30840, FK30842, FW12960, FW12961, FW12962, and FW13175, that are removed from the engine, using 3.A.(1) through 3.A.(5) or, for blades that are not removed from the engine, using 3.B.(1) through 3.B.(5) of the Accomplishment Instructions of RR Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) No. RB.211-72-AD344, Revision 7, dated March 12, 2004, as follows:
(1) For blades P/Ns FK30838, FK30840, and FK30842, that have not been relubricated during any interval exceeding 600 cycles-since-new (CSN) or cycles-since-rework (CSR) using either RR ASB No. RB.211-72-AD344 or No. RB.211-72-D347, inspect as specified in paragraph (f) of this AD and within the compliance times specified in the following Table 1:
| Engine series | Boeing 777 series | Airplane maximum gross weight (times 1,000 pounds) | Initial inspection CSN | Repetitive inspection (cycles-since-last-inspection) (CSLI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (i) -884B,-892 | -300 | (A) 660 and 632.5 (B) 580 | 600 2,000 | 80 600 |
| (ii) -884, -892, -892B, and -895 | -200 | (A) 632.5 and 648 (B) 656 (C) 555 | 1,200 600 2,000 | 100 80 600 |
| (iii) -875 | -200 | 535 | 2,000 | 600 |
| (iv) -877 | -200 | 545 | 2,000 | 600 |
(2) For blades P/Ns FK30838, FK30840, and FK30842, that have been relubricated at intervals not exceeding 600 CSN or CSR using either RR ASB No. RB.211-72-AD344 or SB RB.211-72-D347, inspect as specified in paragraph (f) of this AD and within the compliance times specified in the following Table 2:
| Engine series | Boeing 777 series | Airplane maximum gross weight (times 1,000 pounds) | Initial inspection CSN | Repetitive inspection CSLI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (i) -884B, 892 | -300 | (A) 660 and 632.5 (B) 580 | 600 2,400 | 80 600 |
| (ii) 884, -892, -892B, and -895 | -200 | (A) 632.5 and 648 (B) 656 (C) 555 | 1,200 600 2,400 | 100 80 600 |
| (iii) -875; | -200 | 535 | 2,400 | 600 |
| (iv) -877 | -200 | 545 | 2,400 | 600 |
(3) For blades P/Ns FW12960, FW12961, FW12962, and FW13175, either new or reworked to that configuration at greater than 600 CSN or since previous rework, or that have not been relubricated during any interval exceeding 600 CSN or CSR using either RR ASB No. RB.211-72-AD344 or RB.211-72-D347 requirements, inspect as specified in paragraph (f) of this AD and within the compliance times specified in the following Table 3:
| Engine series | Boeing 777 series | Airplane maximum gross weight (times 1,000 pounds) | Initial inspection CSN | Repetitive inspection CSLI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (i) -884B, -892 | -300 | (A) 660 and 632.5 (B) 580 | 600 2,000 | 100 600 |
| (ii) -884, -892, -892B, and -895 | -200 | (A) 632.5 and 648 (B) 656 (C) 555 | 1,200 600 2,000 | 125 100 600 |
| (iii) -875 | -200 | 535 | 2,000 | 600 |
| (iv) -877 | -200 | 545 | 2,000 | 600 |
(4) For blades P/Ns FW12960, FW12961, FW12962, and FW13175, either new or reworked to that configuration at fewer than 600 CSN or since previous rework, and that have been relubricated at intervals not exceeding 600 CSN using either RR ASB No. RB.211-72-AD344 or SB No. RB.211-72-D347, inspect as specified in paragraph (f) of this AD and within the compliance times specified in the following Table 4:
| Engine series | Boeing 777 series | Airplane maximum gross weight (times 1,000 pounds) | Initial inspection CSN | Repetitive inspection CSLI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (i) -884B, -892 | -300 | (A) 660 and 632.5 (B) 580 | 600 2,400 | 100 1,200 |
| (ii) -884, -892, -892B, and -895 | -200 | (A) 632.5 and 648 (B) 656 (C) 535 | 2,400 600 2,400 | 125 100 1,200 |
| (iii) -875 | -200 | 535 | 2,400 | 1,200 |
| (iv) -877 | -200 | 545 | 2,400 | 600 |
(g) When engines containing blades P/Ns FK30838, FK30840, FK30842, FW12960, FW12961, FW12962, and FW13175 are moved from one gross weight category to another, the inspection schedule that is applicable to the higher gross weight category must be used.
As terminating action to the repetitive inspection requirements of this AD, at the next shop visit when the fan blades are removed for repair or overhaul, but no later than December 31, 2009:
(1) Replace LPC fan blades P/Ns FK30838, FK30840, FK30842, FW12960, FW12961, FW12962, or FW13175 with a complete set of LPC fan blades that have been reworked, relubricated, and remarked using RR SB No. RB.211-72-D672, dated February 1, 2002; or;
(2) Replace LPC fan blades P/Ns FK30838, FK30840, FK30842, FW12960, FW12961, FW12962, or FW13175 with a complete set of new LPC fan blades that feature additional blade root processing requirements found in RR SB No. RB.211-72-D672, dated February 1, 2002.
(i) Previous credit is allowed for initial inspections of fan blades that were done using RR ASB No. RB.211-72-AD344, Revision 4, dated March 15, 2002, Revision 5, dated June 20, 2003, Revision 6, dated February 27, 2004, or Revision 7, dated March 12, 2004, before the effective date of this AD.
The aircraft, engines and makers this AD names, by the model designations in its text. A model listed here may still be outside the AD's serial ranges.
