Airworthiness Directive · Amendment 39-15159 · General Electric (GE) CF6-80E1 Series Turbofan Engines
General Electric (GE) CF6-80E1 Series Turbofan Engines
This AD applies to General Electric Company (GE) CF6-80E1A1, CF6-80E1A2, CF6-80E1A3, CF6-80E1A4, and CF6-80E1A4/B turbofan engines, installed on Airbus Industrie A330 series airplanes.
The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for General Electric (GE) CF6-80E1 series turbofan engines. That AD currently requires removing electronic control unit (ECU) software version E.1.M. or earlier installed software, and installing improved software for the ECU. This AD requires removing software version E.1.N or earlier from the engine ECU. Engines with the new version software will have increased margin to flameout. This AD results from reports of engine flameout events during flight, including reports of events where all engines simultaneously experienced a flameout or other adverse operation. Although the root cause investigation is not yet complete, we believe that exposure to ice crystals during flight is associated with these flameout events. We are issuing this AD to minimize the potential of an all-engine flameout event caused by ice accretion and shedding during flight.
You are responsible for having the actions required by this AD performed within the compliance times specified unless the actions have already been done.
These actions are interim actions due to the on-going investigation, and we may take further rulemaking actions in the future based on the results of the investigation and field experience.
Before January 31, 2008, remove the following software versions from the ECUs:
| Software version | Installed in ECU part No. |
|---|---|
| (1) E.1.D | 1799M99P01 |
| (2) E.1.F | 1799M99P03 |
| (3) E.1.G | 1799M99P04 |
| (4) E.1.H | 1799M99P05 |
| (5) E.1.I | 1799M99P06, 1799M99P07, 1851M74P01, 1851M80P01 |
| (6) E.1.J | 1799M99P08, 1799M99P09, 1851M74P02, 1851M80P02 |
| (7) E.1.K | 1799M99P10, 1851M74P03, 1851M80P03, 1960M84P01 |
| (8) E.1.L | 1799M99P11, 1851M74P04, 1851M80P04, 1960M84P02 |
| (9) E.1.M | 1799M99P12, 1851M74P05, 1851M80P05, 1960M84P03 |
| (10) E.1.N | 1799M99P13, 1851M74P06, 1851M80P06, 1960M84P04, 2043M29P01, 2043M29P02 |
Until January 31, 2008, once an ECU containing a software version not listed in Table 1 of this AD is installed on an engine, that ECU can be replaced with an ECU containing a previous version of software listed in Table 1.
(i) Once the software version listed in Table 1 of this AD has been removed and new FAA-approved software version is installed in an ECU, reverting to those older software versions in that ECU is prohibited.
(j) After January 31, 2008, use of an ECU with a software version listed in Table 1 of this AD is prohibited.
