Airworthiness Directive · Amendment 39-16240 · General Electric Company CF6-45 and CF6-50 Series Turbofan Engines
General Electric Company CF6-45 and CF6-50 Series Turbofan Engines
Superseded. A later AD replaced this one: AD 2010-12-10. Comply with the one in force.
This AD applies to General Electric Company (GE) CF6-45A, CF6-45A2, CF6-50A, CF6-50C, CF6-50CA, CF6-50C1, CF6-50C2, CF6-50C2B, CF6-50C2D, CF6-50C2F, CF6-50C2R, CF6-50E, CF6-50E1, and CF6-50E2, series turbofan engines, with any of the following low-pressure turbine (LPT) stage 3 disks installed:
| 9061M23P06 | 9061M23P07 | 9061M23P08 | 9061M23P09 | 9224M75P01 |
| 9061M23P10 | 1473M90P01 | 1473M90P02 | 1473M90P03 | 1473M90P04 |
| 9061M23P12 | 9061M23P14 | 9061M23P15 | 9061M23P16 | 1479M75P01 |
| 1479M75P02 | 1479M75P03 | 1479M75P04 | 1479M75P05 | 1479M75P06 |
| 1479M75P07 | 1479M75P08 | 1479M75P09 | 1479M75P11 | 1479M75P13 |
| 1479M75P14 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
These engines are installed on, but not limited to, Airbus A300 series, Boeing 747 series, McDonnell Douglas DC-10 series, and DC-10-30F (KDC-10) airplanes.
The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for General Electric Company (GE) CF6-45 and CF6-50 series turbofan engines with certain low-pressure turbine (LPT) stage 3 disks installed. This AD requires fluorescent penetrant inspection (FPI) of the LPT stage 3 disk under certain conditions and removal of the disk from service before further flight if found cracked. This AD also requires initial and repetitive borescope inspections of the high-pressure turbine (HPT) rotor stage 1 and stage 2 blades for wear and damage, including excessive airfoil material loss. This AD results from three reports of uncontained failures of LPT stage 3 disks and eight reports of cracked LPT stage 3 disks found during shop visit inspections. We are issuing this AD to prevent critical life-limited rotating engine part failure, which could result in an uncontained engine failure and 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.
Within 50 cycles-in-service (CIS) after the effective date of this AD, borescope-inspect the HPT stage 1 and stage 2 rotor blades for wear and damage, including excessive airfoil material loss.
(g) Thereafter, within every 175 CIS, repetitively borescope-inspect the HPT stage 1 and stage 2 rotor blades for wear and damage, including excessive airfoil material loss.
Whenever the HPT rotor blade cumulative airfoil material loss is 50% of a blade or more, then before further flight, fluorescent penetrant inspect the inner diameter surface forward cone body (forward spacer arm) of the LPT stage 3 disk.
(i) If the LPT stage 3 disk is cracked or if a circumferential band of fluorescence appears, permanently remove the disk from service.
