Airworthiness Directive · Amendment 39-18391 · Rolls-Royce plc Turbofan Engines
Rolls-Royce plc Turbofan Engines
This AD applies to all Rolls-Royce plc (RR) RB211-535E4-37, RB211-535E4-B-37, and RB211-535E4-C-37 turbofan engines.
We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Rolls-Royce plc (RR) RB211-535E4-37, RB211-535E4-B-37, and RB211-535E4- C-37 turbofan engines. This AD requires recalculating the cyclic life for certain engine life-limited rotating parts and removing those parts that have exceeded their cyclic life limit within specified compliance times. This AD was prompted by a review of operational data that determined certain RR RB211-535E4-37 engines have been operated to a more severe flight profile than is consistent with the flight profile used to establish the cyclic life limits for the rotating parts. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of life-limited rotating parts, uncontained parts release, damage to the engine, and damage to the airplane.
(1) For RR RB211-535E4-37 engines, establish a new flight profile, Flight Profile G, as the new default profile for flight operations and new part lives for life-limited parts.
(i) Use Appendix 6 of RR Alert Non-Modification Service Bulletin (NMSB) No. RB.211-72-AH972, Revision 3, dated August 28, 2015, to define Flight Profile G.
(ii) Use the definition of Flight Profile G in Appendix 6 and the maximum approved cyclic lives in Appendix 2 of RR Alert NMSB No. RB.211-72-AH972, Revision 3, dated August 28, 2015, to identify the new lives for life-limited parts.
(iii) If operators meet the requirements of Appendix 6 of RR Alert NMSB No. RB.211-72-AH972, Revision 3, dated August 28, 2015, they may operate to Flight Profile A or B.
(iv) You may use data from either a digital flight data acquisition unit or a digital flight data recorder for flight profile monitoring.
(2) For all RR RB211-535E4-37, RB211-535E4-B-37, and RB211-535E4-C-37 engines, determine if any part identified by part number and serial number in Appendix 4 of RR Alert NMSB No. RB.211-72-AH972, Revision 3, dated August 28, 2015, is installed on the engine.
(i) Do not return to service any engine with a part identified in paragraph (e)(2) of this AD after the part reaches the “Compliance Time” date or cycles, whichever occurs first, as specified in Appendix 4 of RR Alert NMSB No. RB.211-72-AH972, Revision 3, dated August 28, 2015.
(ii) For each part identified in paragraph (e)(2) of this AD without a “Compliance Time” that has a lifing correction identified, apply the lifing correction for each part using the “Additional Life Consumed Flight Cycles” specified in Appendix 4 of RR Alert NMSB No. RB.211-72-AH972, Revision 3, dated August 28, 2015.
(3) For RR RB211-535E4-37 engines operated to Flight Profile G with parts listed in Appendix 4 of RR Alert NMSB No. RB.211-72-AH972, Revision 3, dated August 28, 2015, do the following:
(i) Re-calculate the consumed cyclic life of the low-pressure (LP) compressor shaft, LP turbine shaft, LP turbine disk Stage 2, intermediate-pressure compressor rotor shaft Stage 1 to 6, high-pressure (HP) compressor rotor disk Stage 1 and 2, HP compressor rear rotor shaft assembly, and HP turbine disk as follows.
(ii) Determine the Flight Profile G cycles in service (CIS). Count all CIS accumulated since April 1, 2015, inclusive.
(iii) Use the Flight Profile G cycles in service from paragraph (e)(3)(ii) of this AD, the maximum approved lives in Appendix 2 of RR Alert NMSB No. RB.211-72-AH972, Revision 3, dated August 28, 2015, and Figure 1 to paragraph (e) of this AD to calculate the new consumed cyclic lives.
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.
Engines
