Europe's safety regulator has detailed a new inspection regime for Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 powerplants as part of the effort to address intermediate pressure compressor blade durability.
The European Aviation Safety Agency is requiring repetitive on-wing borescope inspections of the affected rotor parts and, if necessary, remove of the engine from service.
But its airworthiness directive also introduces specific requirements for engines installed on aircraft involved in extended twin-engined operations.
Rolls-Royce had already disclosed on 13 April that the Package C engines, used on Boeing 787s, would be subjected to greater scrutiny.
The issue centres on cracking of blades in the intermediate pressure compressor and the risk of in-flight blade release.
EASA has previously issued directives requiring specific inspections on the affected Trent 1000 engines.
Its latest directive says that "repetitive borescope inspections are necessary on all engines to ensure fleet-wide continued safe operation".
EASA has also set out particular requirements for engines on ETOPS aircraft, and inspections following operations in asymmetric power conditions.
The directive establishes timeframes for initial and repetitive inspection of rotor 2 components within the intermediate pressure compressor.
ETOPS aircraft, in particular, must be inspected either before their next ETOPS flight or before their engines reach a certain cycle threshold. Engines involved in ETOPS must also undergo a broader inspection during examination of the rotor 2 components.
EASA's directive states that aircraft which were operated in an asymmetric condition for more than 30min below 25,000ft – either from power reduction or an in-flight shutdown – must be subjected to an on-wing rotor 2 borescope inspection of the unaffected engine before its next flight.
It is permitting operators to carry out a single ferry flight – up to three cycles, without passengers, and non-ETOPS – to an engine-removal facility, if any evidence of cracks is discovered.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
