A new defect found within the compressor of the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G will require airlines to replace a part on about 189 engines, the company confirms to FlightGlobal.
But the replacement procedure should not result in aircraft being taken out of service before scheduled shop visits, P&W says.
The new directive issued by the US FAA on 28 June also shouldn’t jeopardise P&W’s plan to ramp up deliveries of the PW1100G to Airbus to support A320neo production, the company says.
“The engines will incorporate the needed change as part of a planned shop visit in the future to replace other life-limited parts on the engine,” P&W says.
The replacement order affects the front hub on the high pressure compressor of the PW1100G engine, the FAA says.
An operator reported finding a damaged hub and an inspection revealed corrosion, the FAA says.
If not replaced, the corrosion could lead the front hub to fail, potentially causing the engine to shutdown in flight, the FAA adds.
The FAA released the directive only two days after calling for one-time, visual inspections on another part in the PW1100G. On 26 June, the FAA called on airlines to inspect the fan hub for damage within 120 days of 11 July.
That directive was issued after an operator reported finding a damaged fan hub during a shop visit. An investigation traced the cause to the installation of the inlet cone without alignment pins.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
