Cracking of high-pressure turbine components in CFM International Leap-1A engines operated in the Middle East has spurred a directive to conduct enhanced checks on the parts involved.
The Leap-1A is fitted to Airbus A320neo-family twinjets.
According to European Union Aviation Safety Agency, occurrences of cracking to first-stage rotor blades and stator nozzles have emerged relating to engines “operated extensively” in the Middle East and North Africa region.
CFM has already drawn up a service bulletin providing instructions for carrying out borescope inspections of the parts, in addition to those already in the maintenance schedule.
EASA has set out detailed inspection timelines and criteria, depending on the particular variant of Leap-1A engine affected.
Powerplants which have reached a certain number of cycles, and carried out more than 800 “critical” departures – those in the Middle East region, as defined in the service bulletin – are subject to inspections every 150-300 cycles.
EASA is inviting comments on the proposed directive until 7 January.
