FAA orders some PW1100G disk replacements, citing V2500 failure

The FAA has ordered airlines to replace disks in some Pratt & Whitney PW1100G turbofans, saying the powerplants could have the same problem that caused the 2020 uncontained failure of an International Aero Engines (IAE) V2500. The components of concern are high-pressure turbine (HPT) first- and second-stage disks. P&W is among several companies that produce IAE engine components as part of a consortium.“The FAA considers removal of certain HPT first-stage and HPT second-stage disks to be an urgent safety issue,” the agency says in an 8 September airworthiness directive (AD). “These HPT disks have the highest risk of failure and require removal within 30 days… This unsafe condition may result in loss of the airplane.” The FAA took action after learning that some PW1100G HPT disks are made from a material “similar” to that used to produce disks in a V2500 that failed on 18 March 2020. That V2500 “experienced an uncontained HPT first-stage disk failure that resulted in high-energy debris penetrating the engine cowling”, FAA documents say. “Pratt & Whitney determined that the failure… was due to an undetected subsurface material defect in an HPT disk.” Following that incident, P&W reviewed “all other IAE and P&W engines that contain parts of similar material”, the FAA says. The analysis showed that some PW1100Gs “are also affected by the unsafe condition”.<br/>