FAA to set new PW1100G maintenance requirements after learning more parts could fail

The Federal Aviation Administration plans to place new maintenance requirements on airlines after learning that more components in Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines may be affected by a powder-metal manufacturing problem. The FAA laid out new proposed requirements in a regulatory filing released on 11 December, saying some PW1100G rotors, hubs and air seals will need “accelerated replacement” due to the manufacturing issue. The proposal would affect 430 US-registered PW1100Gs, which power Airbus A320neo-family jets. P&W earlier this year said it needed to recall some 1,200 PW1100Gs for inspection or replacement of high-pressure turbine and compressor disks, citing a problem involving powder-metal manufacturing. As a result, it said, hundreds of A320neo-family jets will need to be grounded at any given time in the coming year for inspections and parts replacements. P&W said several weeks ago that it expected the FAA would soon issue airworthiness directives related to the new maintenance requirements. It is unclear if the FAA’s proposed rule reflects any impact beyond that already disclosed by P&W. The engine maker did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “There is an increased risk of failure for additional powder-metal parts in certain powder-metal production campaigns,” the FAA’s 11 December proposed rule says. “All affected parts are susceptible to failure significantly earlier than previously determined.” The FAA has issued several recent PW1100G airworthiness directives addressing the powder-metal problem, which came to light after an International Aero Engines (IAE) V2500 turbofan suffered a high-pressure turbine disk failure in 2020. P&W co-owns IAE and makes V2500 and PW1100G blades using the same process.<br/>