FAA Mandates Checks on Pratt & Whitney Engines for Safety
Published Date: 4/24/2026
Rule
Summary
The FAA is rolling out new safety checks for certain Pratt & Whitney engines to catch cracks early and keep flights safe. Starting May 29, 2026, operators must perform regular ultrasonic inspections and replace parts if needed, preventing engine shutdowns like a recent scary incident. This means some extra work and costs but keeps everyone flying worry-free!
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Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 4 costs, 0 mixed.
Required removal and replacement for crack findings
If any crack indication is found during the required AUSIs, the affected part must be removed from service and replaced with a part eligible for installation. The FAA lists on-condition replacement costs of $730,850 for an HPT 1st-stage disk and $500,850 for a turbine hub (10 work-hours labor + parts).
Mandatory removal of specific seal assemblies
For engines with HPT lenticular seal assemblies having P/N 1B8575 and the serial numbers listed in figure 1 of the AD, operators must remove those assemblies from service at the next piece-part exposure. For serial number DKLBG48292, removal is required at the next piece-part exposure or before exceeding 2,750 cycles since new, whichever occurs first. The FAA estimates 14 engines will require replacement of HPT lenticular seal assemblies and shows a parts+labor cost of $512,345 per replacement and a total U.S. operator cost of $7,172,830.
Update ALS as optional terminating action
Operators may optionally revise the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the engine manual and their approved maintenance/inspection program by adding the inspections in figure 2 of the AD (ALS revision date entries show Revision Date: 2025-02-01). Doing this revision constitutes terminating action for the repetitive AUSIs required by paragraphs (g)(1) through (g)(3) of the AD.
Mandatory angled ultrasonic inspections
Starting May 29, 2026, operators of the affected Pratt & Whitney engines must do angled ultrasonic inspections (AUSIs) of the high-pressure turbine (HPT) 1st-stage disk and the turbine hub at the next piece-part exposure and at every piece-part exposure thereafter. Each AUSI is estimated at 5 work-hours × $85 = $425 per inspection; the FAA estimates this AD affects 484 engines on U.S. registry, which the FAA shows as $205,700 total per inspection type for U.S. operators.
Installation prohibitions for certain parts
As of May 29, 2026, no person may install HPT 1st-stage disks with P/N 1B7801, 1B3601, or 1B3601-001, or turbine hubs with P/N 1B4902, 1B6602, or 1B8002, unless the part is a 'part eligible for installation' as defined in the AD (for example, having passed the required AUSI, having NDIP conformance, or having FAA Form 8130-3 dated March 1, 2025 or later). Also, HPT lenticular seal assemblies listed in figure 1 may not be installed.
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