FAA Tweaks Rolls-Royce Engine Seal Inspections
Published Date: 7/23/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
If you own certain Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, the FAA wants you to keep checking a part called the high-pressure turbine triple seal for wear and replace it if needed. They’re updating the rules to remove some engines from this check because a new fix now makes inspections unnecessary for those. Comments on this change are open until September 8, 2026, so get ready to act and keep your engines safe without breaking the bank!
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Required HPT triple‑seal inspections and fixes
If you operate certain Rolls‑Royce Trent 1000 engines, the FAA proposes you must inspect the high‑pressure turbine (HPT) triple seal for excessive wear and, depending on the inspection, replace the HPT triple seal and the intermediate‑pressure turbine (IPT) disk. The FAA estimates an inspection costs about 2 work‑hours at $85/hour ($170 per engine) and a required replacement would cost about 16 work‑hours plus parts for a total of $251,360 per engine; the FAA estimates the rule would affect 4 engines on U.S. aircraft registry.
Some engines exempted after manufacturer fix
The FAA proposes to remove certain engine serial numbers from the inspection requirement because Rolls‑Royce published a modification that removes the need for the HPT triple‑seal inspection and implemented that fix on production for affected parts. If your engine serial number is one of those excluded, you would no longer have to perform the inspection required by the earlier AD.
No manufacturer reporting required
Unlike the corresponding EASA AD, this FAA proposed AD does not require operators to submit inspection results to the manufacturer (Rolls‑Royce). That means operators would still perform the inspection and any required replacements but are not required by this FAA AD to report the inspection findings to RRD.
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