FAA Eyes CFM56 Fan Blades After One Breaks Midflight
Published Date: 10/27/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
If you own or operate planes with CFM56-7B engines, listen up! The FAA wants you to check the fan blades for damage because a broken blade once caused an emergency in flight. You’ll need to inspect, possibly replace parts, and report any problems by November 27, 2026—keeping flights safe and sound without breaking the bank.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 4 costs, 0 mixed.
Mandatory fan-blade inspections and fixes
You must visually inspect CFM56-7B fan blades for cracks, tears, tip curls, or local leading-edge distortion. For engines on aircraft, inspections are required within 400 flight cycles or within 90 days after the AD's effective date (whichever is first); unserviceable blades must be removed and replaced before further flight, adjacent blades inspected, and any additional unserviceable blades replaced before further flight. If you find any unserviceable findings, you must send the inspection results to CFM within 30 days after the inspection or within 30 days after the AD's effective date, whichever is later.
FAA's estimated compliance costs
The FAA estimates the AD would affect 3,450 engines on U.S. registry and that each visual inspection costs 1 work-hour at $85, i.e., $85 per engine, totaling $293,250 for the U.S. fleet. The FAA also estimates on-condition replacement costs at $51,485 per product (1 hour labor $85 plus $51,400 parts), adjacent-blade inspection $170, and reporting 1 hour ($85).
Which engines are covered
This proposed AD applies to a defined set of CFM Model CFM56-7B engines listed by model (including CFM56-7B20, -7B22, -7B24, -7B26, -7B27 and many subvariants). If you own or operate any engine model named in the AD, these inspection and reporting requirements apply to you.
Timing and reporting deadlines to follow
Inspections for engines already installed on aircraft must occur within 400 flight cycles or within 90 days after the AD's effective date (whichever is first); engines not installed must be inspected before further flight. You must report inspection results to CFM within 30 days after the inspection or within 30 days after the AD's effective date, whichever is later.
Credit if recent inspections were already done
You get credit for complying with the AD if you performed an engine shop manual piece-part inspection within 100 flight cycles prior to the AD's effective date, or if you performed inspections within 100 flight cycles using specified CFM service bulletins (CFM56-7B S/B 72-1033 Revisions 3–6 or S/B 72-1118 dated June 1, 2026).
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