FAA Issues Critical Airworthiness Directive for Airbus A380 Engines Due to Potential Uncontained Failure

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a crucial airworthiness directive (AD) addressing a significant concern related to the Engine Alliance GP7200 engines, exclusively utilized on the Airbus A380.

The issuance of this AD came in response to the findings of an investigation conducted by Engine Alliance. The investigation revealed that certain high-pressure turbine (HPT) interstage seals may have been manufactured using material suspected to contain iron inclusions.

According to the FAA, failure to address this condition could lead to uncontained debris release, causing damage to both the engine and the aircraft itself.

The manufacturer initially detected the presence of iron inclusions in a turbine disk, which shared the same material as the HPT interstage seals. The iron inclusions were attributed to deficiencies in the manufacturing process. Consequently, the FAA concluded that the seals may possess reduced material properties and lower fatigue life capability, potentially resulting in premature fractures and uncontained engine failure.

Despite no domestic operators using this product, the FAA justified making this issue a final rule AD without a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The AD was issued based on Engine Alliance’s location in Connecticut, USA.

Compliance with the AD, affecting GP7270, GP7272, and GP7277 engines, is estimated to cost $274,374 per product, as per FAA estimates.

As of now, there are 68 active Airbus A380 aircraft powered by these engines, with the majority owned by Emirates, except for four Korean Air and seven Qatar Airways units. Additionally, 58 Airbus A380s are currently inactive, with some belonging to Air France, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Korean Air, and Qatar Airways, while others are stored or scrapped without any assigned airline.

The effective date for the AD is June 26, 2023, and the FAA is accepting comments until July 24, 2023. Aircraft operators and stakeholders are urged to take prompt action to ensure safety and compliance.