The Federal Aviation Administration has taken action in response to several instances of International Aero Engines (IAE) V2500 turbofans suffering high-pressure compressor blade failures.
The agency on 18 November addressed the problem in a proposed rule that if finalised will require US airlines to replace third-stage high-pressure compressor rotor blades on 1,496 V2500s.
Those engines comprise the entire fleet of US-registered V2500-powerd jets. The vast majority of those are first-generation Airbus A320-family aircraft, though V2500 variants powering Boeing MD-90s and Embraer C-390 military transports are also targeted.
“The [proposal] is consistent with guidance previously provided to operators and will be implemented during regularly scheduled maintenance,” says Pratt & Whitney, which jointly owns IAE in partnership with Japanese Aero Engines and MTU Aero Engines.
The FAA’s proposal responds to “multiple reports of failed third-stage [high-pressure compressor] rotor blades that resulted in engine fires, unplanned engine removals, aborted take-offs and in-flight shutdowns,” The FAA’s proposed rule says. The blades are “susceptible to shroud wear and blade fractures”.
“The manufacturer has developed an improved coating process that increases the durability of the shroud coating, mitigating wear and reducing the risk of blade fractures,” it adds.
The rule would require airlines to install the new blades when they next complete maintenance involving exposure of the old blades.
