European safety regulators have proposed interim measures to address possible blade cracks in the intermediate pressure compressor on Rolls-Royce Trent 1000s, while the manufacturer is developing a modification.
The European Aviation Safety Agency states that cracking has been discovered in Trent 1000s with the Pack C performance enhancement measures.
These cracks affected blade in the intermediate pressure compressor's first- and second-stage rotors.
EASA says the situation could lead to the release of blades during flight.
Rolls-Royce has issued a service bulletin instructing inspections of the compressor's rotor sections, and EASA is proposing to mandate these examinations. The authority closed a consultation period on the proposed directive on 2 November.
Singaporean investigators have been recommending that Rolls-Royce reviews the design of intermediate pressure compressor blades in the Trent 1000.
This recommendation emerged from an incident in which a Scoot Boeing 787-9 suffered a failure to its starboard engine en route from Sydney in November last year.
Rolls-Royce had previously been forced to deal with a cracking issue affecting intermediate pressure turbine blades on Trent 1000s resulting from corrosion-related fatigue.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
