JetBlue Airbus A220
A recent draft FAA inspection mandate for Pratt & Whitney PW1500 and PW1900 parts is the latest step in the regulator’s and manufacturer’s extensive plan to mitigate risk from contaminated powder metal.
The draft rule, issued Aug. 19, targets high pressure compressor (HPC) 7th stage axial rotors on PW1500s, found on Airbus A220s, and PW1900s, which power Embraer E-Jet E2s.
The mandate, which is neither a surprise nor an urgent issue for most of the fleet, adds another PW1500 and PW1900-specific part to a list that includes high-pressure turbine stage 1 and 2 disks, HPC 7th and 8th integrally bladed rotors and aft disks found throughout the PW1000G family.
Pratt flagged the axial rotors earlier in 2024 in service bulletins sent to operators. The inspection threshold is 10,000 cycles, which only about 10 affected aircraft—all A220s—have reached. Engines with 10,000 or more cycles would require inspections within 100 cycles, the draft mandate says.
Like other critical life-limited parts, the affected rotors may contain contaminated powder metal introduced during manufacturing.
Pratt’s inspection plan, unveiled last summer and kicked off in September 2023, flagged more than 3,000 parts for special angled ultrasonic inspections and reduced their life limits. This led to hundreds of unplanned shop visits and a shortage of spare parts.
Pratt has added MRO capacity and ramped up parts production to minimize aircraft downtime. The global aircraft on ground (AOG) count peaked at more than 600 in May and has fallen slightly as engines return from overhauls. Turnaround times are taking about 300 days, meaning most engines removed for inspections since the work started last September remain out of service.
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