Airworthiness Directives; Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG Engines

Document 2026-11965 is a Final Rule published by the Department of Transportation in the Federal Register on June 15, 2026, with an effective date of June 30, 2026. The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2020-05- 01, which applied to all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) Model Trent 1000-AE3, Trent 1000-CE3, Trent 1000-D3, Trent 1000-G3, Trent 1000-H3, Trent 1000-J3, Trent 1000-K3, Trent 1000-L3, Trent 1000-M3, Trent 1000-N3, Trent 1000-P3, Trent 1000- Q3, and Trent 1000-R3 engines. AD 2020-05-01 required initial and repetitive borescope inspections (BSI) of the high-pressure turbine (HPT) blades. AD 2020-05-01 also required replacement of HPT blades with parts eligible for installation when the HPT blades fail inspection or reach the new life limit. Since the FAA issued AD 2020- 05-01, RRD published updated service material introducing improved HPT blades and a combustion rear inner casing bypass case assembly, adding an acceptable method for installation of HPT blades, expanding the inspection area for BSIs of the HPT blade, adding limits for axial cracks of the HPT blades, reducing certain BSI thresholds, and removing a certain HPT blade life-limit. This AD requires performing initial and repetitive BSIs of the HPT blades for axial cracks and, depending on the results of the BSIs, this AD requires either performing additional BSIs or replacing the HPT blades. This AD also adds an optional terminating action for the repetitive BSIs of the HPT blades. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/15/2026-11965/airworthiness-directives-rolls-royce-deutschland-ltd-and-co-kg-engines.

No. Document 2026-11965 is not classified as economically significant under Executive Order 12866. Economically significant rules require OIRA review and are estimated to have impacts of $100 million or more per year.