Fallout continues for GE-90 engine

The FAA issued an airworthiness directive (AD) May 12 after the October 2019 failure of a GE90-115B engine on a Thai Airways Boeing 777-300ER. The AD required initial and repetitive ultrasonic inspections of certain inter-stage high-pressure turbine (HPT) rotor seals installed on GE-90-110B1 and -115B engines. Depending on the inspections, the AD also called for removal and replacement of the HPT rotor seal at the next shop stop. The ADs are targeted at a group of 16 engines that are operated by just two carriers. None of the engines is installed on U.S.-registered aircraft, according to the FAA. Since some airlines, including Delta Air Lines, have recently announced plans to retire their 777s, aftermarket demand for the GE90 will most likely decrease because of the COVID-19 pandemic, unless those aircraft are picked up by other carriers or converted into freighters. (Source: Aviation Week 06/10/20) Mississippi Note: The manufacturing of the GE90 engine involves multiple GE Aviation locations across the country, including its Batesville, Miss., facility that provides composites for the fan stator case, acoustic panels, and fan platforms. https://aviationweek.com/mro/aircraft-propulsion/faa-issues-another-ad-ge90s?utm_rid=CPEN1000002255725&utm_campaign=24485&utm_medium=email&elq2=7a69f68b2bb04c3d8f0b90515bfac03a