Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & Whitney PW2000 Series Turbofan Engines

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) that is applicable to Pratt & Whitney PW2000 series turbofan engines. This action requires initial and repetitive inspections for cracks in the forward face of the first stage high pressure turbine (HPT) disks at the base of the fir tree lug at the outer diameter (OD) snap fillet radius where the side plates mate with the disk, and rework to the first stage HPT disk. Additionally, this AD establishes a new, reduced cyclic life limit for certain disks. This amendment is prompted by reports of two uncontained disk failures resulting from a fir tree lug fracturing, subsequently releasing two blades and a fir tree lug, which penetrated the engine HPT turbine case. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent fracture of the first stage HPT disk, resulting in a possible uncontained engine failure and damage to the aircraft.