Airworthiness Standards; Aircraft Engine Standards for Engine Life-Limited Parts

The FAA is amending the certification standards for original and amended type certificates for aircraft engines by modifying the standards for engine life-limited parts. This final rule establishes new and uniform standards for the design and testing of life-limited parts for aircraft engines certificated by the FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This rule retains the current lifing requirements, introduces damage tolerance requirements into the design process, and strengthens cooperation between engineering, manufacturing, and service elements of turbine engine manufacturers. These new requirements provide an added margin of safety and will reduce the number of life-limited parts failures due to material, manufacturing, and service induced anomalies. Additionally, this action adds new standards for the design of reciprocating engine turbocharger rotors.