Comment from Alaska Airlines
Alaska AirlinesSupportBusiness
Summary: Alaska Airlines requests clarifying language in the Airworthiness Directive to exempt Main Fuel Pumps (MFPs) that have never undergone a shop visit or repair from the required removal. They argue that because the issue stems from incorrect torque measurements during repair/reassembly, new production pumps without service history are not affected.
I would like to submit the following comment/inquiry for the subject NPRM for FR 2026-11085.
Echoing AerCap's comments regarding the eligibility of a Main Fuel Pump (MFP) that has not undergone a shop visit at Woodward and is currently in revenue service, Alaska Airlines would like to request the addition of clarifying language in Section 2.(g)(2) of the AD that MFPs that are currently in-service with no previous maintenance/repair/overhaul performed by the vendor are eligible to remain installed on GEnx-1B engines at the next engine shop visit.
GEnx-1B SB 73-0117 R01 notes in the "Effectivity" section that the "Service Bulletin does not apply to new main fuel pumps with no prior service history." From GE communication to operators, the SB was only to apply to pumps that have been overhauled and thus new/production pumps are not affected. Per the Woodward SB 82933-73-006, the cause of the unsatisfactory MFP condition is incorrect torque value measurements during MFP repair/reassembly. Therefore, an MFP delivered new from production and subsequently installed on an engine would not have been subject to the incorrect torquing procedure.