Airworthiness Directives: General Electric Company Engines

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), representing over 80,000 professional airline pilots, supports the proposed Airworthiness Directive regarding General Electric Company engines. They agree with the requirement to remove and replace the main fuel pump due to reports of fuel leaks from worn inlet housings.

Jeffrey Skinner of Eaton Aerospace Fuel and Motion Control Division submitted a comment requesting a revision to the Background statement of the proposed Airworthiness Directive. The company argues that the language should be updated to align with Service Bulletin 82933-73-0006 to more accurately describe the technical cause of the fuel leak.

United Airlines Engineering supports the proposed rule but requests clarification on the eligibility of main fuel pumps for installation. They specifically ask if pumps that complied with GE Service Bulletins but were not overhauled during the same shop visit should be considered eligible.

The commenter requests that the Airworthiness Directive include a specific list of affected Fuel Pump Serial Numbers to ensure all units are captured. They argue that the current method of providing lists to individual operators via email is insufficient for an AD requirement.

ANA is requesting specific modifications and clarifications to the proposed Airworthiness Directive regarding General Electric Company engines. They argue that the AD should target the MFP level specifically for units with overhaul histories, clarify the definition of "no prior service history," and remove unnecessary overhaul requirements for eligible parts.

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.

Jeffrey Skinner of Eaton Aerospace Fuel and Motion Control Division submitted comments regarding an Airworthiness Directive for General Electric Company GEnx Engines. He requests specific revisions to the Background statement of the NPRM to better align with Service Bulletin 82933-73-0006 and provide more detail on the technical causes of the fuel leak.

Air France Airline requests that the agency include specific Serial Numbers for the affected Main Fuel Pumps in the Airworthiness Directives. They argue that providing Serial Numbers, in addition to Part Numbers, will help operators manage maintenance planning more efficiently and avoid disruptions.

Erica Graham of The Boeing Company expresses concurrence with the proposed rule regarding a fuel leak report for GEnx1B/2B engines on Boeing 747 and 787 aircraft. The company states that no additional comments will be provided.

UPS Airline is requesting specific wording changes to the Airworthiness Directive to clarify which main fuel pumps are eligible for installation. They argue that the current language is too restrictive regarding "prior service history" and "overhaul" requirements, and they propose more precise language based on repair history and specific service bulletins.