This week, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued a warning on engine vibrations on Airbus aircraft.
Known as an Airworthiness Directive (AD), this will be in effect from May 6, 2024.
Without further ado, let’s get into…
What Does The AD Say About The Airbus Aircraft?
The AD, which was released by EASA, has mentioned potential non-synchronous engine vibration issues on the following aircraft:
- A319neo
- A320neo
- A321neo
Furthermore, the AD has singled out those aircraft types which are powered by CFM LEAP engines.
The directive states the following:
“Occurrences have been reported of experiencing non-synchronous vibrations (NSV) on LEAP-1A engines.”
“It has been determined that affected parts (as defined in this AD), when installed on LEAP-1A engines, may be subject to accelerated wear, which could lead to elevated NSV during engine operation.”
“This condition, if not detected and corrected, may induce engine stalls, or result in secondary air system seal rubs, cooling airflow reduction, or elevated temperatures in turbine internal cavities, all which could lead to high-pressure turbine (HPT) disc failures, possibly resulting in release of highenergy debris with consequent damage to, and reduced control of, the aeroplane.”
“To address this potential unsafe condition, CFM published SB LEAP-1A-72-00-0504-01A-930A-D, later revised to correct an error in section 5.B of the accomplishment instructions, to provide applicable monitoring instructions and a list of the affected parts.”
“For the reason described above, this AD requires NSV monitoring (evaluation) and, depending on findings, accomplishment of applicable corrective action(s). This AD also prohibits (re)installation of affected parts.”
Fix Already Suggested…
Within the AD, a fix has been identified by CFM to fix the Airbus A319neo, A320neo and A321neo engines.
The document states that the AD was posted to EASA back in October 2023, potentially highlighting that this issue has been around for a while.
However, the AD has set out how to fix the issues, which is why there would be a period of time to establish the fix.
Either way, it is now down to the operators to make the appropriate fixes.
Overall…
In conclusion, now that the AD has been issued regarding the Airbus aircraft, these will be addressed and fixed.
Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see how many of these aircraft are affected by this issue.
Such works will take place during maintenance cycles and unscheduled checks, so safety and integrity is maintained.
All eyes will be on whether any follow-up guidance will be issued following this.
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