2026-15532: Airworthiness Directives; CFM International, S.A. Engines

Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 146 (Friday, July 31, 2026) [Federal Register Volume 91, Number 146 (Friday, July 31, 2026)] [Proposed Rules] [Pages 48314-48317] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2026-15532] ======================================================================== Proposed Rules Federal Register ________________________________________________________________________ This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules. ======================================================================== Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 146 / Friday, July 31, 2026 / Proposed Rules [[Page 48314]] DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 39 [Docket No. FAA-2026-7232; Project Identifier AD-2026-00784-E] RIN 2120-AA64 Airworthiness Directives; CFM International, S.A. Engines

Agency

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

Action

Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2018-26-01, which applies to all CFM International, S.A. (CFM) Model CFM56-7B engines. AD 2018-26-01 requires initial and repetitive ultrasonic inspections or eddy current inspections of certain fan blades for crack indications and, depending on the results of the inspections, replacement with parts eligible for installation. Since the FAA issued AD 2018-26-01, CFM issued updated service material providing improvements to the ultrasonic inspection procedures and expanding the inspection area. This proposed AD would require initial and repetitive ultrasonic inspections or eddy current inspections of certain fan blades for crack indications and, depending on the results of the inspections, replacement with parts eligible for installation. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

Dates

The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by August 31, 2026.

Addresses

You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Fax: (202) 493-2251. Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2026-7232; or in person at Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains this NPRM, any comments received, and other information. The street address for Docket Operations is listed above. Material Incorporated by Reference: For CFM material identified in this proposed AD, contact CFM, GE Aviation Fleet Support, 1 Neumann Way, M/D Room 285, Cincinnati, OH 45215; phone: (877) 432-3272; email: [email protected]. You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call (817) 222-5110.

For Further Information Contact

Alexei Marqueen, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198; phone: (781) 238-7178; email: [email protected].

Supplementary Information

Comments Invited The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or arguments about this proposal. Send your comments using a method listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2026-7232; Project Identifier AD-2026-00784-E'' at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date and may revise this proposal because of those comments. Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR 11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. The agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact received about this NPRM. Confidential Business Information CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to this NPRM contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to this NPRM, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public docket of this NPRM. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Alexei Marqueen, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198. Any commentary that the FAA receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this rulemaking. Background The FAA issued AD 2018-26-01, Amendment 39-19531 (83 FR 66090, December 26, 2018) (AD 2018-26-01), for all CFM Model CFM56-7B engines. AD 2018-26-01 was prompted by an April 2018 event involving an engine failure due to a fractured fan blade that led to the engine inlet cowl disintegrating and debris penetrating the fuselage, resulting in one fatality. AD 2018-26-01 superseded AD 2018-18-01, Amendment 39-19380 (83 FR 49272, October 1, 2018), and reduced the initial fan blade inspection interval based on an ongoing root cause investigation of the event. AD 2018-26-01 requires initial and repetitive ultrasonic inspections or eddy current inspections of certain fan blades for crack indications and, depending on the results of the inspections, replacement with parts eligible for installation. The FAA issued AD 2018-26-01 to prevent failure of the fan blade. [[Page 48315]] Actions Since AD 2018-26-01 Was Issued Since the FAA issued AD 2018-26-01, CFM issued updated service material providing improvements to the ultrasonic inspection procedures and expanding the ultrasonic inspection gated area to increase crack indication detectability. The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent failure of the fan blade. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in failure of the fan blade, the engine inlet cowl disintegrating and debris penetrating the fuselage, causing a loss of pressurization, and prompting an emergency descent. On July 10, 2026, a Ryanair flight (operating as Malta Air flight FR1879), departing from Thessaloniki, Greece to Memmingen, Germany, experienced a CFM56-7B engine failure on a Boeing Model 737-800 airplane. Although this incident involved the CFM56-7B and the cause of the engine failure is still under investigation, the FAA has received no factual information that indicates that the incident is related to the unsafe condition addressed by this proposed AD. It is noted here for completeness only. The FAA is providing a 30-day comment period for this NPRM instead of the standard 45-day comment period. This shortened timeframe is necessary to align the effective implementation of this safety action with EASA and in consideration of the recent in-service engine event. A 30-day comment period provides sufficient opportunity for public input while ensuring harmonization with EASA. FAA's Determination The FAA is issuing this NPRM after determining that the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type design. Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51 The FAA reviewed CFM International CFM56-7B Service Bulletin 72- 1033, Revision 5, dated July 28, 2026, which specifies procedures for performing an ultrasonic inspection of the affected fan blades. The FAA also reviewed Subtask 72-21-01-220-091, of Task 72-21-01- 200-001, from the CFM56-7B Engine Shop Manual, Revision 67, dated July 15, 2026, which specifies procedures for performing an eddy current inspection of the affected fan blades. This material is reasonably available because the interested parties have access to it through their normal course of business or by the means identified in the ADDRESSES section. Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM This proposed AD would require initial and repetitive ultrasonic inspections or eddy current inspections of certain fan blades for crack indications and, depending on the results of the inspections, replacement with parts eligible for installation. Costs of Compliance The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would affect 4,553 engines installed on airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed AD: Estimated Costs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cost per Cost on U.S. Action Labor cost Parts cost product operators ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inspect engine fan blade.............. 2 work-hours x $85 per $170 $340 $1,548,020 hour = $170. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary replacements that would be required based on the results of the inspection. The agency has no way of determining the number of engines that might need these replacements: On-Condition Costs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cost per Action Labor cost Parts cost product ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Replace fan blade (pair)...................... 1 work-hour x $85 per hour = $85 $208,300 $208,385 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Authority for This Rulemaking Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII, Aviation Programs, describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's authority. The FAA is issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: General requirements. Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing regulations for practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator finds necessary for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within the scope of that authority because it addresses an unsafe condition that is likely to exist or develop on products identified in this rulemaking action. Regulatory Findings The FAA determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism implications under Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD would not have a substantial direct effect on the States, on the relationship between the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government. For the reasons discussed above, I certify that the proposed regulation: (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 12866, (2) Would not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and (3) Would not have a significant economic impact, positive or negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by reference, Safety. [[Page 48316]] The Proposed Amendment Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the FAA proposes to amend 14 CFR part 39 as follows: PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES 0