FAA orders · airworthiness directive · historical

99-12-04: Critical Life Limited Part Inspection

FAA order 99-12-04 is an airworthiness directive in force since July 8, 1999. The FAA's subject line: Critical Life Limited Part Inspection. It names the Pratt & Whitney JT8D-217C, Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219, Pratt & Whitney JT8D series engines: about 106 aircraft on the U.S. register today across them, though an order usually covers particular versions or serial numbers rather than every one. System: engine.

What it applies to as the FAA lists it

Kind of product: Engine
Makes: Pratt & Whitney Division; Pratt & Whitney Division; Pratt & Whitney Division; Pratt & Whitney Division; Pratt & Whitney Division; Pratt & Whitney Division
Models: JT8D-209, JT8D-217, JT8D-217A, JT8D-217C, JT8D-219
Engine series: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-217C 2 aircraft
Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 22 aircraft
Pratt & Whitney JT8D series 82 aircraft

Dates and paperwork

In force since: July 8, 1999
Published: June 8, 1999
Docket: 98-ANE-43-AD
Replaced by: 2000-21-07
Status: Historical
The FAA's document: Read the order on the FAA's site

The FAA's summary their words, unchanged

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 series turbofan engines, that requires revisions to the engine manufacturer's Time Limits Section (TLS) of the JT8D-200 Turbofan Engine Manual to include enhanced inspection of selected critical life-limited parts at each piece-part exposure. This amendment will also require an air carrier's approved continuous airworthiness maintenance program to incorporate these inspection procedures. This amendment is prompted by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) study of in-service events involving uncontained failures of critical rotating engine parts that indicated the need for improved inspections. The improved inspections are needed to identify those critical rotating parts with conditions that if allowed to continue in service, could result in uncontained failures. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent critical life-limited rotating engine part failure, which could result in an uncontained engine failure and damage to the airplane.

The order itself the regulatory text, as published

Show the full text (5,267 characters)

99-12-04  Pratt & Whitney:  Amendment39-11188.  Docket 98-ANE-43-AD. 
	Applicability Pratt & Whitney (PW) JT8D-209, -217, -217A, -217C, and -219 series turbofan engines, installed on but not limited to McDonnell Douglas MD80 series airplanes. 
	Note 1:  This airworthiness directive (AD) applies to each engine identified in the preceding applicability provision, regardless of whether it has been modified, altered, or repaired in the area subject to the requirements of this AD. For engines that have been modified, altered, or repaired so that the performance of the requirements of this AD is affected, the owner/operator must request approval for an alternative method of compliance in accordance with paragraph (c) of this AD. The request should include an assessment of the effect of the modification, alteration, or repair on the unsafe condition addressed by this AD; and, if the unsafe condition has not been eliminated, the request should include specific proposed actions to address it.Compliance:  Required as indicated, unless accomplished previously. 
	To prevent critical life-limited rotating engine part failure, which could result in an uncontained engine failure and damage to the airplane, accomplish the following: 
	(a)	Within the next 30 days after the effective date of this AD, revise the Time Limit Section (TLS) of the PW JT8D-200 Engine Manual (EM), Part Number 773128, and for air carrier operations revise the approved continuous airworthiness maintenance program, by adding the following: 

"3.  Critical Life Limited Part Inspection 
	A.	Inspection Requirements 
		(1)	This section has the definitions for individual engine piece-parts and the inspection procedures which are necessary when these parts are removed from the engine. 
		(2)	It is necessary to do the inspection procedures of the piece-parts in Paragraph B when: 
			(a)	The part is removed from the engine and disassembled to the level specified in paragraph B and 
			(b)	The part has accumulated more than 100 cycles since the last piece part inspection, provided that the part is not damaged or related to the cause of its removal from the engine. 
		(3)	The inspections specified in this section do not replace or make unnecessary other recommended inspections for these parts or other parts. 
	B.	Parts Requiring Inspection Note:  Piece part is defined as any of the listed parts with all the blades removed. 


DESCRIPTION
 SECTION
 INSPECTION
 Hub (Disk), 1st Stage Compressor 


5000501-01 (Hub detail)
72-33-31
  -02, -03 
5000421-01 (Hub assembly) 
72-33-31 
-02, -03" 

	(b)	Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this AD, and notwithstanding contrary provisions in section 43.16 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 43.16), these mandatory inspections shall be performed only in accordance with the TLS of the PW JT8D-200 EM. 
	(c)	An alternative method of compliance or adjustment of the compliance time that provides an acceptable level of safetymay be used if approved by the Engine Certification Office.  Operators shall submit their requests through an appropriate FAA Principal Maintenance Inspector (PMI), who may add comments and then send it to the Engine Certification Office. 
	Note 2:  Information concerning the existence of approved alternative methods of compliance with this airworthiness directive, if any, may be obtained from the Engine Certification Office. 
	(d)	Special flight permits may be issued in accordance with Sections 21.197 and 21.199 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.197 and 21.199) to operate the airplane to a location where the requirements of this AD can be accomplished. 
	(e)	FAA-certificated air carriers that have an approved continuous airworthiness maintenance program in accordance with the record keeping requirement of Sec. 121.369 (c) of the Federal Aviation Regulations [14 CFR 121.369 (c)] of this chapter must maintain records of the mandatory inspections that result from revisingthe Time Limits section of the Instructions for Continuous Airworthiness (ICA) and the air carrier's continuous airworthiness program. Alternately, certificated air carriers may establish an approved system of record retention that provides a method for preservation and retrieval of the maintenance records that include the inspections resulting from this AD, and include the policy and procedures for implementing this alternate method in the air carrier's maintenance manual required by Sec. 121.369 (c) of the Federal Aviation Regulations [14 CFR 121.369 (c)]; however, the alternate system must be accepted by the appropriate PMI and require the maintenance records be maintained either indefinitely or until the work is repeated. Records of the piece-part inspections are not required under Sec. 121.380 (a) (2) (vi) of the Federal Aviation Regulations [14 CFR 121.380 (a) (2) (vi)]. All other Operators must maintain the records of mandatory inspections required by the applicable regulationsgoverning their operations. 
	Note 3: The requirements of this AD have been met when the engine manual changes are made and air carriers have modified their continuous airworthiness maintenance plans to reflect the requirements in the engine manuals. 
	(f)	This amendment becomes effective on July 8, 1999.

Source: FAA Dynamic Regulatory System, airworthiness directives. The FAA's document is the authority; the register counts are this site's, from the FAA register of October 7, 2026. Connections as data: /graph/directive/99-12-04.json · aircraft systems.