RTX expects that the number of aircraft on ground for repairs of Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofans with contaminated powder metal parts will peak this first quarter to 350. From there, AOG should come down, which partly is the effect of airlines collectively re-planning their fleets, and partly from progress made with inspections and repairs.
RTX first communicated the powder metal contamination problem in July, explaining that High-Pressure Turbine (HPT) and High-Pressure Combustor (HPC) disks were identified with contaminated powder metal. The parts, produced between Q4 2015 and Q3 2021, are life-limited and require ultrasonic inspections and replacement with newer parts without restrictions.
Active as a journalist since 1987, with a background in newspapers, magazines, and a regional news station, Richard has been covering commercial aviation on a freelance basis since late 2016.
Richard is contributing to AirInsight since December 2018. He also writes for Airliner World, Aviation News, Piloot & Vliegtuig, and Luchtvaartnieuws Magazine. Twitter: @rschuur_aero.
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