Airworthiness Directives; General Electric Company Engines
Key claim: The FAA is requiring removal from service and replacement of defective fuel tube hoses connecting the main fuel-oil heat exchanger on certain General Electric GEnx-1B and GEnx-2B engines after a reported fuel leak created an unsafe condition.
Abstract
(Rule · Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration) The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain General Electric Company (GE) Model GEnx-1B64, GEnx-1B64/P1, GEnx-1B64/P2, GEnx-1B67, GEnx-1B67/P1, GEnx-1B67/P2, GEnx-1B70, GEnx- 1B70/75/P1, GEnx-1B70/75/P2, GEnx-1B70/P1, GEnx-1B70/P2, GEnx-1B70C/P1, GEnx-1B70C/P2, GEnx-1B74/75/P1, GEnx-1B74/75/P2, GEnx-1B76/P2, GEnx- 1B76A/P2, GEnx-2B67, GEnx-2B67B, and GEnx-2B67/P engines. This AD was prompted by a report of a fuel leak caused by a defective fuel tube hose connecting the main fuel-oil heat exchanger. This AD requires removal of all affected fuel tube hoses from service and replacement with parts eligible for installation. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Why this matters
Fuel-system integrity on high-bypass turbofans is a recurring safety concern, and this AD continues a visible pattern of FAA action on fuel hose and fuel-oil heat exchanger defects across multiple engine families (GE, Rolls-Royce Trent XWB, Pratt & Whitney PW4000). For operators of GEnx-powered 787 and 747-8 fleets, the directive translates a single reported leak into a fleetwide mandatory replacement — a routine but high-impact maintenance obligation typical of the AD framework.