Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & Whitney Division Engines
Key claim: Operators of specified Pratt & Whitney PW4000-series engines must replace pressure burner sensors after reports that deteriorated sensors caused tailpipe fires, loss of thrust control, and in-flight shutdowns.
Abstract
(Rule · Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration) The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Pratt & Whitney Division (PW) Model PW4052, PW4056, PW4060, PW4060A, PW4060C, PW4062, PW4062A, PW4152, PW4156, PW4156A, PW4158, PW4460, and PW4462 engines. This AD was prompted by multiple reports of tailpipe fire, loss of thrust control, and engine in-flight shutdown due to undetected deterioration of pressure burner (Pb) sensors. This AD requires replacing Pb sensors. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Why this matters
This directive converts the May 2026 proposed PW4000 sensor action into a mandatory replacement, closing out a safety concern tied to concrete in-flight events (tailpipe fires, thrust control loss, shutdowns) rather than a theoretical defect. It fits the broader pattern of FAA using ADs to retire aging or deteriorating engine components on widebody fleets before failures compound.