Turbine Engine Certification Changes Finalized
The FAA has issued two new final rule amendments covering FAR Part 33 turbine engine certification standards.

The FAA has issued two new final rule amendments covering FAR Part 33 turbine engine certification standards. One amendment addresses standards for certification of life-limited parts, based on research showing that “manufacturing-induced anomalies have caused about 40 percent of recent [turbine engine] rotor cracking and failure events.” This amendment focuses on revising certification standards for parts whose failure could cause a hazardous condition and also harmonizes the rules with EASA regulations. (In Europe, life-limited parts are labeled “critical parts,” not life-limited.) In the other Part 33 rule change, the FAA has amended the type certification standard for safety analysis of turbine engines to make the standard more uniform with EASA regulations. According to the FAA, “These new engine safety analysis requirements will ensure that the collective risk from all engine failure conditions is acceptably low.” This amendment will also make import and export airworthiness approvals much simpler, the FAA stated. Both amendments take effect November 5.